Independent rock, grunge, garage, punk rock act TARAH WHO? who uses far too many genre tags, but that's what makes them so divine. With that said, these guys have released a handful of material, with more music underway, with even more plans of touring to come. The trio act got together to discuss their time together, music, and future.
Tarah G. Carpenter (TGC) : Vocals, Guitar
Matthew Peltcher (MP): Bass, Backing Vocals
Coralie Hervé (CH): Drums
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
TGC: Tarah Who? started in 2006. It was first a solo acoustic project that over the years became a Rock Band. I met Matt last July 2016 I think? and Coralie joined last June 2017.
MP: I started playing bass for Tarah Who? after answering an ad. I have been in a couple of punk bands prior.
CH: My name is Coralie Herve and I’m the drummer of Tarah Who? I joined the band in June.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
TGC: When I was a solo artist I was going under a different name. At the time, there was another popular French Rap artist that was going by the same name. I started booking a lot of shows and bookers thought that we were this French rap artist. We sometimes did not get gigs because they were wondering why a Rap artist would be interested in playing a dive bar or punk venue, or we got the gig because they thought that we were her, and... they were in shock when we were blasting our amps and screaming! I figured I needed to find a band name. I came up with a bunch of really stupid band names and sent an email to my band mates at the time. I named that email "TARAH WHO?”. Out of all of the band names I came up with, everyone answered " I actually like "TARAH WHO?" the best
“. We had a bunch of gigs lined up but no name so, we just went for it and never thought about it twice!
MP: I have heard that email story quite a few times and I do get asked where the name came from quite often when we are on the road.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
TGC: We are based in Los Angeles. The music scene is sometimes really interesting. Great musicians all around. LA is really crazy in that sense. Everyone is either a musician or an actor! Even though we are based here, we don't really play in Los Angeles unless we have a good or fair deal with the venue. We avoid pay to play gigs, and unfortunately there are a lot of those around. Look for the right community and people and LA will be an amazing place to grow. Remember that there is a LOT of competition and EVERYONE thinks that they are special and deserve "it" more than anyone. It can be tough, and rewarding... I love being out here because things are constantly happening. LA makes you stronger.
MP: I was raised out here and have played at plenty of venues in Los Angeles. I love this city but it is what it is. I have noticed a big difference between playing in Los Angeles versus outside of L.A. You might get a warmer reception out of L.A. but people in L.A. know how to party and get down. Every band should play out in Los Angeles at least once.
4. How would you describe your style?
TGC: We say that we are cow-punk, Rock Alternative grunge... We have our own sound, and there is not one word to describe it. We are pretty loud and "angry" on stage.. and we like to entertain and make you dance! I don't know.. guys? what do you think?
MP: Grunge, punk, hard rock, angry, intense are descriptions I have heard. We are our own style of music…and mixture of those things.
CH: It’s really hard because it’s a mix of different genres like rock, alternative, punk and in the same it’s unique.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
TGC: We have 2 albums: Tarah Who?: debut album and "Little Out There”, one single "In a rush", 2 Ep's "Federal Circle of Shame" and "Half Middle Child Syndrome”. I think you can hear the evolution of Tarah Who? sine the debut album in 2006. from music and lyrics to the production. I was 21 when I first started recording those songs, my writing has evolved since. I have gone through tougher events in life, I have been influenced by other musicians that I have been listening to (like the Distillers) or musicians that I have worked with. Over the years, I have learned to speak up and stand up for my music. I used to not dare to say when I didn't like something in the pre-production, or even production. I thought that people that I worked with " knew better”. I am not saying that they didn't, but sometimes our thoughts or taste differed, but I let them "control" the project. As the years passed by, I have worked with different people, with different personalities. Every release is a step toward my confidence in taking control over my own project.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
TGC: Yes, we are currently working on a music video (produced by Zoé Pelloux and directed Adrianne Lundy) and right after that we are going to be working on the new ep. I have a bunch songs that I have recorded as a demo. We are going to pick 5 of them for our next EP.
MP: E.P. will be recorded soon…. which we should be promoting on tour next year!
CH: We are actually working on a new EP and have some music videos coming up too.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
TGC: We have a show on November 6 at the Black Light in Long Beach, An acoustic show with Vanessa Silberman on November 13 at the Hotel Café, December 2 at the Redwood in Downtown LA. We are going to be hitting the road on April 15, 2018 for a 2-3 weeks West Coast Tour. We are also planning on going to Europe next summer.
MP: Wrapping up our mini SoCal tour before the year ends. Couple of tours next year.
CH: We gonna do a West Coast tour in April to promote the new EP and maybe we will go to Europe too.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
TGC: We have a lot of plans! Right now, we are trying to stay focused on the Videos, the Ep and the tours, but we have a lot of other plans coming. I don't want to say too much. One thing at a time, but we have a pretty full schedule for at least the next couple of years.
MP: That’s right, lots of plans…. next year is going to be big. Check out tarahwho.com.
CH: Yeah, a lot!!!! And it’s really exciting!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
TGC: https://soundcloud.com/tarahwho
Spotify, Bandcamp, CDBaby, iTunes, Deezer...digitally everywhere and physically at our shows. :)
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/tarahwho5
MP: Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/maillouh) for videos and some live performances!
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
TGC: I hope that our first listener hears the energy and passion behind the songs. I write about my life and it is all very personal but I also write with a general tone and I believe that anyone can relate or identify themselves to my experiences. I would like our listeners to understand our main message being that we are all the same. So.. try to practice love instead of fear. Whether you hear the hard-hitting drums first, the fast-paced guitars, the low driving bass or the lyrics... We hope that you can hear our passion and that you can relate.
MP: I hope listeners remember how exciting and energetic the songs are. I do get a lot of positive feedback from listeners and they really like how the music is composed.
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