Jazz/Blues Performer Tanya Wills Hopeful With “Someone To Love” From Forthcoming Album She
The global pandemic was costly in terms of lives, misery, and missed opportunities for all ages. For some in the early chapters of their lives, it was a lost attempt at having a crush during junior high, the excitement emanating from high school dances and proms, or finding romance in university. But Toronto-based blues/jazz chanteuse Tanya Wills has encapsulated that feeling of youthful optimism for finding love in such hard, challenging times with her latest single, the serene and stylish “Someone To Love” from her forthcoming solo album She.
Wills says “Someone To Love” originated while, like most of the world, she was isolated and went for a run near her home of Brighton, Ontario in the midst of the angst, turmoil, and continual public restrictions.
“‘Someone To Love’ is a song that began its life during the pandemic,” she says. “I thought about the impact this would have on the young people, missing out on the important social moments. We all experienced the loneliness of that time, not knowing how it would end, but for the young lovers – or those wanting to fall in love – it might have seemed particularly bleak. And so, this song is about holding on to the hope and a dream…of love.”
Like most strong jazz ballads, Wills’ light and delicate delivery works tremendously well with guitarist Bill Bridges’ sparse but inviting accompaniment. Bridges, who Wills describes as her “constant touchstone and mentor,” helps fuel the mood and atmosphere instantly. It’s a lovely, hushed, and heartwarming blueprint for an enjoyable listen. Meanwhile, drummer/percussionist Kevin Coady and bassist Ron Johnston keep things gliding alongside Wills’ earnest approach. “Someone To Love” would fall in line with material by the likes of Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Joni Mitchell.
The song epitomizes the dreams of a woman finding her perfect partner who offers her a night on the town and figuratively sweeps her off her feet. She isn’t sure who that man is, or when she will meet that man of her dreams. But she’s steadfast in believing he’s out there somewhere.
Somehow her heart knows the answer — when destiny and chance meet one moonlight night
Before her a wondrous sight — her someone to love.
‘Til then her dreams are her own, but she’s not alone —
She hopes he’s watching the stars above…
Her someone to love.
Wills, who is extremely busy fronting the Tanya Wills Quartet featuring Bridges, Coady, and Johnston, also performs as part of the Wintergarten Orchestra who regularly play in and around the Greater Toronto Area, a Cabaret-ish show featuring material from the 1920’s and 1930’s. It’s a far cry from one of her previous occupations as an Ontario Provincial Police officer for a decade. But judging by “Someone To Love” musical creations and not police investigations seemed more in line with her destiny.
The performer, who released the singles “Rewind” in 2023 and “Ça s’est arrangé” in April, 2024, now looks to grow her blossoming fan base even more with her new single “Someone To Love.” The performer’s music, to steal a word from the latest single, is simply wondrous.
Hi, Tanya! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
Thanks so much, I would love to! I am a Toronto-based singer-songwriter, but actually have very strong roots in Theatre. I have been a dancer all of my life with an education in Music Theatre. I adore the stage and have had the privilege of performing some amazing roles … Peter Pan, Velma Kelly to name a couple. I sang with various Big Bands for about 24 years and found my way to a Vintage Jazz Band, The Wintergarten Orchestra, a dozen years ago. I ended up collaborating with some bandmates, and we formed the Quartet. I still play regularly with WG and love that era of music. My songwriting began almost 20 years ago as well, and I keep busy with it, finding inspiration in all aspects of my life.
“Someone To Love” originated during the pandemic. Can you tell us more about how the isolation and uncertainty of that time influenced the song’s creation?
I have two daughters, and my younger one was just beginning University as the pandemic hit us. I watched her try to navigate socially, and online, and my heart broke for her, that she would not have the university experience that we all think of in normal times. None of us knew how long the shutdown would last and it made me think of all of those individuals, living alone, young people, and older people, missing the humanity that we need to thrive. I wondered about a young person who had been waiting for their first crush, first kiss, or who maybe was in a brand new ‘relationship’, now cut off. It’s a song about a wish and a dream.
The delicate arrangement of “Someone To Love” features beautiful accompaniment from Bill Bridges. What was it like collaborating with him on this track, and how did his presence shape the song’s atmosphere?
Bill is a masterful arranger and I adore the treatment that he gave this song. He brings years of wisdom and experience to the project and is always so supportive of my lyrics and music – Bill really made it the quintessential love song of longing. He is one of the most beautiful players out there and we work so well together. He gets me.
How does “Someone To Love” fit into the larger narrative of your forthcoming album She?
The album is a compilation of stories, whether my own, or my observations of others, or fictional, and they are all from the feminine perspective. SHE hears the call of the city ….
There are stories with social commentary … a woman I knew very distantly, who, I believe, struggled with her living and personal circumstances. It speaks to the value of every person, regardless of status or perceived success in society. Orchard Ghost is about the disappearing apple orchards, and our relationship with Mother Earth. And my own experience as a young woman, remembering the longing and confusion of a first love – someone to love.
From your time as an Ontario Provincial Police officer to fronting the Tanya Wills Quartet, your career has taken quite a journey. How have your life experiences shaped your music and your approach to storytelling?
Well, just in terms of policing, that was one of the most formative decades of my existence. I couldn’t have imagined how much I would learn about my own humanity and that of others at, sometimes, the lowest points of their lives. My own journey through marriage and having my children, of course, is strongly reflected in my music. The thread that runs through all of it is that of love, whether found, lost, misplaced, or longed for.