Callum MacHattie
Experienced music journalist usually spotted running around gigs and festivals with a mic in hand. Also trying to prove to my dad’s mates that music is as good as it used to be, one interview at a time.
We chat with Tianna, the Bristol singer effortlessly blending genres and channeling jam-band energy into every one of her performances
It’s hard to avoid cliches when describing the Bristol music scene: a melting pot of influences and cultures from neo-soul, funk, reggae, drum and bass and so much more. Historically, artists who attempt to flirt with all of those on stage can become lost in a sea of pastiche and with no real identity to boot. But something felt particularly unique when I saw Tianna take the stage and stylishly tip-toe from one sound to the next.
I caught up with Tianna after her set at the Mahalia Presents show – a gig curated by Mahalia herself – where, despite the surrealism of being handpicked by an idol, she played with the confidence of a long-term headliner.
“I guess when you come to something like this and you spend time with them, you realise they were once just starting out and that gives you the confidence you need”, she told me, when I asked about what it meant to play this show.
It’s that very combination of self-assurance and humility that makes for an artist so at home with herself in both the studio and on stage. Her latest single ‘Lime Grove‘ nods to her reggae influences and laces them with the vocal melodies that are becoming a defining feature of her sound. Elusive, delicate and in complete ownership of any song she performs, these melodies give colour to a discography that shows her ability to engage with multiple genres and mould them to her will.
When asked if this ability is innate or worked on, Tianna said “I think it comes naturally, but it’s all because of the different places I’ve drawn influences. Going to Family Business every Sunday at The Gallimaufry or listening to the genres that have come out of Bristol, I think I just try put that into something that feels like me and how I can express myself”.
The Bristol music scene Tianna has immersed herself in is an inherently jam-led space, with tight pub stages crammed with 6, 7 or 8 musicians at a time in a pursuit of expressive joy. And it’s this creative attitude that has directly rubbed off on Tianna, whose band stands at 6-strong behind her on stage and, excitingly, in the studio too.
“We’re a jam band at heart and I think it brings so much joy on stage, especially the brass sections” she tells me. At such an intimate gig where multi-instrumentation isn’t expected, the crowd reciprocated that excitement and lapped up every layer of each song’s performance.
Whilst collaboration sits at the very heart of Tianna’s sound, it’s hard to ignore the sense of self and belief that brews beneath the surface. When speaking about her first experiences of playing live, she said: “I literally went to jam nights on my own, with no one else to force myself to get up there and sing”.
Stepping that far out of your comfort zone doesn’t happen without a clear objective and determination to pursue something. Now that Tianna looks at home on stage and with a microphone in hand, she’s extended that fearlessness into the studio. Her set at Thekla ebbed and flowed between released and unreleased songs, reggae and drum and bass. Yes, Bristol may be receptive to genre crossovers, but it’s rarely seen for an artist to drift between such changes so effortlessly in a set.
So, as we roll into another season of summer festivals and outdoor shows, it feels like Tianna’s soulful sound could easily be the backdrop for the year ahead. And whilst the opportunity to see her set again is exciting, it’s nothing on the anticipation to see what’s next from an artist who has truly grasped the art of stylishly evolving, in such a short space of time.
Listen to ‘Lime Grove’ here:
For fans of: Greentea Peng, Joy Crookes, Yaya Bey, Pip Millett.