Q&A: Tara Yummy is Taking Her World Beyond the Screen
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
Photo by Grace Tom
TARA YUMMY IS INVITING US INTO HER WORLD—not just through the screen, but through the music she plays, the parties she throws and, now, the songs she’s making herself.
For years, the digital creator has continued to build her fanbase around sharing bits and pieces of her life, personal style and whatever else she might be obsessed with at the moment. Recently, that world has become even closer to fans as she steps behind the decks and gives her audience somewhere to experience her taste beyond their feeds.
What initially started as an interest in learning how to DJ has now become an important aspect of the Tara Yummy universe. After making her headline DJ debut last summer, she took her Mindset shows across North America earlier this year and recently brought them to New York Fashion Week for two nights at Brooklyn’s Warsaw. Instead of completely separating what she listens to personally from what belongs in a Tara Yummy set, she’s found a way to make the two intertwine (even if that means the sad bangers have to stay out of the club).
That headspace began to make its way into her own music, too. Her debut single “B34M” came out naturally while making music with friends and gave her an outlet for what she was going through. If there is more to come, she wants it to come as authentically as possible.
What are her shows like? Ultimately, Tara Yummy just wants people to step outside of their real lives, dance and hopefully leave a little happier.
Luna heard from Tara Yummy about DJing, “B34M,” bringing Mindset to New York Fashion Week and her plans for the future. Read more below.
Photo by Grace Tom
LUNA: You just wrapped up two shows in New York during Fashion Week! How was it all, especially getting to combine your two loves of music and fashion in one weekend?
TARA YUMMY: It was just as exciting as it was overwhelming. It was such a packed, back-to-back weekend, but I wouldn’t trade being busy with the best job ever for the world!
LUNA: Is there a difference between the songs that you personally love and what you want to include in a Tara Yummy set? What makes you hear a song and immediately know you want to play it live?
TARA YUMMY: There is a difference, but there isn’t. I try to include what I’m listening to, especially in the Tara Yummy Mindset nights, because after all, it’s the music that’s always playing in my mind. But you can’t always play what you’re currently into, especially if it’s a sad song.
LUNA: Did making your own song, “B34M,” change the way you think about DJing at all? And has it made you want to explore making your own music even further?
TARA YUMMY: Honestly, I was just having fun making music with my friends. “B34M” was very situational and came super easily to me, and it was also an outlet for me to express a situation I had just gone through. For the future, it has to be done that way for me. It has to feel real and authentic to me, even if it’s dance music.
LUNA: If someone was coming to one of your shows knowing nothing about Tara Yummy, what do you hope they understand about you by the time they leave?
TARA YUMMY: I hope they learn that coming to one of my shows isn’t even fully about me. It’s about leaving your own world and entering a new one filled with being carefree, dancing and leaving your real life behind just for a couple hours, to hopefully come back to it a little bit happier.
LUNA: Are there any other fun upcoming plans you can share with us and our readers?
TARA YUMMY: Just more shows and sets to be on the lookout for! I just announced that I’m opening for Disco Lines in Vegas on October 3 and another Mindset show in San Francisco on December 4. And who knows…always keep your eyes peeled!
Photo by Grace Tom
