Toronto, ON-based pop-soul artist Tali has released her new single, “(Don’t) Wanna Be Yours” from her upcoming EP, Shadows.
“(Don’t) Wanna Be Yours” has inspired by a cigar-puffer, and is a can’t-live-with-him, can’t-live-without-him romantic conundrum, it sets a torchy vocal atop a stark, haunting post-modern electro-waltz.
“There was this one particular moment when he pissed me off,” she shares. “He lit up a chocolate-flavoured cigar when I’d asked him if he would not smoke around me, and he still did.
I wrote this song about all the things he did that bothered me, and all the ways he’d get on my nerves in our short-lived romance.
But even so, I was still very much interested in him,” Tali admits. “It was so contradictory.”
Check out “(Don’t) Wanna Be Yours” below and find out more about Tali via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Tali. I was born and raised in the suburbs just outside of Toronto. I was always a very music-oriented child. My lovely parents immigrated to Canada before I was born with very little and have supported my dreams of singing since I first uttered my passion. My dad says I would sing every night in my baby crib and have never stopped since. I fell in love with poetry in middle school after reading Leonard Cohen’s works. My brother DJ’d from his room as a teenager and bought a midi keyboard. When he gave up on DJing he let me keep his keyboard and I started producing my own songs when I was 16. I had so many melodies floating about for years and yearned to materialize them. I began posting my music on Soundcloud and so many amazing things have been happening since. I’m nocturnal, romantic, an old soul. I love that music can connect everybody and I’m so happy to make my own contribution.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
My songs hit the sweet spot between pop, soul, R&B, jazz, with electronic elements. My music is a collection of experiences, inspirations, and observations that I’ve been perceiving ever since my thirst for curiosity began. I’ve written songs inspired by film noirs, of lovers dancing under the moon; the trigger of a moment that makes you fall in love with somebody – or fall apart and lose control; the betrayal of a loved one and the lingering effects of it; the beauty of distraction and escape from negativity; my own experiences with anxiety; being in love with the idea of love rather than the actuality; the painful lessons of ignoring your gut instinct. I adore seductive, intoxicating, thought-provoking pieces of writing that are sprinkled with wisdom, truth, and desire. I never felt the allure of writing from the point of view of a teenager even when I was a teenager. I love deeper meanings and serious conversations. I want to get my point across to people of all ages, young and old, and everyone in between.
Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?
I don’t currently have succinct plans for upcoming shows, though I am definitely exploring that in more depth for the near future. Being on stage is an otherworldly experience, it’s one of my favourite places to be. I like to experiment when I perform; sometimes it’s just me and my keyboard. Sometimes I have a guitarist up there with me. I’d love to bring a full band together to play with me on stage. It all depends on the venue. If it’s an intimate setting, it’s usually an acoustic arrangement with myself and my wondrous keys.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I have written and recorded tens if not one hundred songs over the last couple of years and I have quite a few favourites, I couldn’t choose just one. From these particular 3 songs in my upcoming EP “Shadows”, I would say my upcoming tune, “Walking Paradox”. The production is amazing, the sound is crisp, my voice is passionate and powerful, the story is very telling and it ties in the whole project together.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
There are a myriad of incredible artists from Canada in a variety of genres. Leonard Cohen is at the top of my list. Other artists who continuously receive airplay from me on my playlists, and whose songs I adore range between Joni Mitchell, Daniel Caesar, The Band, Drake, Neil Young, and Mac DeMarco. I’m grateful to be from here where there is a lot of talent everywhere.