Tamar Kaprelian – THE INTERVIEW
Hello Tamar, We are very happy to have you here, Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.
My pleasure.
You have certainly had a very interesting and successful year. I would first of all like to congratulate you on your success and accomplishments in your career so far.
Thank you 
One of your recent accomplishments was winning the Interscope Records cover contest, with your version of ‘One Republic’s’ hit song “Apologize”. How did you hear about the contest and what made you go for it?
I was a fan of Ryan Tedder’s (lead singer of the band) writing for years. And my producer, Xandy Barry, suggested I do a cover of ‘Apologize’ and put it up on YouTube; I did not know about the contest at the time. After recording the cover at my piano, I decided to check out OneRepublic’s YouTube site. That’s when I discovered that they were holding an ‘Apologize’ cover contest. So I submitted my video. And ended up winning.
Wow, that’s incredible, you didn’t even try. We saw in another video the guys from “One Republic” announcing you as the winner, how were you notified and what was your initial reaction to winning the contest?
A young Interscope intern contacted me through my YouTube mail account. Which is funny, because I rarely check that email address. My initial reaction? I didn’t really know what to expect! Never expected to get a record deal. That was just an incredible surprise.
Your single “New Day” was introduced to the world in a wedding scene of MTV’s hit series “The Hills”. How did that come to flourish and what has been the impact since its debut?
‘New Day’ is a key song on my record, It’s a song about overcoming struggle and finding happiness in the darkest situations. I think it was a great way to introduce me, both musically and artistically. That song went from something that I had written at the piano in my house, to a song that millions of people heard overnight. That’s the beauty of an amazing TV placement.
At what age did you discover you had a talent for singing and songwriting and how did you find out?
According to my mother, I could sing before I could talk I was singing my own birthday song at age one.
Your singing is packed full of emotion, is it important to you that the audience understands your music and the feeling within it? Or are you happy for them to take from it what they will?
One of the great things about songwriting is that songs, after they are written, always take new forms. My interpretation of a lyric will be completely different from yours and from the next person who listens and/or reads it.
What gives you your inspiration when you are writing?
Inspiration, for me, comes from life experiences, reading a great book, studying a good lyric, listening to classic rock music of the 60/70’s.
That’s awesome! Do songs come to you in unusual ways and/or places? or is it more deliberate where you make a decision to write something?
My writing process is actually quite organic. I need to be in the mood. I’m definitely not one of those artists that sits down at the piano for 6/7 hours a day and writes. The more natural the process, the better the material.
I agree with that statement and it shows in your work. Do you generally write the lyrics first? Or do you start with the music and melodies?
Depends. I find it easier to write lyrics first, then come up with a melody that fits the idea. The lyric ends up being stronger when the writing is done that way.
What in your opinion makes a song truly memorable and special?
A great song , to me, is a song that can be stripped down to single instrument and have the same impact on the person listening to it acoustically, as they have been listening to the version that is fully produced. It’s a song that will be covered forty and fifty years from now.
Do you have a favorite song you have written and if so why is it your favorite?
My favorite song on this record is one called ‘Raining in Paradise.’ It’s when I started realizing my own voice as an artist. It’s a lullaby I wrote for my future children.
That’s very sweet! What song from your set do you enjoy performing the most?
‘Delicate Soul’ is always a fun song to perform live. It’s upbeat, uptempo, and has a classic Beatles vibe.
What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Writing music is therapy for me. The fact that I get to wake up every morning and do what I LOVE! is what excites me the most.
Who were your biggest musical influences growing up and why?
Classic Disney films (The Sound of Music), Billy Joel, my dad.
What’s the saddest song you’ve ever heard?
Billy Joel’s ‘And So It Goes’ always brings me to tears.
I have always loved that one. Describe to us your typical studio session, who are the musicians you create with? How and where does it all go down?
For this album, I was lucky enough to work and record with the ‘best of the best.’ Abe Laboriel Jr. and Matt Chamberlain were on drums, Lyle Workman recorded guitars, Jerry Hey wrote the horn charts, Jim Scott engineered. We recorded at the famous Sound City recording studio and did overdubs at Jim Scott’s studio up in Valencia.
Your debut album will be released by Interscope Records in 2010, can you give us an inside scoop of what we can expect from the album?
It’s an honest, classic, and passionate record.
Really looking forward to getting my copy. Ok, let’s get a bit personal with some fun facts. Without re-arranging, what are the top 5 tracks you have on your ipod or mp3 player right now?
- Feel like a Natural Woman—Carole King
- Your Song—Elton John
- Uptown Girl—Billy Joel
- Bad Romance—Lady GaGa
- Sinner or a Saint—Tamar Kaprelian
Who and when was the first big named act you saw in concert?
Billy Joel, when I was four.
Are you fluent in Armenian or any other languages?
Fluent in Armenian.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I love to paint.
Biggest celebrity crush growing up?
Justin Timberlake.
Where do you see Tamar Kaprelian in 5 years?
Writing/recording new music for her 3rd album.
Well, thank you Tamar for giving us your time. Any last words of wisdom?
Stay focused, be driven and you can make the impossible happen.
We would like to thank Tamar for giving us her time and answering a few questions for our readers and her fans. below you will find the original video of her cover of ‘One Republic’s’ hit song “Apologize”. It will be introduced by ‘One Republic’ themselves. Below that video, we are featuring her brand new music video for her first single ‘New Day’. Enjoy!
Please visit Tamar’s Website HERE
new day is such an amazing song, sounds like it should be on the radio
Tamar is sooooooooo talented, sounds so sweet too
yeah, she sounds real good,im glad shes makin it big.
tamar i love you, very pretty
very cool inerview, thnks for sharing
We all loveyou Tamar
I rather liked this site post, it helped a lot! Thanks!
Hi, just found this here when i did a fast google search. Neat interview you have here! Tamar is great! Keep it up!
Tamar is just fantastic! Keep it up!
You are destined for greatness. Don’t lose the past.
great interview, I’m glad i got to knwo about this young talented girl, thank you
I’m So happy for u habibi Tamar, keep forward and more more success for u love.
[...] talented niece, singer-songwriter Tiffany Madadian, Intercope Records very own talented artist, Tamar Kaprelian, and just a few days ago, Harout Kalandjian from Armenian Pulse sat down with Kim Kardashian [...]
great post as usual!
[...] Simply answer and email us the following 5 questions along with your tie breaker answer of why YOU should be the one to be picked to meet Tamar Kaprelian and join her at her invitation only record release party in Los Angeles on August 23rd 2010. You can find the answers by visiting Tamar’s Website and by reading her interview with Armenian Pulse [...]
great interview, we love Tamar