Tamaryn
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Tamaryn
| image = Tamaryn performing in 2010 (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Tamaryn performing in 2010
| image_size =
| birth_name = Tamaryn Sitha Brown
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1982}}
| birth_place = New Zealand
| death_date =
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = Dream pop, shoegaze, synth-pop, electronic
| occupation =
| years_active = 2008–present
| label = Troubleman Records, M'Lady's Records, True Panther Sounds, Hell, Yes! Records, Mexican Summer, Dero Arcade
| website = {{URL|www.tamarynmusic.com}}
}}
Tamaryn Sitha Brown{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/890037041 |title=COLLECTION |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=March 13, 2023}} is a New Zealand songwriter and singer based in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tamaryn-mn0002522083/biography |title=Tamaryn | Biography & History | AllMusic |website=AllMusic |access-date=2017-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907034322/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tamaryn-mn0002522083/biography |archive-date=2017-09-07 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20110505/underground-band-tamaryn-generates-waves-of-emotion |title=Underground band Tamaryn generates waves of emotion |publisher=Dailybreeze.com |date= 5 May 2011|accessdate=2014-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820012507/http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20110505/underground-band-tamaryn-generates-waves-of-emotion |archive-date=2015-08-20 |url-status=live }} Since 2008, Tamaryn has released four studio albums, an EP and several singles. Her multifaceted style melds various genres such as dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, gothic rock, synth-pop and electronic.{{Cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20981-tamaryn-cranekiss/ |title=Tamaryn: Cranekiss |website=Pitchfork |access-date=2017-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708112522/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20981-tamaryn-cranekiss/ |archive-date=2017-07-08 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://shop.mexicansummer.com/product/tamaryn-cranekiss/ |title=Tamaryn - Cranekiss - Outpost |access-date=2017-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726125901/http://shop.mexicansummer.com/product/tamaryn-cranekiss/ |archive-date=2017-07-26 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2015/08/26/collaboration-paves-the-road-to-greatness-for-tamaryns-new-album/ |title=Collaboration Paves the 'Road to Greatness' for Tamaryn's New Album | Village Voice |date=26 August 2015 |access-date=2017-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907075246/https://www.villagevoice.com/2015/08/26/collaboration-paves-the-road-to-greatness-for-tamaryns-new-album/ |archive-date=2017-09-07 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/tamaryn-softcore |title=Tamaryn "Softcore" |access-date=2017-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907033952/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/tamaryn-softcore |archive-date=2017-09-07 |url-status=live }}
Early life
Tamaryn Brown was born in New Zealand. She was raised by a mother and godmother who were Jungian psychologists, and the family moved frequently around New Zealand and, later, the United States. The New Zealand government commissioned her mother and godmother to open a halfway house for runaway teenagers. Tamaryn described being raised with "30 brothers and sisters, kids who had been in different gangs: Mongrel Mob, Black Power… Some of them white, some Māori, some mixed". The halfway house later faced criticism for its unorthodox practices, and the resulting public backlash led to her family moving to Roslyn, Washington.{{cite web |title=Tamaryn Tells All (June 30, 2015) |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/rjxgey/tamaryn-interview-2015 |website=Vice |date=30 June 2015 |accessdate=13 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214150558/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/rjxgey/tamaryn-interview-2015 |archive-date=14 December 2019 |url-status=live }} She left home at the age of 13, and remained in the United States thereafter.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/arts/music/tamaryn-dreaming-the-dark.html|title=In Music and in Life, Tamaryn Dreams in the Dark|work=The New York Times|first=Phoebe|last=Reilly|date=2019-03-19|access-date=2019-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322145055/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/arts/music/tamaryn-dreaming-the-dark.html|archive-date=2019-03-22|url-status=live}}
Career
Beginning a long collaboration with Californian guitarist Rex John Shelverton (Portraits of Past, the Audience, Vue and Bellavista),{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/39457-rising-tamaryn/ |title=Rising: Tamaryn | News |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2010-07-15 |accessdate=2014-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111045309/http://pitchfork.com/news/39457-rising-tamaryn/ |archive-date=2015-01-11 |url-status=live }} Tamaryn self-released a 2008 debut EP, Led Astray, Washed Ashore (later reissued on Troubleman Records), followed by several 7" singles.
