Kingston, ON-based indie-pop singer-songwriter Astrid Tanton has unveiled the video for her single, “Comfort” from her upcoming debut album, From My Eyes.
“‘Comfort’ focuses on a lot of uncertainty and, unlike the name, uncomfortable times in your life,” Tanton muses. “It’s tough to leave something behind that was hurting you because there was some sense of certainty around it, and it’s a common thing for people to sacrifice their feelings for what’s comfortable.
“To me, that’s not okay and never will be.
“Once you can move into the unknown and away from the ‘comfortable’ with your head held high, you always become stronger.”
Check out the video below, and find out more about Astrid Tanton via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m an independent, 18-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter and I am taking my first steps to share my music with Canadian music lovers coast to coast. I’ve always known I wanted to build a career in the music business from the young age of 3 when I belted out “Eye Of The Tiger” in my parent’s living room as one of my early favourites.
After going through public school just north of Kingston in Verona, Ontario I moved to Toronto six years ago for high school and to work on my music. Last year I finished high school at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts in Toronto and I have established my own publishing company and encourage all young girls to take control of their own future.
I try to stay active in the LGBTQ+ community in and around Toronto and two years ago I was featured as a headliner at Canada’s first ever Youth Pride Day held in Oshawa.
I now am living in Toronto and working on my music, attending Ryerson University, and working part-time at Adrenaline Tattoos on Queen Street West. On top of all of that, I like to spend time back home north of Kingston from time to time on the lake and connecting with my dog and two cats.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
I would best describe my music as a contemporary blend of pop and indie with influences from lots of other genres. I really really love poetry so I definitely get a lot of influence for my songwriting style from poets like Alicia Cook and Rupi Kaur.
I believe that musicians and songwriters are storytellers, we write songs and perform them for people to connect to, for people to use to help them express their own emotions. So as a songwriter whenever I am writing a new song, I try to think of the main story I’m trying to convey but then dive deeper into what emotional connection I am trying to have with my listeners.
I want the people who listen to my music to know they aren’t alone, so through my music, whether it be a happy song or a sad song, that they have this song to help them.
How are you keeping creative without shows? What are you spending your time on?
Covid-19 has definitely changed the music industry (as it has for every industry). During these past months, I’ve spent a lot of time working on my overall musical technique. I’ve been really working on vocal technique and new picking/strumming patterns that I can play on guitar.
In terms of my creativity, I find if I try and force myself to create new music it will always end with me just frustrated and unhappy with the music I’m producing. So, I’ll try to go write in new locations outside when the weather has been good. or sometimes at home whenever I have a small idea I’ll just record it and then come back to it later when the next part of the song comes to me.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I would probably suggest my newest release “Comfort” because I’m really proud of the production team and the work my co-producer Spencer Schwartz did on this track to help me create the vibe for this song.
As well as I just think the message in it is something that will always be relevant to myself and others. You can’t stay in a situation that’s hurting you just because it makes you feel comfortable, whether that be a relationship, a job, or anything else.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/artists?
I would say my current favourite Canadian Artists would have to be Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, and Shawn Mendes. These three really stand out to me for their songwriting styles as they all are really different from each other but I could listen to a song from each of them and just go through and try and find all the different meanings hidden in their lyrics. I really enjoy music that makes me think and that makes me have to go back to try and grasp all their emotion and story that’s being told.
Connect with Astrid Tanton:
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