The beautiful sounds and upcoming Christmas moves of Tamara Usatova
Hello, where are you from and where are you currently located?
I am originally from Russia. I was born in Crimea but moved to Saint-Petersburg when I was 17 to get the higher education in art history and languages. After graduating I moved to Moscow and lived there for 5 years till I won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. That brought me to Boston. Once I received my degree there I relocated to New York where I reside now, in Brooklyn.
How do you describe your genre of music overall?
I see my genre of music as the blend of soul and pop with jazz influence. I sang jazz since I was 12 so it plays an important part in my life and always inspires me. But I have always been a huge fan of such big singers as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Queen, Beyoncé. They have a huge influence on my music.
Tell us about your upcoming Christmas album and the inspirations behind it!
There is nothing like that warm cozy sound of bing Crosby or Nat King Cole records.
When making this album my goal was to come as close to it as possible. So my team and I decided to take undertake quite a risky endeavor – record, mix and master on tape, just like they did in the old days. In my producer Brad Williams’s words: “one room, no headphones, and the mix is done as soon as the last note decays.” This process requires letting go of the idea of perfectionism and control (metaphor for life). The result is honest and pure – beautifully imperfect magical sound.
Please tell us about your upcoming shows and tour plans?
I am focusing all my energy on writing new songs for my upcoming EP as well as monthly releases of cover videos. My next show will be in Milan sometime this coming February as I am planning to stay there for some time this winter. So stay tuned for that.
How would you describe your LIVE show to someone who hasn’t seen it before?
When it comes to my shows I try to make it all about musicianship and dynamics: great musicians, interesting arrangements, hopefully impressive vocals. At my every show my goal is to celebrate good quality music, so it always has nostalgic elements of a good old soul/jazz show, and also lets people learn more about me as an artist and shows a few different sides of me: my music influences, love for piano and a Russian personality.
Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
I am releasing new singles every other month and cover videos monthly. So feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I am also very active on Instagram and love to engage people in different psychology- and life- related discussions as well as share my own observations on modern living. As a musician and artist I find it important to make people think, observe and reflect through means of music, visual material and written text.
Please include all of your social media links and your Spotify link thank you!
Social Media links:
Website: www.tamarausatova.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tamarausatovamusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tamarausatova
Youtube: www.youtube.com/tesaruga
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EiIqNJkfkOlh2ppp9hZKP?si=cy03Z2xYSZiIRk0CFN9kmw
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/complete-tamara-usatova/pl.u-KVXBDdJtdLNXbX
End of Interview