In September 2010, Tamaryn's full-length debut album, The Waves, was released on Mexican Summer/Kemado Records.
In May 2011, Tamaryn's song "Cascades" was rearranged to provide the soundtrack to artist Richard Phillips' short film Lindsay Lohan, which starred the actress herself.{{cite web |url=http://www.stereogum.com/715491/tamaryn-soundtracks-lindsay-lohan-short-film/video/ |title=Tamaryn Soundtracks Lindsay Lohan Short Film |publisher=Stereogum |date=2011-05-31 |accessdate=2014-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306152040/http://www.stereogum.com/715491/tamaryn-soundtracks-lindsay-lohan-short-film/video/ |archive-date=2014-03-06 |url-status=live }}
In July 2011, True Panther Sounds released a 7" by Les Demoniaques, a project featuring Tamaryn and Dee Dee Penny of Dum Dum Girls covering "Teenage Lust" by the Jesus and Mary Chain.{{cite web |url=http://www.truepanther.com/artists/les-demoniaques |title=Les Demoniaques |publisher=True Panther |date= |accessdate=2012-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512205604/http://www.truepanther.com/artists/les-demoniaques |archive-date=2012-05-12 |url-status=live }}
In November 2011, Tamaryn provided guest vocals on Mexican Summer's 100th release, a 12" by Ford & Lopatin.{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12773-snakes-flying-dream/ |title=Tamaryn / Ford & Lopatin / Shannon Funchess: "Snakes" / "Flying Dream" | Tracks |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2011-11-14 |accessdate=2012-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027221455/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12773-snakes-flying-dream/ |archive-date=2012-10-27 |url-status=live }}
In late summer 2012, Mexican Summer released "I'm Gone," the first single from Tamaryn's second album, Tender New Signs, which was released in October of that year.{{cite web |url=http://www.mexicansummer.com/shop/tamaryn-im-gone/ |title=Tamaryn - "I'm Gone" |publisher=Mexicansummer.com |date=2012-10-16 |accessdate=2012-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127094621/http://www.mexicansummer.com/shop/tamaryn-im-gone/ |archive-date=2012-11-27 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tender-new-signs-mw0002411259 |title=Tender New Signs - Tamaryn : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=2012-10-16 |accessdate=2012-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118023403/http://www.allmusic.com/album/tender-new-signs-mw0002411259 |archive-date=2012-11-18 |url-status=live }} It was her final album with Shelverton as her collaborator.
On Record Store Day 2013, Mexican Summer released a cover of Turning Shrines song "1/4 Circle Black" performed by Jorge Elbrecht (Lansing-Dreiden, Violens) and Tamaryn.
In 2014, Tamaryn was credited for the rebranding and creative direction of the Dum Dum Girls on that band's third Sub Pop album, Too True.{{cite web |url=http://whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/album-trailer-dum-dum-girls-too-true.html |title=when the sun hits.: Album Trailer: Dum Dum Girls || Too True |publisher=Whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com |date=2014-01-02 |accessdate=2014-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306213335/http://whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/album-trailer-dum-dum-girls-too-true.html |archive-date=2014-03-06 |url-status=live }}
In March 2014, Tamaryn provided the score to a short film written by Bret Easton Ellis, Are You Okay. Her collaborator on the project was former Coil and Psychic TV member Drew McDowall.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TAMARYNmusic/status/421092988878868480 |accessdate=February 27, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318041321/https://twitter.com/TAMARYNmusic/status/421092988878868480 |title=On set filming with Bret Easton Ellis |archivedate=March 18, 2014 }}
Her third album, Cranekiss (2015), featured production by Jorge Elbrecht. Pitchfork writer Jes Skolnik said that Cranekiss "moves from the denser shoegaze thickets of Tender New Signs and The Waves into a pure, sugary dream-pop world. No longer competing for sonic space with a heavy wash of guitar, Tamaryn's voice, even drenched in reverb, becomes the focus". AllMusic critic Heather Phares declared that Cranekiss was "a beautiful pop fantasia that finds Tamaryn expressing her music's passion and sensuality in exciting new ways", and called the album's combination of shoegaze and synth-pop "some of her most arresting music yet".
