IN CONVERSATION WITH TALIA MAR
interview by JANA LETONJA
Talia Mar is gearing up for a big year ahead. She is releasing new music this May. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s is also going to be a mom. Outside of music, she has a dedicated channel for her gaming and regularly hosts gaming parties on her twitch account. She has also taken on ambassadorial roles for brands such as Amazon Prime, Samsung, JBL and has collaborated with footwear brand Koi creating a vegan leather shoe range.
Talia, you’re gearing up for the release of your new track, ‘Enemy’, in May. Can you tell us a bit more about the song and what inspired its creation? How would you describe its sound and the message behind it?
I wrote this song shortly after leaving my old record label. In the process of leaving, I was at the point with the industry where I was feeling a little bit stuck, a little bit pigeon holed and the whole reason I got into this wasn’t being fulfilled. I wanted to write something that gave that message in one go, I was feeling pretty angry at the time. I definitely think the sound reflects that, it is a lot more of an aggressive sound than I have created before. Equally, I think it goes back to my roots a bit with tracks such as ‘Diamonds’ that I wrote before signing a record deal. It feels like a full circle moment with the sound being darker and it sets the tone for the new direction I am going in.
Having built such a strong and dedicated fanbase, how does the release of ‘Enemy’ feel different from your previous music? What can your fans expect in terms of sound and theme for this track?
It feels different because it’s the first time in years that I am doing something completely independently again. When you're independent, you feel that much closer to the fans that listen to your music because. There’s no middle man. My fans can expect to be quite shocked and I don’t think anyone is expecting ‘Enemy’ to sound how it sounds, so I am excited to see the reaction.
How does this track fit into your broader musical vision for 2025? Are there any new elements in your music that you’re particularly excited about exploring?
Like I mentioned before, ‘Enemy’ is really setting the tone for how things are going to sound now. I missed making music that was darker, that was more electronic in a way and I love that I am going back to my roots to when I started song writing. Elements wise, things are 80s and heavy base make it feel less like polished pop and that’s really exciting for me.
You’ve had huge success as a featured vocalist on tracks like Sigala’s ‘Stay The Night’ and Nathan Dawes’ ‘Sweet Lies’. How does it feel to now be at the helm of your own music and what challenges or thrills come with this solo journey?
I love working with other people, but I think there is something really special about being completely in charge of your own music and it does feel different when you get to write everything yourself. You get to plan how it is all going to be released, how the video will look, how the campaign will look. Obviously, it is still scary because if things aren’t received well or something doesn’t do as well as you expect it to, it all falls on your shoulders and there is no one to blame anymore. So, it is a scary time to release, but it feels super rewarding.
How do you usually find inspiration for your music? Does your personal life influence your songwriting, or do you find creativity in other areas?
I think everything influences my music. I definitely write a lot about my personal life, but I also write a lot about my friends’ personal lives. I think a lot of music I have coming up after ‘Enemy’ is stories that my friends and I have lived through together, so it is not just about me, but it is also an amalgamation of my life and peoples’ lives around me.
You’ve built a strong presence on various media outlets, from Radio 1’s Future Pop to performances on Sunday Brunch and CBeebies Bedtime Stories. How do you manage such diverse media opportunities while keeping your focus on your music?
I think it’s about picking and choosing, and not saying yes to absolutely everything. It depends on what makes sense to you as an artist. I think coming from having a social media background, I am used to sharing myself online, and with my music, I think things like that don’t feel too far outside of my comfort zone and too distracting. People are used to seeing me in those environments.
Given your success in so many areas, from music to social media, how do you manage to balance these projects?
Balancing music and social media comes somewhat naturally to me in the sense that my social media is an extension of me as a person. I don’t have to think too hard about whether this fits with my narrative or my next single because everything I write is personal and everything I upload is personal so they naturally intertwine themselves.
Becoming a mom is a major life milestone. How are you feeling about this next chapter in your life, and how do you envision balancing motherhood with your career in the future?
I am definitely apprehensive about taking on the challenge. Bringing up a child is literally one of the hardest things you can do. I am going in, hopefully, with my eyes open, and as for balancing it with my career, I am going to give myself some grace and let myself figure out how I’m going to do that. Truthfully, I don’t really know how I am going to manage it and it is one of those things where until you have the baby, you have no idea what you’re going to be like as a mom or how much time you’re going to have. I am hoping I am still going to be able to live my life and release music in the way I do now, but things will have to shift and change. I will navigate that as I go through.
You’re also an avid gamer and streamer with a dedicated Twitch channel. Can you tell us about your gaming community and how it intersects with your music career?
My community are absolutely nuts in the best way possible. I feel like I have managed to somehow find every other person in the world that thinks like me and we have all come together in the same space. With everything else in my life intertwining, Twitch naturally fits within that because it is a extension of my personality. A lot of the time I am just chatting with them. Speaking with them isn’t necessarily about gaming. I will talk about my next single, I will ask them what they think about a title to a single, artwork, what they think I should do for my next music video and I think it all naturally fits together.
Given your incredible range of accomplishments in music, social media, gaming, and fashion, what’s next for you? Are there any new creative avenues you’re excited to explore, or any personal projects you’d like to focus on?
I definitely have some things up my sleeve, whether I’m able to talk about them is a whole other kettle of fish. I do have something hopefully launching this year with someone else that people should get excited for.
CREDITS:
photography RYAN PAYNE
