Odetta Hartman Gives Us Unconventional Folk with ‘TAP TAP’ [Premiere]

With organic ambiance and glitches that perfectly surround a delicate acoustic sound, “TAP TAP” from Odetta Hartman is an unexpected journey. As her quietly piercing vocals project a sense of mystery, the winding track never delivers a perfunctory moment. Each sound and melody feels spontaneous yet intentional — the result of deliberate experimentation that seamlessly blends her folk roots with something more unconventional.

We asked Hartman to share a bit more about what inspired “TAP TAP” — check out her description below, listen to the song above, and be sure to pick up her debut album, 222, out 10/2 on Northern Spy Records.

TAP TAP was a beautiful accident fated to happen: recorded sun-drunk in a bikini on a wooden bedroom floor, this ghost-story of a song provided a palette & canvas for experimental sound collage, unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Without expectations, Jack & I began to craft a soundscape around the cyclic guitar and haunted lyrics – there was no other end goal besides getting weird and falling in love.

Another sweaty night had us in the kitchen, snipping scissors and grinding pepper, running around the house giggling with our zoom [microphone]. These samples fidgeted into place and created a world of sound that sparked a deeper concept.

222 marks my first solo album, which utilized digital techniques rather than tracking with a full band. Jack, my partner & producer, schooled me in the magical ways of Ableton, and we took many risks in building our own instruments out of field recordings of faucets, forests, streams and screwdrivers.

What emerged was a collection of spiritual songs existing in an ethereal atmosphere, rooted in traditional technique, yet actualized as post-music.

Tour Dates

9/30 – 222 Preview @ Elvis Guesthouse – Tickets
10/8 – 222 Record Release @ Rockwood – Tickets