In January of 2019, I got to spend 10 days with Tawnee Kendall. She was recording her new album and she wanted me to come take pictures of her in San Francisco. I asked her about music, family, and creativity. Learn more about Tawnee and don’t forget to listen to her music at the bottom of the page. Photos from our San Francisco adventures are also included!
Was music a big part of your life growing up?
Huge. Both my parents had a massive influence on my relationship to music in different ways. My mom is musically inclined, playing guitar and singing. Anytime there's music on, my mom is tapping her feet or fingers or swaying to the beat. She'd always be humming or singing to me and my sister. My dad isn't musical, but he's music obsessed. He'd sit down with me for hours in front of classic rock albums and we'd discuss the lyrics, the phrasing, the meanings, and the history. I also remember him giving me 5x5 sheets of white paper for me to sketch out a "redesign" of the album art to whatever CD we were listening to. He'd also give me prompts for making up new songs. "Play me something that sounds like rain in winter" he'd encourage me while we were at the piano or in front of a pile of old dilapidated instruments he'd find somewhere. He's incredibly creative.
After working in the tech industry for so many years, what prompted you to pursue music?
After getting married, my husband and I decided to save up money, quit our jobs in tech, and backpack around the world for a year. Doing so gave me a lot of perspective on what was important in my life. I realized that I had been too afraid to pursue a career in music because I was afraid of failure, even though music has been my one true passion my entire life. Traveling finally gave me the courage to make the leap. I'm finally not afraid to fail.
Describe the process of creating your album, Whale Fall.
Some of the songs were written while traveling around the world. (I think "Oh, Love.' was written in southern Italy.) Everything else was written while I was pregnant. So, the album already has its genesis under very unique circumstances. With this album, I tried to give myself prompts instead of writing out of a reactive autobiographical space. Usually, I write after something happens to me. Typically, something really emotionally trying. This time, I wanted to write in order to satisfy a sound that the album needed. I wanted it to be well rounded and dynamic. I wanted to push myself to write out of my comfort zone. To me, this album is the most mature and evolved. There's also something so special to me about the fact that, for the most part, the album was created while I was creating my daughter. I was pregnant when I wrote it, pregnant while I recorded it, and pregnant when I released it. I performed 7 months pregnant at my album release party. I feel like we made this album together. It's as much hers as it is mine.
What inspired your new album?
My last album, Release The Ghost, was written after losing someone special to cancer. The whole of that EP seemed to revolve around the song (and person) "Maureen" and the grief I felt. Years have passed since losing Maureen. I've gotten married, traveled the world, and started a family. I've realized that grief dissipates and becomes something new. It gives way to acceptance and growth. My husband and I were watching BBCs Blue Planet one day and we saw a segment about whales. David Attenborough narrated about how when a whale dies it can sustain an entire ecosystem for over one hundred years. First, it feeds large animals that feast on its flesh and blubber. Then, as it loses mass, it falls to the bottom of the ocean -- a Whale Fall -- where it will feed and house countless creatures. I like that imagery when thinking about death. It's beautiful and prolonged. It shows that a person can be gone, so to speak, but they're still impacting and sustaining lives around them. I'm thriving now, and I believe the love Maureen and I shared has something to do with that.
What is your favorite part of the music making process?
Hard to pick! I'm so enamored with creating in general, that I'll take any collaboration or creative spark… but writing the lyrics are probably my favorite part. I'm always the most proud of the words.
How has having a baby changed your perspective on music?
I've always thought that children are challenging because they teach us the lessons we need most. For me, those lessons were: to love and appreciate my body for all it does for me instead of hating it for not being something it can't be, to slow down and take care of myself instead of trying to be busy as a way of looking/feeling "accomplished", and to prioritize my time on things that are most important like: connecting with my daughter, husband, family and friends and SLEEP... Whenever I can get it! I haven't created anything new recently, but that's okay. I'm storing up all this inspiration for later. I'm writing every day, staying present, and feeling grateful. I'm excited to see what music looks like next. I sing to my baby every day, but I'm excited to learn what our relationship with music will be together.
Describe your experience running around San Francisco and taking photos.
Man, we were busy! And I was 10 weeks pregnant! I had an amazing time and I was really impressed with your dedication and work ethic. We worked hard, but it was also incredibly creative and playful. It reminded me of college when we would just do art projects because it pleased us to experiment with creativity, not because we had to. It was effortless and freeform. That's so rare in my current life. Everything is so scheduled and planned and sectioned out. Working with you was organic and fluid and fun. Let's do it again!
What is next for you?
For the next few months I want to experience my child growing without any distractions. Once I come back to working, I'm sure I'll be "hitting the ground running" like usual -- booking gigs, collaborating with other artists, writing new music. I have a plan to go spend a month in Nashville at some point, just to see how that town operates and get new inspiration. Although, motherhood has already given me so much inspiration and a new perspective on life! Can't wait to see what's next!
Follow Tawnee’s journey as a musician and listen to her music on her