It’s not every day you see a musician make their debut in Singapore. It’s not without reason either. The creative landscape in Singapore — music-wise at least, is one of the toughest markets to break. Singaporeans aren’t generally receptive to the local arts, a byproduct of our STEM-aligned education system and our culture of valuing capital over creative expression. Creativity is only encouraged within the confines of science and commerce. But for Tara, also known as tawatowel, she defies that and carves out a space of her own. Like many in the local music industry, navigating the path to success is an uphill battle. Some do it for fame, others for the love of the game.
For tawatowel, she’s all love for the music and artistry, and it reflects in her idiosyncratic aesthetic and sound. When she first debuted earlier in February with her single ‘Toyota Wish’, it received a sizable amount of fanfare from people in the alternative music scene. What sets Tara apart from the rest is that she’s put aside the commercial, saccharine gloss that many often opt for when trying to make it big. While she hasn’t amassed mega internet success or dominated the global stage just yet, all signs point to a rising star in the making, one who might just shake things up if she plays her cards right. At this stage, Tara’s all starry-eyed ambition — and we’re all in, rooting for what comes next.
Photographed by Hirashe, Styled by Wong Wei Ting
Hello! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Tara. I make music under the name tawatowel. I am a singer and actor.
Could you roughly describe what genre of music you make, and what feeling it embodies?
Right now, my music floats between cloud rap and emoplugg, although it could also fall under the softer side of what some might broadly recognise as hyperpop. I am excited to see how it can evolve further. I hope to make music that feels like a dream and captures a sense of yearning. Something you can listen to on a long drive or alone with your earpods in.
Who are your main driving influences when creating your music?
When I create, I try to pull from my inner self and world more so, but as a listener, I’ve always been an enjoyer of emo rap and electronic music. I have been deeply inspired by the works of Drain Gang, BLOODZ BOI 血男孩, Erika de Casier, and lazydoll. Their music feels raw, unique and honest to themselves. In my teenage years, I also listened to a lot of J-pop and Thai-pop/hip-hop and I love tender ballads — these might have formed some of my earlier influences; even though I couldn’t always understand the words due to the language barrier, I’d listen on repeat anyway because of how the music made me feel. I hope to create music with a similar effect.
You debuted with your song ‘Toyota Wish’ earlier this year. How did you feel at the moment?
It was like a moment of self-actualisation. I felt happy and proud for finally sharing my music. I never really saw myself as a ‘musician’ until recently, so it’s not just a debut to the world, but to myself too, in a way.
Debuting with ‘Toyota Wish’ was special to me also because it was accompanied with a music video — thoughtfully directed and styled by Wong Wei Ting, with beautiful cinematography and editing by Hirashe — that featured my real-life friends and collaborators.
Photographed by Hirashe, Styled by Wong Wei Ting
The first line you sang on ‘Toyota Wish’ was “This time I’ll get it right,” What was the journey to get to where you were as tawatowel?
I wrote the song about my car (the “Wish”) — but the track is also meant to feel like a musing in the nighttime, a reflection on pursuing dreams. I wanted to remind myself to enjoy the ride, remember those who’ve come along for the journey, and to keep my eyes on the road. I’m still on that journey of becoming tawatowel and what it means to share that with an audience.
In your second single, ‘in 2’, you shot the music video at the local aquarium. Blue seems to be a colour refracting off of your work, almost central to your aesthetic. What is the influence?
Working on the ‘in 2’ MV with T.T.O.O (art duo formed by artists Hilary Yeo and Elsa Wong) was a creatively exciting collaboration. I felt the video they made really captured the feeling of my song, and the location choices were fitting. Very watery.
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It’s interesting you picked up on the blue. The recurring blue wasn’t initially deliberate but its presence continues across the visuals I’ve put out so far with my collaborators. I’ve always had an affinity with the colour blue and like how it invites you to plunge into something deeper. Blue is layered and melancholic. It seems to fit the themes I contemplate in my songs.
Who is someone in the Singaporean music scene that you look up to or want to work with?
In the local scene, I admire SCUMBOYS, wiiwuu!!stuffie and Cayenne. I would be really happy to work with them.
With Cayenne — she was one of the first to carve out a new sound in the local scene. She’s also been very generous in sharing her knowledge about vocal technique with me, which I’m grateful for. SCUMBOYS and wiiwuu!!stuffie are so unapologetically bold and themselves – their music is fresh and fun. I’m excited to see what they all have in store.
tawatowel is also part of a duo music project called gardening hints with vocalist-producer vyn! (one of the members from the SCUMBOYS collective) — I’m proud to call vyn! a close friend and collaborator. He is someone who inspires me deeply and has a really sensitive ear when it comes to production. I’m really glad to be working with him; he’s taught me a lot about life and music. We recently previewed some of our songs at a Bussy Temple gig earlier this year, and we’re looking forward to officially releasing more soon.
Credits: T.T.O.O
With the music landscape in Singapore being difficult to navigate and local support often limited, how do you stay grounded? What’s more, as an alternative musician?
I try to stay close to myself and not shape things based on what I think people might want. And trust my instincts. Through this journey, I’ve been lucky to connect with other artists, even virtually, who are building their respective scenes and sounds. That sense of community keeps me grounded. And honestly, enjoying activities and my relationships outside of music also keeps me grounded.
Where do you see tawatowel going next year?
I hope to release a fuller body of work and continue refining my sound.
Is there any upcoming music or teasers that you’d like to share with Men’s Folio?
I can’t spill too much, but I have some singles and collaborations on the way! Stay tuned!
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