Curtains down and heart wide open

Tamara has a couple of meanings in Hebrew, one is palm tree and another is perfection and Tamara Stewart is about as close to perfection as you can get. Tamara is an Aussie country music performer in her own right as well as a talented songwriter who has written hit songs for others but still thinks it’s ’kind a’ cool to hear your songs sung by other artists and is not at all jealous of others finding fame with her words, in fact she thinks its quite’ quirky’ when she has her own song in the chart competing with songs written by her but performed by others!

Tamara would love to do more co-writing, with Paul Coster and Amber Lawrence amongst other country artists.

From a business perspective it’s good but always surprising! At present on tour in Victoria doing 18 shows in 4 weeks and with the prospect of a bigger tour next year including dates in Tasmanian I spoke to Tamara one morning recently after one of her gigs.

We talk about her latest album’ Apple Seed’ the most personal of her albums to date. The album she says is very much ‘curtains down and heart wide open’ in its openness and lack of holding back. With songs like ‘Women in Song’ where she is joined by good friends Sara Storer and Felicity Urquhart to sing a tribute to Joy McKean, Slim Dusty’s wife and other notable female country singers that have inspired Tamara and the current crop of ladies of country. Tamara is looking forward to making a video for her ‘Sisterhood’ song with good friends Sara storer and Felicity Urquhart.

The album also features a tribute to her uncle a war hero and a duet with Rick Price called ‘Lion Heart’ that honours the strength of those who have been touched by cancer, particularly breast cancer and the song raises funds for The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Tamara seemed destined to be a writer as she grew up with a love of words. Early on Tamara was a fan of Pam Ayres poetry and when Tamara was given a guitar at 10 years of age, writing and music combined in the young country star in the making!

Tamara worked in pub gigs, spent time travelling with her music to indigenous communities and continued to develop as a songwriter and later more mainstream exposure by writing a song called ‘Miracles’ which was used in successful TV series ‘Packed to the Rafters’.

Tamara’s writing has developed to the extent that she now teaches song writing at The Academy of Country Music and she has had stints as a staff writer at Nashville.

Nashville is the place to be for serious songwriters, especially country ones. It inspires because of its history and the fact song writing is treated like the business it is. Music Row is a suburb removed and renowned for its plethora of publishing and recording offices and the place where the great songs writers gravitate. Writing rooms are open for business from 9 to 1 and from 1 to 5, you may sit in a room with a piano with a tea and coffee room at your convenience and you get to brainstorm with great writers drawing on their knowledge. You may even chat over the water cooler with someone who has just written ‘Reba McEntire’s latest hit’ says Tamara.

Luckily Tamara is the kind of person who can write both to a regimented schedule and deadline like that in Nashville and can also write to inspiration.

A little while ago however, Tamara went through one of those bleak periods that many writers do, she had a pretty scary case of writers block that latest for 18 months and after one day sitting down and unintentionally writing she overcame the writer’s block and now is stronger and more confident.

Looking towards visiting Tasmania next year Tamara says she remembers performing here with Adam Brand how passionate Tassie audiences are about their country music.

For all her appreciation of Nashville and it’s people who are so supportive, accommodating and generous hard working artists, Tamara still encourages Aussie writers to find an Australian voice in their songs and it need not necessarily be about ‘the bush’ and ‘utes’ but that these songs have an aussie feel to them is her particular soapbox.

Tamara also is a great organiser and this was evidenced when she created a song; ‘Tangerine Sky’ which brought together the cream of country friends and acquaintances to raise money for the Salvation Army appeal to aid those affected by the Victorian bushfires.

You can visit Tamara at her website
http://www.tamarastewart.com.au

Tamara’s album ‘Apple Seed’ is out now.
Paula Xiberras