Tara Lily Shares Debut Album 'Speak In The Dark'

South London, British-Bengali musician Tara Lily releases her debut album, 'Speak In The Dark', a record about “speaking your truth - things that go unsaid—secrets and desires”. Transgressing jazz, electronica, trip-hop, and alternative R&B with Indian soundscape ‘Speak In The Dark’ is an artistic representation of Tara’s emotional highs and lows with ADHD. 

“I was diagnosed with ADHD at 15 when I was expelled from school. I often feel like every day is an emotional rollercoaster. This album is a representation of that. It’s a journey of high-energy, intense songs and deep, slow, mournful ballads”, Tara explains. 

The album, produced by Dom Valentino, includes collaborations with American jazz trumpeter Theo Croker and UK-Bengali lyricist Surya Sen. It also features a stellar lineup of guest musicians, including saxophonist Jazz Lee, Indian classical virtuoso Akash Parekah, Mei Kirby, and additional instrumentation from Archy Marshall.

‘Speak In The Dark’ is a true body of work, meandering through sonic landscapes and deep visceral storytelling. Often recorded in the nocturnal hours by wavey-improv-jams, the LP is also inspired by Tara’s travels through Asia and her journey of reconnecting to her roots in India: “from the wild nightlife of Mumbai to the stillness of nature in Goa” The whispery titular track is about speaking our truths; “things we say or don’t, secrets we keep and the foreboding of what is to come in the future”, Tara divulges. 

The video for title song “Speak in the Dark” was directed and produced by Aron Randhawa. The ambitious project captures Tara in a dark, surreal world and was shot using cutting-edge virtual production technology at Racquet Studios in Lewes, with creative talent including Ian Murray (DOP), Roman Snow (Art Director), Ken Eakins (Editor) and Ollie Kenchington (Colourist).

Speaking on the video, director Aron Randhawa states: “The song beautifully expresses how dark energy comes from the thoughts and feelings we don't speak or share. I wanted to create a world that merges elements of nature, darkness and surrealism... visually representing Tara's unique fusion of traditional jazz and electronic music, as well as how this darkness can come to overpower us.”

The album is bookended by ‘Drone Speaks In The Dark’, the introduction to the record that mirrors the beginning of life itself. Ancient drones are synchronised to Tara’s vocals and keys, as feet stamping – symbolic of our walk through life – are heard throughout. “Untold”, the longest track on the LP that closes the album is a song about death and destruction while imagining life after death. “The very end features a secret code, all of the songs backwards with my footsteps walking into the next realm”, Tara adds. 

Previous singles and videos, such as the siren song “No Way Out”, shot in the Himalayas in association with The North Face, is a pensive modern ballad that draws on “dark romance and Nepali folk tales”. The sombre soundscape “6 Feet Down” sees Tara working with American trumpeter Theo Croker for an all-star jazz collaboration. “Double Time” showcases Tara’s electronic side, delving into the frenetic energy of drum and bass. The music video, directed by Bengali filmmaker Siddinth Ghosh, is shot in Mumbai and follows Tara on the back of a motorbike, guided by Kali, the goddess of destruction/creation. “Double Time” garnered support from Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Jamz Supernova (BBC 6Music) and Radio 1 as ‘Track of the Week’. 

Lead single “Breathe Now” is a jazzy-dnb infused track about getting out of the mind and into the body, inspired by Tara’s work with SHAKTI energy (divine female lifeforce). Tara collaborates with UK lyricist Surya Sen, who delivers a poetic verse in Bengali on the turbulent “Like The Ocean”. Tara pays tribute to the classic, spiritual jazz standard “Naima” by John Coltrane – reimagined with synths and sitars, and “South Bombay” is a psychedelic whirlwind, blending east and west, as an ode to India and its nightlife. 

Growing up in Peckham as part of a British Bengali family has given Tara Lily a unique perspective on music and global culture. She has spent her life absorbing a multitude of sounds and genres from her surroundings, ranging from electronica to jazz and RnB to traditional Bengali folk music. From training at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, where she studied jazz piano and voice, to learning Indian classical music. It was this intriguing blend of sounds and her deep understanding of the worlds they come from which caught the attention of the likes of Virgil Abloh, Gilles Peterson, Iggy Pop, Jamie Cullum and Motown Records UK, who signed Tara as their first British artist. Tara is a musical anomaly.  

A formidable talent who celebrates strength and power in her music, 2024 marks the start of this new chapter for the rising star, following up her acclaimed EPs ‘Last Flight Out’ and ‘Lost in London’ on Motown UK. From joining King Krule on stage at Apollo Theatre to supporting RAYE at the Royal Albert Hall and touring around Asia (with a standout performance on the main stage at Sunsplash Goa), Tara Lily has been on a non-stop trajectory. This summer, she trailed several UK festivals, including Glastonbury, We Out Here, Wilderness, Shambala and Daytimers Festival.

Photo Credit: Sonia Abbas

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