During April and September 2016, Tamaryn performed as the opening act on Lush's North American reunion tour.{{cite web |url=http://tamarynmusic.com/ |title=TAMARYN |accessdate=September 20, 2016 |archivedate=September 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911115250/http://tamarynmusic.com/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.mexicansummer.com/tamaryn-lush-announce-new-tour-dates/ |title=Tamaryn + LUSH Announce New Tour Dates - Mexican Summer |date=11 August 2016 |access-date=2017-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104232506/http://www.mexicansummer.com/tamaryn-lush-announce-new-tour-dates/ |archive-date=2017-11-04 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.mexicansummer.com/tamaryn-joins-lush-on-reunion-tour/ |title=Tamaryn Joines Lush on Reunion Tour - Mexican Summer |date=6 April 2016 |access-date=2017-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104232501/http://www.mexicansummer.com/tamaryn-joins-lush-on-reunion-tour/ |archive-date=2017-11-04 |url-status=live }}
In 2019, Tamaryn released her fourth album Dreaming The Dark with [https://deroarcade.bandcamp.com/ Dero Arcade].{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tamaryn-dreaming-the-dark/|title=Tamaryn: Dreaming the Dark|website=Pitchfork|language=en|access-date=2019-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716163711/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tamaryn-dreaming-the-dark/|archive-date=2019-07-16|url-status=live}}
She was credited as a songwriter on Sky Ferreira's 2019 single, "Downhill Lullaby."{{Citation|title=Downhill Lullaby|date=2019-06-07|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Downhill_Lullaby&oldid=900826971|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
- The Waves (2010, Mexican Summer)
- Tender New Signs (2012, Mexican Summer/Kemado Records)
- Cranekiss (2015, Mexican Summer)
- Dreaming The Dark (2019, Dero Arcade)
=Singles and EPs=
- " Terrified (Robin Gutherie Remix)" single (2019, DERO Arcade)
- "Path to Love (The Horrors Remix)" single (2019, DERO Arcade)
- "Fits of Rage" single (2019, DERO Arcade)
- "Led Astray, Washed Ashore" EP (2008, self-release; 2009, Troubleman Records)
- "Return to Surrender" b/w "Ashore" 7" single (2009, M'Lady's Records)
- "Mild Confusion b/w Light Shadows" 7" single (2009, True Panther Sounds/Matador Records)
- "Weather War" single-sided 7" single (2009, Hell, Yes! Records)
- "I'm Gone" digital single (2012, Mexican Summer)
- "Heavenly Bodies" digital single (2012, Mexican Summer)
=Other appearances=
- "Teenage Lust" (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover) single-side 7" flexi-disc by Les Demoniaques (Tamaryn and Dee Dee Penny of Dum Dum Girls) (2011, True Panther Sounds/Matador Records)
- "Flying Dream" on "Snakes/Flying Dream" 12" single by Ford & Lopatin (2011, Mexican Summer)
- "1/4 Circle Black" (Turning Shrines cover) single-sided 7" single by Jorge Elbrecht featuring Tamaryn (2013, Mexican Summer/Kemado Records)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.tamarynmusic.com/ Official website]
{{Authority control}}
Category:American women singers
Category:American dream pop musical groups
Category:Mexican Summer artists
Category:Musical groups established in 2008
Category:New Zealand emigrants to the United States
Category:American shoegaze musicians
Category:American women in electronic music