Prolific chamber-pop singer/songwriter Taali today shares a timely cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days.” Debuted on Brightest Young Things, it features beautiful celestial vocals & live intertwined synthesizers à la Imogen Heap. Taali explains the track: “I tried to honor Jackson Browne’s spirit of repetition, resignation, and understanding in the hollow arrangement. ‘These Days’ is hallowed ground.” It follows soaring first single “What Are You Afraid Of?“ off her Were You Busy Writing Your Heart Out? EP, coming May 15 on Rainbow Blonde Records — a label and worldwide collective the artist runs with creative partner R&B/jazz vocalist José James and engineer/producer Brian Bender. She’ll also be opening for José James on tour this spring – dates below & here.
This new EP examines the complex dynamic of female friendship, including its potential and deeply painful dissolution. It follows 2019’s EP Were Most of Your Stars Out?, an acoustic collection filled with unparalleled honesty, expressive lyricism and vulnerable fragility. The titles of both EPs borrow from J.D. Salinger’s “Seymour an Introduction,” to complete a quoted phrase that informs Taali’s entire creative life: “Were most of your stars out? Were you busy writing your heart out?”
Born to a Jewish family in Washington Heights, New York, Taali grew up learning the values of community and creating her own reality. After years of vocal cord issues, which culminated with surgery and Taali unable to sing herself, she leaned harder into writing for others. She left her roots behind, and moved to LA in 2017 where she contributed seven songs to José James’ album, Love In A Time Of Madness and wrote for/with Mad Decent hip-hop innovator Jarina De Marco and gospel performer Mali Music. She also joined a Jewish service called Nefesh, part of Los Angeles’ Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Taali, like onetime New York resident and modern storyteller Leonard Cohen, successfully weaves Jewish culture, melody and harmony into the wider American pop landscape. In making a triumphant return to NYC in 2019, Taali has both rediscovered her artistry and her Jewish culture.
