Get to know the spunky and talented singer-songwriter, Tamar Haviv

Singer-songwriter, Tamar Haviv will be releasing her debut album You and Me Without Pajamas on July 29th. With a refreshing range of heartfelt ballads, fun pop tunes and tales of love and longing, the album features various notable musicians such as Jerry Marotta (Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls), Sara Lee (The B-52’s, Ani DiFranco) and Kevin Salem (Rachael Yamagata, Mandy Moore). Check out a teaser for her album here:

We recently told you about this fast rising artist who is capturing America’s heart through her fun and infectious songs. You can read our previous post here. We had the opportunity for a Q & A with Tamar and are pleased to present that here for you:

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Music Junkie Press: Can you tell us what was the inspiration behind this album?

Tamar: Ahhhhh,…Akwardness, Humaness. Mistakes. Love. Longing. Peanut butter sandwiches. Ffeeling sad..Picking up bad habits…Making poor decisions but being really happy with the outcome. Making really great decisions and hating the outcome. Nebraska. Taking the pajamas off. Diving.

Music Junkie Press: Your music is not only fun but also have emotionally driven lyrics, can you tell us do you have a particular song writing process?

Tamar: Aw, thank you for being so generous. I wouldn’t say I have a particular song writing process, No. I will say that I never have to work to find a song, songs always come to me. Of course once they come to me, for the most part I will have to work on them/with them. But they come to me in different ways. I’m a super sensitive person so I tend to take in a lot at once in my day -to day life- my antennas can be extensive and quite absorbent – which honestly, I wish I could turn off a bit more because it can be quite overwhelming, to feel so much – but it makes it very easy for me to access emotion/be in touch with how I’m feeling/how others might be feeling/what is – what isn’t being said /what might need to be said ….All that stuff. and then a song can come in during those times or later…While I’m on the subway or in my sleep or mid conversation / mid date / mid giving a massage / honestly, I never sit down to ‘write songs’ – something I should probably try to do to, as a practice. It’s nice to have ‘a practice’ but I’m too busy trying to make a living to record the songs I write – ah!!!!!!!!!! This life!!!!!!!!!

Music Junkie Press: Who were some of the most influential artists or musicians for you and your music?

Tamar: Ok, I just gotta start listing people because if I begin to talk about anyone of these people I can assure you, you will not be sleeping tonight.

Amy Ray
Ani Difranco
Dan Bern
Tracy Chapman
Leonard Cohen
Shamsi Ruhe
Joni Mitchell
Indigo Girls
Rufus Wainwright

Music Junkie Press: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

Tamar: You’re breaking my heart here! Like 1 artist only? dead or alive? Why not everyone I love? Do you have meanness in your heart? Ok, I’ll do my best ….but this is also a tricky question because, there are certain artists that I’d love to collaborate with but I wouldn’t want to meet …because I’d rather just know them through their music, because my relationship & connection with them in that way is just too strong that I wouldn’t want to add another dimension of intimacy to it than it already has, you know what I mean? It could change the way their music feeds me – and maybe in a better way, but either way, it’s so risky….and of course I’m sure I’d love to be their bff or possibly make love to all of them too but you know, ok, lets just say I could collaborate with any artist I want and it wouldn’t change anything after the fact in terms of how their music affects me, can those be the rules? I’m going with that. If those are the rules, no, I still can’t do this. The weight of this question is just unbearable no matter how much I try to wiggle with it. I will say, my choice would be from the previous list I gave you for certain. You gotta take the reins on this fantasy and run with it from here and pretty please get back to me & let me know how goes.

Music Junkie Press: Here at Music Junkie Press, we are very strong believers how music can heal, help, inspire all of us. Can you share a particular time or story where music was most there for you?

Tamar: Music has saved me forever and always throughout my life it has been there. Most recently, and with the heaviest heart, my mother past away a couple months ago. but somehow, because honestly it’s truly very rare that this happens if even ever that I can remember…3 of my favorite Artists were in town – Amy Ray had a show the week before she past, Ani Difranco had a show a couple weeks after and Dan Bern had a show 1 month to the day after her passing – It was like they were all in town to hold and surround and mark this space in time and keep things safe or at least somewhat bearable for me somehow, if that was even possible. And Amy Ray sang this song called ‘Let the Spirit’ where she repeated the lyrics ” Are you willing to be free now Let the spirit take a hold” …which helped me beyond with and during the unbelievable and unquantifiable circumstances. Music and these Artists help to bring me back to my own place of trust and faith and hope. I don’t think I would have survived to this point in my life without music.

Music Junkie Press: You are treating the listener to 14 amazing tracks on your album, from those which would you say is the most personal or close to you?

Tamar: Honestly, all of these songs feel personal…but, at the moment I would say the one that makes me feel the most vulnerable is, ‘Arrested’.

Music Junkie Press: You successfully take listeners on a journey through your music, creating a story. One of my favorite songs on the album is Something about You, can you tell us more about that song?

Tamar: Thank you!!!!!!!! Well…between you and me 🙂 those were some of the earlier days before ‘Arrested’ happened. When you can see someone’s light and it’s the brightest thing you’ve ever seen…when two people create their own universe …before things break apart …

Music Junkie Press: If we could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might we be most surprised at finding in there?

Tamar: I have to say something – see here’s the thing- I absofreakinglutely have my favorite artists & then I have some favorite songs- but then I have some favorite lines from favorite songs & then I have some favorite vibrations of people’s voices – there are just SO many parts of things that move my heart and explode me into a million pieces – oh my goodness, I don’t even know the name of the artist who says the line, see, I have to look this up right now, ‘Mat Kearney’ but it’s like one of the best lines ever for real “we’re all one phone call from our knees’ – holy cow! & then bands like Dawes that I know I would probably love but i only have one of their songs and listen to it incessantly and really only purely just to hear that most beautiful line again and again “you got that special kind of sadness you got that tragic set of charms that only comes from time spent in Los Angeles makes me wanna wrap you in my arms” –

There are just so many different kinds of things that bring me to different artists, I mean my goodness, Brett Dennen, how beautiful is he? Gillian Welch ? ahhh!!!!! Ray Lamontagne …too much beauty! But, ok, this might possibly maybe surprise you …. I have A LOT of meditation & chanting music on my iphone – which is especially helpful for being underground on the subway – which I only realized recently because I’m pretty anti covering my ears and taking myself out of the world in that way but, it’s helping me a lot lately, just to calm my mind and have more inner sanctuary.

Music Junkie Press: Lastly, what would you like to share with our audience?

Tamar: Thanks so much for being here & supporting the fabulous Music Junkie Press – you are incredibly awesome! If you feel moved to, I would like to personally invite you to hear my record. and !!!!! Soon I will be releasing a music video which features the extraordinary being, Damien Echols. So look out for that! All love your way! x

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What a wonderful personality Tamar has and it really shines through with her music. I really can’t wait for everyone to listen to her new album when it is released on July 29th. It is definitely one that we hope you pick up and enjoy it as much as we do. I am very excited to find out more about her music video too! We will be waiting for Tamar to tour and hope she makes it out here to Northern California! Also I love how she mentioned her chanting and meditation music on her Ipod, I am going have to recommend to her my favorite album by Hilliat Fields, The Waiting. It is absolutely zen inducing.

Tamar‘s new record isn’t even out yet, but her songs can already be heard in both a National Ad Campaign and a Feature Film! You and Me Without Pajamas is set to release on July 29th, 2014.

Make sure to visit her social media sites so you can stay up to date on her latest news.

~ Marisol

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