EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Tara Velarde – “Willow Baby”

Budding folk singer Tara Velarde has a captivating combination of class and sass. With a special blend of soul, raw energy, and serenity all swirled together, Velarde is described as a dynamic artist with her own addictive “Diva Folk” style.

Velarde combines her passions as a poet, an Indie Folk enthusiast, a music teacher, a choral soloist, and a professional theater actress into her performances, packing a powerful musical punch whenever she takes the stage. Unable to pick just one passion, she decided to combine her loves into one lifelong project that is her singing, songwriting, and performing. Intimate and lyrical one moment to diva-level power in the next, Velarde pulls out all the stops as she crafts both variety and originality into her music that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats.

With an EP released in 2014  titled “The Tara Novellas”, and full LP in 2016 called “Get Out and Walk” Tara Velarde is now taking her next step with her newest single “Willow Baby” which you can hear below.

This​ ​song​ ​is​ ​about​ ​my​ ​guitars​ ​-​ ​my first​ ​guitar​ ​Bella​ ​Donna,​ ​who​ ​was​ ​crushed​ ​when​ ​she​ ​was​ ​run​ ​over​ ​by​ ​a​ ​car​ ​in​ ​a​ ​parking​ ​lot,​ ​and my​ ​next​ ​guitar​ ​Willow​ ​Baby​ ​who​ ​was​ ​bought​ ​in​ ​replacement.​ ​It​ ​pays​ ​homage​ ​to​ ​the​ ​things​ ​I created​ ​with​ ​Bella​ ​Donna,​ ​while​ ​welcoming​ ​Willow​ ​Baby​ ​as​ ​a​ ​new​ ​catalyst​ ​for​ ​music​ ​to​ ​be brought​ ​to​ ​life.​ ​The​ ​song​ ​as​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​is​ ​a​ ​musical​ ​representation​ ​of​ ​my​ ​songwriting​ ​process, starting​ ​with​ ​something​ ​small​ ​and​ ​simple,​ ​and​ ​building​ ​into​ ​a​ ​swirling​ ​cacophony​ ​of​ ​musical possibilities.” Says Velarde of the song.

She continues, “I​ ​had​ ​hardly​ ​dared​ ​to​ ​dream​ ​that​ ​this​ ​song​ ​would​ ​turn​ ​out​ ​so​ ​beautifully.​ ​I’ve​ ​heard​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the melodies​ ​and​ ​harmonies,​ ​swells​ ​and​ ​hushes,​ ​voices,​ ​instruments,​ ​and​ ​percussion​ ​in​ ​my​ ​mind for​ ​so​ ​long​ ​and​ ​now​ ​I​ ​can​ ​share​ ​them​ ​with​ ​everyone​ ​else.

Melody and harmony have been a part of Tara’s daily life from the very beginning. Growing up with 5 musical siblings provided a fertile ground on which to experiment with harmonization, inflection, and songwriting, resulting in an innate sense for beautiful harmonic and melodic structure. Through her teenage years Tara fell in love with dance and musical theater, passions that have led her to pursue theater and dance professionally as an adult, most recently appearing in Broadway Rose’s “West Side Story”.

She began songwriting at age 16, mostly propelled by her competitive desire to write original music as two of her brothers did. But what started out feeling rocky and foreign soon became a life-blood for self-expression – a medium through which to process events and emotions, and to create art out of life’s revelations. Songwriting became not only enjoyable but a vital element of Tara’s personal voice and interaction with the world.

Four years at Pacific University infused a passion for choral textures and vocal excellence into Tara’s musical makeup. She graduated with a BA in Music Education and has taught music to students from 4-90 years old, feeling proud and humbled to help others along their own musical journeys.
Today, Tara writes songs that communicate the thoughts, feelings, and stories that she has collected along her way. Poetically-minded and vocally-focused, listeners are treated to a performance that is as skilled and intentional as it is passionate and unbridled. The songs continue to come, performances are delivered, and friends are made. One heart to another, it is the connection made through song that matters after all.

Tara Velarde Live Dates:

Nov 4 – Garage Door at Grand Lodge Forest Grove, OR^

Nov 16 – Axe and Fiddle with Flies with Honey – Cottage Grove, OR

Nov 17 – Revolution Café – San Francisco, CA

Nov 18 – Naked Lounge with Max Minardi – Chico, CA

Nov 19 – Folsom Hotel – Folsom, CA

Nov 20 – The Open Door – Sisters, OR

Nov 26 – Portland Saturday Market – Portland, OR

Nov 30 – Alberta Street Pub with Clara Baker, Caitlin Jemma – Portland, OR

Dec 2 – Garage Door at Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, OR*

 

^Monthly Residency show with. Ky Burt

*Monthly Residency show with Honey Divers

Tara Velarde online:

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp | Soundcloud | YouTube