Get To Know: Tasha Angela

To put it simply, Tasha Angela is where etherealness meets emotion. Drawing on elements of soul, indie, r&b, pop and jazz, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter-pianist is carving out a uniquely expressive and transcendent sound. Describing herself as a “creative humanitarian”, she hopes that the music that she creates from her emotional journey can help others on theirs—her latest double single ‘Love Is My Condition’ / ‘Away’ demonstrates the versatility with which she’s making this happen.

Stories from Tasha's childhood reveal a lot about her artistry today. Although she “hated” it at first, she's glad that she was put into piano at a young age because it trained her ear. Sade became one of her biggest inspirations after her dad introduced Tasha to the quiet storm band's fourth studio album Love Deluxe (1992)—she actually remembers trying to emulate their “iconic” lead singer after watching old performances in her bedroom. She looked up to Alicia Keys growing up because she could relate to her background as a singer-songwriter coming from the city. And Idina Menzel also had a particular influence on her after her aunt took her to see the musical Wicked as a kid.

Something that separates Tasha from other artists is how visceral her lyrics are. The dreaminess and agility of her voice and often minimal production amplify the beauty of her approach to storytelling in tracks like ‘Lost In Nostalgia’ and ‘Up To You’ off of her debut EP Hidden Gems (2020). Tasha thinks that things “just clicked [for her] one day” when she connected her love of music with her old childhood dream of being an author. Music became an emotional outlet for Tasha because even though she enjoyed doing things on her own as a kid, it meant that “music was just there” for her when hardships came—her iTunes is now full with old songs she’s written because of this. As a “creative humanitarian”, Tasha prides herself in her ability to channel her vulnerable moments into music because not only is it “a healing process” for her, but it also allows her to help others by “[making] something beautiful” from those hardships she's experienced. ‘Undescribable Feeling’ is a perfect example of this because she wrote the song when she felt depressed and it can now help someone else feel less alone in their emotions. Considering all of this, it's no surprise that the audience were immediately taken in by Tasha as she made her UK debut at The Jazz Cafe in September. Introduced to the Global Soul Showcase stage by BBC Radio 1’s Victoria Jane (who has heavily supported her with radio play), Tasha mesmerised people with her raw vocals and got them dancing to tracks like ‘Space And Time’, an 80s funk-fused jam made to manifest love and happiness.

Debates over which track should follow up ‘Space And Time’ led to Tasha deciding to bless the people with both ‘Love Is My Condition’ and ‘Away’ earlier this month. While she is “pouring [her] heart out” about being naïve in love on the first track, she expresses a desire to feel loved and protected by a romantic partner on the second one. Tasha believes that allowing song concepts like these to arise organically from her personal experiences ensures that she creates music that’s truly relatable to others. She shares that the process behind ‘Love Is My Condition’ was a bit unusual for her because she wrote in the dark at night. And although the lyrics are vulnerable, ‘Away’ came to her quite easily as the last song she wrote for her upcoming debut album Who I Am.

Scheduled for release in 2023, Who I Am is all about self-exploration and growth. As she made the album, Tasha was constantly thinking about who she is in order to “[get] back to the bare bones” of her identity and let this resonate through the music. She also unpacks the experience of going through pain and coming out of the other side, which is why Tasha describes a top-to-bottom listen to the album as “a cathartic experience” and “a release of endorphins”. Her advice to those awaiting the release of the project she’s “most proud of [yet]” is: “prepare to be surprised”. The confidence with which she speaks about how she has honed in on her writing, blended different sounds together and taken inspiration from the 80s for Who I Am certainly makes Tasha Angela one to keep an eye on.