Video Premiere: Tanzer, That’s Why Darling
You’ll probably recognise megababe Hayley Foster as one-half of Twincest. Well, now she’s back with her latest incarnation, Tanzer, and we’re positively dizzy with excitement to bring you the premiere of her debut video clip for “That’s Why Darling”.
Flirting with influences from 60’s Spector to 70’s Italian film soundtracks, through to pop visionaries from the 80s and 90s, “That’s Why Darling” is a big, bold introduction to Tanzer. We asked Hayley to tell us a little more about it and about this new project:
Hello Hayley. We’re very excited to be premiering Tanzer’s debut video clip. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the clip and how you came up with the idea?
The song’s arrangement is very dense and lush, but there’s an overriding claustrophobia to the mood, a kind of nightmarish overtone to what is essentially a very joyous, deluded ode to an unrequited love. It’s a declaration of love to someone you can’t accept doesn’t love you back, and I wanted that intensity to come through in the video without too much visual distraction. It’s been a long time since I wrote it, but it wasn’t hard to step back into that feeling of simultaneous excitement and despair. I wanted to sweat and cry and get a bit raw with it, as that’s how it felt at the time – mourning in an empty room with a relentless symphony in your head.
Do you enjoy the process of shooting videos in general, and how did this experience compare to others you’ve had?
Performing on a stage is absolutely natural for me, but I’m a bit of a camera-phobe! I absolutely adore the concepts and ideas part, though – most videos I’ve made feature a lot of my art direction and storyboards. I made this one with two good friends from Sydney (George Popov and Sarah Vickery) – the whole thing was incredibly relaxed and incredibly quick.
Many of our readers will be familiar with your work in Twincest, Chaingang and Pinky Tuscadero… what can they expect from Tanzer?
Ludicrous adjectives and ambitious footwear! My friends always remark that each new project of mine is indistinguishable from the last – and I guess this one is the most different so far. It has the same element of dramatic excess that I think all my projects share, but this is the first thing I’ve created that is my singular vision – I’ve got no bandmates to rein in my ridiculousness or worry that it’s not going to get played on the radio. ‘That’s Why Darling’ is probably the most ’80s-sounding track in terms of the production, but the rest of the project shares that wistful, glorious, Euro-camp vibe. My next single is like a pompous re-arrangement of something from the Grease soundtrack.
You’re launching “That’s Why Darling” at The Workers’ Club in Fitzroy on Friday. What shape will your live show take? Do you have a big live band?
I’ve got a 5-piece troupe of pretty boys who create a roaring, sexy soundscape around my songs – they humble me with their scandalous musicianship every show. The current set starts off very lavish and 60s, and ends in a kind of stormy furore.
How are preparations for the gig going?
We just had our last rehearsal, it’s sounding fab. I’ve got an extravagant gown being whipped up by Melbourne couturier Alice Edgeley, I’ve got a Lynchian tinsel curtain, I’ve got a suitcase full of heart-shaped stickers and a heart full of hope. Show me the stage!
Despite working with other musicians live and when recording though, Tanzer is a solo project. Having spent so much time in bands or as a two-piece, how does it feel to be going it alone? Is it liberating? Nerve-wracking? Exciting?
Definitely all those things. After a decade or so of making music with other people, you feel very vulnerable putting your solo efforts out there – this stuff is very intimate and personal for me too, so it’s wild! It’s also the first time I’ve truly been able to stretch my creative legs, as I was saying before, so I’m also very giddy and joyous about it all. It’s my sexy, ridiculous new boyfriend.
After the single launch (at Worker’s Club this Friday Oct 24!), have you got any other shows lined up around the country or are you still planning those?
I’m hustling shows as we speak! I’ve got some very cool things happening at the beginning of next year, starting with my EP launch.
What are your hopes for 2015?
Love, learning, and a flawlessly-tailored tuxedo jumpsuit.
Details of Tanzer’s single launch can be found on Facebook.
Interview by Bobby Townsend
