INTERVIEW: Tina Says drops new single 'Elevate'
Perth producer Tina Says just released an energetic house single ‘Elevate’ which she states is “one of the best tracks [she’s] produced”. We talked to her about the new single, her future, and her experience with Australian festivals that she’s performed in.
You have performed at festivals such as Splendour in the Grass, Southbound, and Sets on the Beach. How was the atmosphere playing your set for those huge crowds? What were some of your memorable moments from those festivals?
The atmosphere is unexplainable! Where you get thousands of people in front of you dancing and vibing it's almost like you’re in another world. I think the most memorable moment actually was playing castaway festival at Rottnest Island. It was the first time my parents came to see me play. There was hardly anyone dancing when I jumped on and with 2 minutes of my intro song playing the crowd started gathering down until 10 minutes in I had a huge bouncing crowd. My dad was always unsure about my music career until he saw this which was exactly what I needed him to see to start supporting me!
Throughout your career, you’ve supported well-known artists such as What So Not and Cosmo’s Midnight. How was the experience performing the same night as them and was there anything you learned from them?
It's amazing to support such big names that you look up to! But to be honest it's quite nerve-racking as playing on the support means holding back from taking too much of the limelight away. The thing I learned by supporting these guys was how important it is to do your homework on their sound and work your set to be a little more laid back. Too many support DJs go too hard and the night doesn't flow - it takes a good DJ to work a crowd before a big act without doing that.
Your latest single, ‘Elevate’, has an energetic house bass-line with strong, static vocals. How would you describe the different style that ‘Elevate’ has compared to your other releases such as ‘With Me’ or ‘Sweat’?
I think that ‘Elevate’ really shows my progression and maturity as a producer. Sonically it is one of the best tracks I have produced. ‘Sweat’, on the other hand, is what I call a "magic track". It's one of those less thought-out tracks, where sounds come together to make something really special and really different. I pride myself in being able to do both, writing those club heaters that sound solid but also to put out music which are magic tracks! I think they complement each other in showing my creative side, my diverse side as well as my skills as a producer.
What was the inspiration behind creating ‘Elevate’?
I wanted to create a real dance floor heater - something that really got the floor going. I love those 90s/00s house vocals and was sitting on them for a while. I wrote the bassline for ‘Elevate’ and once I got to the arrangement, I realised those vocals were perfect for where this track was going. I was also in a pretty great headspace, past few years I've been battling depression. I had worked really hard to get passed that and to a good place. When I wrote “Elevate” that was at a time I finally reached a good place so it means a lot to me.
Being from Perth, were there any artists that have inspired you while you started creating your own music? Are there any artists currently that you are passionate about?
Slumberjack was super inspirational. Just how fast they transformed their project but also in that Morgan was always super helpful. The number of times he gave me industry advice or had me in the studio. I can say quite a lot of my production skills has been from their help!
I recently talked to Nicky Bridge who is making huge strides for inclusivity for women in the Perth DJ scene. What has your experience been like as a female artist in Perth?
To be honest, in terms of being taken seriously and getting opportunities, I've had a great experience. When I started out I was the first female DJ in my scene, I think that helped me gain the opportunities out of curiosity, It wasn't long until all the male DJs didn't think twice about the fact I was a girl.
In about 1-2 years heaps of females came onto the scene, which made it even easier. The only bad experience I have had is being harassed when I am out. They are long stories but I have just learnt to be cautious and street smart.
After releasing ‘Elevate’, what’s next in the future for you? Are there any festivals coming up that you’re performing at or any new music planned to release?
First up will be Habitat Garden Party! I’m on the bill with The Presets, Solardo, Weis (some of my favourite artists). Then in the new year, we are planning to drop more new music. That's all I can really say for now!