Inspired #414 - TALLOU
Toowoomba-based artist TALLOU puts us under her spell once again with latest single ‘Marco Polo’.
Following the success of her moody debut earlier this year in the form of 'i promise i love you', TALLOU continues to showcase her talent as a singer-songwriter with a distinctive indie/ alt-pop sound.
TALLOU may be a fresh stage name, but Tiana Dennis found her footing in the music industry at a young age when she signed one of her original songs to Sony ATV for sync opportunities when she was just fourteen. Crafting a dreamy indie-pop sound that radiates like iridescent stars in the sky. With its floaty atmosphere and driving full-bodied basslines, TALLOU and her vocal delivery finds the perfect meeting point between melancholic tenderness and rich, hopeful energy. Becoming more vibrant after each verse as new layers are introduced, this dreamlike world is all absorbing.
She took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Holly Humberstone, Gretta Ray & John Mayer. Holly & Gretta’s songwriting is so authentic and relatable, they both have this way of storytelling like they’re chatting to their best friends and I’ve loved trying to recreate that feeling in my own music. I love guitar and John Mayer’s catalog is always my first stop when wanting to learn more - particularly his melodic solos.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
I’m not a movie person! I’ve been getting back into reading lately, like many I’ve been trying to decrease my screen time. I recently reread the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and remembered how absolutely game changing this was for me when I was younger.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
When playing in my previous duo, we travelled to Japan for music and I ended up writing a bunch of songs about our time in Shibuya (Tokyo). The city lights, sounds and bustle of people I fell in love with. Also snow was pretty cool after growing up in Queensland!
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
I feel pretty lucky to have some super supportive and driven people around me. I couldn’t pin point just one, but in general the little SEQ music community inspires me incredibly to keep pushing through the hurdles and focus on the passion.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
A close friend of mine was telling me about the latest update in his dating life when he said, “I feel like I’m playing Marco Polo with myself T”. I thought it was such a cool concept and super relatable as young people trying to figure out who we are while sharing ourselves with other people.
