From the bustling and eclectic city of Birmingham, Tara Chinn is an English singer/songwriter born to an English father and Irish mother.
At the tender age of 22 Tara spread her wings to the States, where she spent time writing and recording in Nashville, L.A and New York. While nurturing her craft over the pond she struck up a writing partnership with fellow Brummie but now state sider, Tony Fennel (Ultra Vox) and her debut album, “Night Racing” was born. She was snapped up by a British Indie label (Zest) where she recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio in Bath recording with some accomplished musicians; Tony Levin (YES), John Giblin (Kate Bush) and Karl Brazil (Take That, James Blunt) Jamie Little (Beverly Knight) and Angie Pollock (Lightning Seed’s, Goldfrapp & Brett Anderson).
The album was mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springstein) and Hugh Padgham (Sting) and mastered by Bob Ludwig (Everybody!)
Tara was then courted by the founder of Atlantic records; Armet Ertigan and after a series of showcases for EMI, Sony and the like, she signed a distribution deal with Australian label “Amphead”. Tara was flown out to Melbourne in the spring of 2008 where she released and toured her haunting debut album, ‘Night Racing’.
Upon returning to the UK Tara took some time out to rediscover herself as a songwriter and what her next step as an artist would be.
She found this in the once industrial but now bohemian hub of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter with long term friend, producer and co founder of Park studios, Alastair Jamieson. Tara writes “Park studios was the perfect environment for me to re-discover myself as an artist after a few years out in the wilderness doing session work. I felt so at ease and inspired there, it reminded me of my time writing in New York. There’s no better way to make music then with people you admire and respect musically, everyone involved I the EP just made it the best experience I’ve had recording in such a long time, it was a beautiful way to dip my toe back into the creative world of being a solo artist again”.
Her new EP “Cigarettes & Gin” has seen Tara mature, her voice now more sultry, husky and lived in, yet with still the same power, tenderness and vulnerability of her earlier work.
Her roots in soul, blues, Americana and country marry beautifully on this record, which has classic tones that are reminiscent of Carole Kings “Tapestry” and Dusty Springfield’s ” “In Memphis” to name but a few!
The majority of the record was recorded onto vintage tape which allows that luscious, warm sound to be woven into the heart felt lyrics, spine tingling vocals and nestled between to wonderful playing of Peter Brown on keys and guitar and Ray Loverock on Bass and Drums.
The EP was then mastered by the legendary Jon Astley (David Bowie).
This EP really is a wonderful reminder of one of the UK’s more unique artists who still has so much to give and is yet to be fully discovered by the masses.
