ewWhile some people draw on heartbreak or new love, Tatiana has found her inspiration through the people she meets and places she's lived. Born in Moscow and then moving to Miami for school, she found that she was not just a gifted singer and musician, but a songwriter, as well. She then pursued penning tunes in New York City and now resides in Los Angeles, where she recorded her latest EP, New Love. 

We had the chance to chat with the singer-songwriter about her musical beginnings, the artist's journey and, of course, the new EP. And we've also got a treat for you. Listen to New Love above before it drops tomorrow (September 27). 

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

Homebase: Los Angeles, CA

Take us back to the first song you wrote. What was it about?

I wrote a short piano song. I think I was about seven at that time. Don't think it was about anything in particular. I thought that it would be cool to only play using the black keys. So I came up with a simple form consisting of two different motifs in the right hand, and a simple left hand part. Which is a minor pentatonic scale so it sounded like all of the notes went with each other. It was a lot of fun, but then my piano teacher at the time encouraged me to notate it and it basically ruined it for me. [Laughs] I didn't learn to appreciate writing out music until way later when I was in college.

You were born in Moscow and lived in NYC, Miami and now LA. How has each of these cities influenced your music?

It wasn't until college in Miami that I started writing songs. I think it was the end of my freshman year, and I was home for the summer. I was messing around on the piano and came up with a song. I showed it to my parents, claiming that it was someone else's and I was just learning it. After they heard it, they seemed to approve so I told them I wrote it. Boom. That's how it started. Then I started writing a bunch of songs, one after another. That shifted my focus from my major to what I really wanted to do, which was recording music and putting a band together, which consisted of my college friends. That was an exciting time. The very first song we recorded was such a mess, but it was so great to learn about music and what it was like putting a band together.

I moved to NYC with a purpose of being a songwriter, and that was very different. NYC was a tough city for me. I learned a lot, but those weren't easy years by any means. I met my really good friend, Jeff Berner, about a year into my stay there, and we started recording music together. A year or so later my college friend Michael Feinberg moved into the city and we started playing together, later Daniel Platzman joined in. He is famous now! It was a very inspiring time. I had so many feelings about what I saw in the city, life, our society. And we basically did whatever we wanted. It was just about the music and being in the studio. We recorded a bunch of songs I am really proud of and a big part of them I actually haven't released. Maybe someday. It was much darker, and had this influence of rock music, but towards the end a blend of rock, electronic elements, and some jazz.

Once I got totally exhausted by NYC, I moved to LA. Pretty typical. Almost every time I am at a bar in LA I hear someone saying, "I just moved here from NYC." I think once I moved [here] I didn't want to be a solo artist anymore. In fact I didn't even know if I wanted to be an artist at all. I mean you can't change that about yourself, but you can choose to not pursue it as a career where you are trying to make money off of something you have made. I think I was definitely trying to figure out how to make music my profession, but I didn't know in what capacity anymore. I was signed to my friend Rachel Komar's, licensing agency at the time, and she introduced me to a few people here in LA. I started collaborating and that was very different. I have always done all of my writing alone. But here in LA it became about writing with others.

It was different, new and pretty cool. Sometimes weird. It's like dating. You have to find the right person. That's when I met Daniel Ahearn. We started writing together, he introduced me to his friend Richard Jacques, and we basically decided to make a "project" together. I don't like that word, but that's the word that is inevitably used by everyone here in LA! Maybe in NYC too? I just don't know. So this music is what the three of us have made together. Blood, sweat and tears, but mostly of joy. It took us about two years, and I really enjoyed opening up to other people's creativity and input.

What is your favorite song to perform from the EP right now?

"Born on The Full Moon." It's the one I have the most fun playing live. I think that's why.

What is "Born Under a Full Moon" about?

Living dangerously. Kids, don't do it. But honestly, it started with me saying that I was born on a full moon during one of our sessions. I am into planets and stuff like that. Although, yes, our moon is not a planet, unfortunately. Then Daniel said that we should write a song about it, so I went with it. At some point I think they wanted me to howl on the recording, and I made it very clear that it wasn't happening. Instead I sampled some vocals in ableton and made a weird sounding sample!

What's next for TATIANA?

Writing, maybe playing shows, creating. The life of a musician.