Tamaryn Sitha Brown is a New Zealand songwriter and singer based in Los Angeles. Since 2008, Tamaryn has released four studio albums, an EP and several singles. Her multifaceted style melds various genres such as

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

Early life

Tamaryn Brown was born in New Zealand. She was raised by a mother and godmother who were

Jungian psychologists Analytical psychology (, sometimes translated as analytic psychology; also Jungian analysis) is a term referring to the psychology, psychological practices of Carl Jung. It was designed to distinguish it from Freud's psychoanalytic theories ...

, and the family moved frequently around New Zealand and, later, the United States. The New Zealand government commissioned her mother and godmother to open a

halfway house A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...

for runaway teenagers. Tamaryn described being raised with "30 brothers and sisters, kids who had been in different gangs:

Mongrel Mob The Mongrel Mob, also known as the Mighty Mongrel Mob or simply 'the Mob,' is a prominent organised crime group and prison gang based in New Zealand. With over thirty chapters across the country and additional operations in Australia and Canada, ...

Black Power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...

… Some of them white, some

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, some mixed". The halfway house later faced criticism for its unorthodox practices, and the resulting public backlash led to her family moving to

Roslyn, Washington Roslyn is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 950 at the 2020 census. Roslyn is located in the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles east of Seattle. The town was founded in 1886 as a coal mining company town. ...

. She left home at the age of 13, and remained in the United States thereafter.

Career

Beginning a long collaboration with

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

n guitarist Rex John Shelverton (

Portraits of Past Portraits of Past is an American post-hardcore band from the San Francisco Bay Area that existed roughly from 1994–1995. The genre of music that they helped create is often described as "screamo," though that term was not used at the time the ...

, the Audience,

Vue Vue or VUE may refer to: Places * Vue, Loire-Atlantique, a commune in France * The Vue, a skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina Arts, entertainment and media * Vue (band), a rock and roll band from San Francisco, California * Vue International, ...

and Bellavista), Tamaryn self-released a 2008 debut EP, ''Led Astray, Washed Ashore'' (later reissued on Troubleman Records), followed by several 7" singles. In September 2010, Tamaryn's full-length debut album, ''The Waves'', was released on

Mexican Summer Mexican Summer is an independent record label founded in 2009 by Keith Abrahamsson and Andres Santo Domingo. Based in Brooklyn, the label has released recordings from artists including Best Coast, Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink, Allah-Las, Weyes Blood, ...

Kemado Records Kemado Records is an American record label based in New York City founded in 2002 by Andrés Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp. In 2006 the label released the ''Invaders (compilation album), Invaders'' compilation, which featured many of the label's b ...

. In May 2011, Tamaryn's song "Cascades" was rearranged to provide the soundtrack to artist Richard Phillips' short film ''Lindsay Lohan'', which starred the

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

herself. In July 2011,

True Panther Sounds True Panther Sounds (TPS) is an independent record label founded by Dean Bein in San Francisco in 2004. The label eventually moved to New York, and was acquired by Matador Records of Beggars Group in 2009, remaining under that umbrella until 2017 ...

released a 7" by Les Demoniaques, a project featuring Tamaryn and Dee Dee Penny of

Dum Dum Girls Dum Dum Girls was an American rock band, formed in 2008. It began as the bedroom recording project of singer and songwriter Dee Dee (née Kristin Gundred). She is currently based in Los Angeles. The name is a double homage to the Vaselines' a ...

covering "Teenage Lust" by

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

. In November 2011, Tamaryn provided guest vocals on

's 100th release, a 12" by

Ford & Lopatin Ford & Lopatin (formerly known as Games) is an American electronic duo composed of musicians Daniel Lopatin (better known as Oneohtrix Point Never) and Joel Ford (of the group Tigercity). The group's sound draws on disparate genres such as 1980 ...

. In late summer 2012, Mexican Summer released "I'm Gone," the first single from Tamaryn's second album, ''Tender New Signs'', which was released in October of that year. It was her final album with Shelverton as her collaborator. On Record Store Day 2013, Mexican Summer released a cover of Turning Shrines song "1/4 Circle Black" performed by Jorge Elbrecht (

Lansing-Dreiden Lansing-Dreiden is an American band and art collective founded in founded in Miami, Florida, and based in New York City. Their body of work includes music, multimedia artwork (in the form of drawings, collages, sculpture and video), and the l ...

