TARAH G. CARPENTER: Vocals, Guitar
CORALIE HERVE: Drums
When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
TGC: Haha! YES! my mom would BLAST (and still does) the Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen etc.... My musical epiphany was with Alanis Morissette, relating with the lyrics, and dissecting the music and production. I feel like I was influenced a bunch. Then I discovered, Motorhead, Pantera, TOOL, The Foo Fighters (before they became an orchestra..) and of course the Distillers, and I just wanted to play LOUD Rock, dirty Rock 'N Roll. This was sound epiphany.
CH : I was around 9-10 when some friends showed me AC/DC, Guns & Roses, Green Day ... it was the beginning for me. Then one day my uncle showed me this metal band from Finland called Nightwish, and it was just it !!! I fell in love with this genre.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
TGC: I write the music and lyrics on my own and make bad demos of them just to be able to communicate the idea. When the structure is set, I send the song to Coralie who learns the structure and we work on the song itself afterwards. If I have ideas I am not able to play on the drums for instance, I sing the idea to Coco (Coralie) and we try out a few things. I like to have a produced version (recorded) and a live version for some songs. Coralie has a very good technique and I like to show off with her bad ass drumming ;)
Who has influenced you the most?
TGC: I think that it is a mix of Alanis, Foo Fighters and The Distillers. I definitely write lyrics like Alanis in a sense that I spill out my emotions, but I prefer to play loud, fast and aggressive like The Distillers, with a Taylor Hawkins drumming style.
CH : I'll say Nightwish for sure but generally metal and classic rock. The drummers that influenced my the most are Mike Portnoy, Thomas Lang, Glen Sobel and Daniel Erlandsson are a few of them.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new
motivation?
TGC: Coralie (jk), life events, relationships, It comes from the everyday life really. I am pretty sensitive to my surroundings.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
TGC: I am originally from Paris, France but I moved to LA in 2006, when I started TARAH WHO? . Our hometown is Los Angeles, and I have no idea how it reflects in the music. Coralie? maybe because we play loud? but we are a duo and we don't really fit in to any particular genre.
CH : Yeah I don't really know how to respond to that, maybe when people think of LA rock comes in mind, so that maybe.
Where'd the band name come from?
TGC: That was a bit of an accident. I had to come up with a band name quickly because we had shows that were booked before having the name. I thought I was going to be able to change it, but.... It has been 14 years ...
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
TGC: The movie about a woman riding fast a motorcycle, and killing Zombies in the desert. (we play fast paced, low end music...)
CH : I'll say a Quentin Tarantino movie because the soundtracks are always killer, and for Tarah who? music the zombie apocalypse is good.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
TGC: I would probably write an essay about "Pantomath" which is a song about mansplaining and the definition of success.
CH : For sure Ghost Love Score by Nightwish, my favorite song !!! It's such a powerful song amd I just love it !!
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
TGC: Well, there was this one time, one of our friends peed in the hotel room, mistaking the table with the toilet...
CH : And another one almost peed on Tarah too !!
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you
and for your fans?
TGC: I love playing live, especially when the crowd is really into it and on fire. It is a lot of fun to meet people, and every show is different. As a matter of fact, we don't make the show, our fans totally make our shows. Seeing people into it, get us going and we come up with crazy thing. We are pretty well rehearsed so, we can just play our songs, but it is the exchange with our audience that makes the live performance unique and memorable.
CH : I really like playing live, the energy on stage and in the crowd is awesome !! And people at the shows are awesome, always meet some !!
What makes a great song?
TGC: In my opinion: an authentic timeless story, and when people can relate to you story. Music, art, is a way of expression and for me writing is clearly like therapy. When fans come up to me or message me saying that they relate to a song, it reminds me of me when I was 15, relating to Alanis Morissette's songs. It takes you on a journey, or makes you day dream, or helps you go through a hard time because you found yourself in the lyrics and took it as a sign! That is to me, a great song.
CH : I never really cares about the lyrics first, it's always about the instruments for me. If the melody is catchy and touch me.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
TGC: argh!! it was really cheesy, it was about a crush I had on someone. Typical...!
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
TGC: Coralie and Jason. I think that we are a pretty good team. Coralie is a super tight and strong drummer, Jason brings really cool ideas and melodies on the lead guitar. (Jason Orme plays with Alanis Morissette and co-produces our music)
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
TGC: I am a HUGE fan of the spanish band BALA but I have no idea what they are screaming about. I just love their music.
CH : Nightwish, always and forever hahahaha !!!
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
TGC: Depends where I am! digital when on the go, Vinyl at home and CDs in my 2003 SUV! ;)
CH : I have a lot of CDs at home and I just began vinyls, I love it !! For the car is digital but I always prefer to have it physically.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
TGC: Whiskey at a party or before a show. Beer all of the other times. (but wine too. the option is just not there ;) )
CH : Coca cola for sure !!!
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
TGC: LA. I mean if you want to get lost, for sure AMOEBA, but if you want to support smaller record stores, I'd go on Melrose, there is a punk record store. You can't miss it. Just punk!
What's next for the band?
TGC: We are shooting a music video for 'Pantomath', releasing episode 3 of our docu-series available on youtube, going on tour in the west coast, playing at the international women rider festival in OK, laying a couple shows in Europe in May 2020, recording a new EP, and playing shows on the East Coast afterwards... Have I missed anything Coralie?
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
TGC: thank you so much for having us, and all of the info is on www.tarahwho.com and please follow us on our instagram @ tarahwho
