Band der Woche: Caress

Caress ist das Solo-Projekt der in Los Angeles lebenden Darkwave-Künstlerin Tara Jane. Ende letzen Jahres hat die Musikerin ihr Debüt-Album Night Call veröffentlicht – mit acht fesselnden Songs und einem synthgetriebenen, hypnotischen Sound, der „sowohl dunkel als auch zart ist und in einen Mantel aus Geheimnis und Sinnlichkeit gehüllt ist“. Ein spannendes Debüt, das uns neugierig gemacht hat!

Who is behind Caress? What made you decide to start the project?
Caress is my (Tara Jane) solo project — it’s a reflection of my innermost emotions and experiences. The decision to start this project came from a desire to channel those feelings into something tangible, something that could resonate with others. Drawing from my background in shoegaze music and my love for 80’s synth and goth music, I wanted to create a sound that was both dark and tender, wrapped in a cloak of mystery and sensuality.

If you had to describe your music in terms of not music … what would you say?
Heartbroken love spells, cold late night drives to the center of the city, shattered glass, and the sad tender caress of a silk gloved hand.

Forget about genres for a second — your music sounds like …
The sound of an ex lover haunting you in a tunnel.

What are you looking for in music? What are the boundaries that you look to explore with music?
I challenge myself using vintage equipment and synthesizers and implementing them with modern controllers and DAWs. Emotionally, I pull inspiration for lyrics from the most vulnerable and darkest parts of myself when I write.

What is sound to you?
Sound is my means of self-expression and the way I get to know myself. Music and this subculture has been my escape and my outlet since I could remember.

What are your first musical memories? When did you first fall in love with sound?
I was 13 at the library looking up sad music on the computer there and wrote a list of bands on a piece of paper. I started sifting through CDs and found my first goth albums, „Wild Mood Swings“ by The Cure and „Violator“ by Depeche Mode. I rode my bike home and listened to the song round & round & round on repeat, finally feeling seen. This was one of the best moments of my life.

Which person, artist or incident inspired you when you first started making music?
I am going to say Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, mainly because when I encountered Sonic Youth for the first time and heard Kim’s detached, intensely raw but haunting voice, it opened up my world to what a female musician could be; experimental and elevated, which is so much more than what I had been exposed to growing up​.

What impact do your surroundings have on your art?
I am very influenced by my surroundings, I often interpret my most visceral experiences into my lyrics and music. I record all of my music at home so I have intimacy when I write.

Where does your inspiration for music come from? Which sort of mood produces the best song?
I pull inspiration from all kinds of things, namely from my experiences. I always pick a theme, or visualize a moment, often it is coming from a place of tenderness or pain. I couldn’t say there is a specific mood for me as much as a sense of power I feel from finding this theme and feeling the desire to produce this in my music.

How does the birth of a new composition happen for you? How does your compositional process work?
Inspiration almost only hits me late at night, and I often find myself working through the witching hours until the sun comes up. My compositional process is complex but mainly starts by experimenting with my variety of hardware synths in my home studio. I would say I often gravitate towards my Korg Poly-800 and Casio CZ-101 the most.

How does the visual aspect relate to and reflect your music?
The visual aspect is integral to Caress’s identity, serving as a natural extension of the music. I create imagery that mirrors the dark qualities of my music. Whether through album artwork or my merch and apparel designs, I aim to summon intrigue in my design-work that parallels the sonic experience, providing listeners with a complete sensory journey into Caress’s atmospheric and tender little world.

How would you describe the world you are trying to create during your performances?
I try to create an experience through my ethereal melodies and raw emotion, I want to connect. I guess I would describe the world I’m creating when I perform as a place where people can lose themselves and experience the enigmatic allure of Caress.

What’s next for you? What are you most looking forward to?
I am currently working on writing my second studio album.

Bandcamp     Instagram      Facebook

(877)