, Violens) and Tamaryn. In 2014, Tamaryn was credited for the rebranding and creative direction of the Dum Dum Girls on that band's third

Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...

album, '' Too True''. In March 2014, Tamaryn provided the score to a short film written by

Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...

, ''Are You Okay''. Her collaborator on the project was former Coil and

Psychic TV Psychic TV (aka PTV or Psychick TV or several other aliases) were an English experimental music, experimental video art and music collective, formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and Scottish musician Alex Fergusson (musician), Alex ...

member

Drew McDowall Drew McDowall is a Scottish NYC based composer and musician. He was a member of Coil in the 1990s contributing heavily to some of their most respected and influential works. As well as his solo work he has collaborated with Kali Malone, Cateri ...

. Her third album, ''Cranekiss'' (2015), featured production by Jorge Elbrecht. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' writer Jes Skolnik said that ''Cranekiss'' "moves from the denser shoegaze thickets of ''Tender New Signs'' and ''The Waves'' into a pure, sugary dream-pop world. No longer competing for sonic space with a heavy wash of guitar, Tamaryn's voice, even drenched in reverb, becomes the focus". ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'' critic Heather Phares declared that ''Cranekiss'' was "a beautiful pop fantasia that finds Tamaryn expressing her music's passion and sensuality in exciting new ways", and called the album's combination of shoegaze and synth-pop "some of her most arresting music yet". During April and September 2016, Tamaryn performed as the opening act on

Lush Lush may refer to: People Music * Lush (band), a British rock band * ''Lush'' (Mitski album), a 2012 album by Mitski * ''Lush'' (Snail Mail album), a 2018 album by Snail Mail * "Lush", a single by Skepta featuring Jay Sean * '' Lush 3'', a s ...

's North American reunion tour. In 2019, Tamaryn released her fourth album ''Dreaming The Dark'' wit
Dero Arcade
She was credited as a songwriter on Sky Ferreira's 2019 single, " Downhill Lullaby''."''

Discography

Studio albums

* ''The Waves'' (2010,

) * ''Tender New Signs'' (2012, Mexican Summer/

) * ''Cranekiss'' (2015, Mexican Summer) * ''Dreaming The Dark'' (2019, Dero Arcade)

Singles and EPs

* ''"'' Terrified ( Robin Gutherie Remix)" single (2019, DERO Arcade) *"Path to Love (

The Horrors The Horrors are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005 by lead vocalist Faris Badwan, guitarist Joshua Hayward, keyboardist and synthesizer player Tom Furse, bassist Rhys Webb, and drummer and percussionist Joe Spurg ...

Remix)" single (2019, DERO Arcade) *"Fits of Rage" single (2019, DERO Arcade) *"Led Astray, Washed Ashore" EP (2008, self-release; 2009, Troubleman Records) * "Return to Surrender" b/w "Ashore" 7" single (2009, M'Lady's Records) * "Mild Confusion b/w Light Shadows" 7" single (2009,

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City ap ...

) * "Weather War" single-sided 7" single (2009, Hell, Yes! Records) * "I'm Gone" digital single (2012, Mexican Summer) * "Heavenly Bodies" digital single (2012, Mexican Summer)

Other appearances

* "Teenage Lust" (

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

cover) single-side 7" flexi-disc by Les Demoniaques (Tamaryn and Dee Dee Penny of

) (2011, True Panther Sounds/

) * "Flying Dream" on "Snakes/Flying Dream" 12" single by

(2011, Mexican Summer) * "1/4 Circle Black" (Turning Shrines cover) single-sided 7" single by Jorge Elbrecht featuring Tamaryn (2013, Mexican Summer/Kemado Records)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control American women singers Art pop musicians American dream pop musical groups Living people Mexican Summer artists Musical groups established in 2008 New Zealand emigrants to the United States American shoegaze musicians American women in electronic music Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women