Premiere: Tia Tamora - The Lodge

Emerging Australian Gothic artist releases her new single of striking chamber pop - listen a day ahead of release as we get to know Tia

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Flying the flag for Australian chamber pop and dark folk sounds is Tia Tamora who continues her prolific 2023 with her fourth single for the year, the esoteric and emotional sounds of The Lodge, out October 10 but premiering on Pilerats today.

Drawing inspiration from spending a day exploring the abandoned property of a former cult, Tia was touched by the abandoned space and the lives of those who were constrained there. Such was the impact of this experience that it led Tia to decide to move on from a relationship, inspired not to forget about who she was.

Tamora explains “The Lodge was inspired by an abandoned dwelling out in the hills. Me and a few friends explored it’s dark, deserted rooms and I felt many emotions, heavily within its walls. The Lodge is illustrating how I felt in those moments and who I was getting over at the time. Toward the end of the song, I refer to The Lodge as something I aspire to be like one day - “sitting very still” and “watching those who try to pass, knowing you never will.”

The result is a moving composition that features recording of children from the actual cult that was based at the property Tia explored, mixed in with the cinematic soundscapes and Tia’s remarkable vocals that detail her life experiences through the lens of a uniquely Australian perspective.

To celebrate the release of her new single, we got to know Tia a bit better - take a trip to The Lodge a day ahead of release and get to know below:

Tell us about yourself?

I’m 22 and currently based on the Mornington peninsula. Outside of music you will find me exploring nature, old country towns or scavenging for goodies at the op shops/antique stores! I have quite the collection of vintage clothing I’ve bought over the years and it’s something I get very excited about. I love styling vintage pieces in my day to day wear… guaranteed I’m always getting asked questions about where I got this and that.

How did you first get into making music?

I’ve always been creating music from a very young age but never really delved into it seriously until I reached high school. I never grew up around a musical family but had always been drawn to it. I started taking piano lessons and my passion grew from there.

Tell us about your creative process?

Traditionally I start by playing the piano, I will find a chord progression that best represents me and start writing lyrics over the top of that. However my creative process changes depending on what’s inspired me at the time. I do lots of little day trips out to the country, if there’s an old building or book for example that I stumble upon, I’ll write it down and then start from there when I’m home.

Production wise, whenever I write something I'm excited about I'll send a phone demo to my producer AJ and together we decide what to work on next. From there I hit his studio (Tender Trap Studios) and lay down the skeleton of the song - vocals plus the chords on either guitar or piano. From there AJ does his production magic and when he's happy with the production he'll send to me for my feedback. We have built a great creative partnership and are in tune with each other musically.

Tell us about your new single ‘The Lodge’?

I wrote The Lodge last year after walking through an abandoned building with some friends. It was believed to be occupied by a cult in the 70s and there were religious remnants scattered throughout the rooms, velvet chairs stacked in the hall among other forgotten things. I felt really inspired to write about this place and I compared it to how I was feeling internally. The Lodge is about letting go and recognising, it’s moving on.

What's next for Tia Tamora?

I have the launch on 14th October at Open Studio in Northcote which will be fun. From there we'll record the debut EP which will get a release early next year along with a video. I'm really excited about it so some Australian Gothic goodness coming your way!

How can fans best support your music?

Well, support from Pilerats is awesome so thank you for having me and introducing my music to your readers!

Come to the launch if in Melbs! Would love to hear some of my songs used on creative videos. Instagram, TikTok, Spotify and by streaming and sharing my music.

What have you been listening to lately?

I’m still hung up on Ethel Cain’s “Preacher’s Daughter” since its release last year. I listen to a lot of her unreleased stuff on Soundcloud as well, it’s just so sick. Can wholeheartedly say she is one of my biggest influences, she just gets it right. I’ve also been loving local artist Maple Glider lately. She has such a tenderness with words that melts me to the core… I’m really looking forward to her album coming out.