the partae

‘Piece of Mess’ feels raw and open, almost like you’re inviting listeners inside the emotional spiral you were living through. What moment or realisation first pushed this song into existence?

The moment of betrayal. There are few things more difficult to experience; I would say grief is also up there. I tried repeatedly to show up with love, only to be taken advantage of. No matter what I did, I was always going to lose, but through that experience, I created some of the best songs I’ve ever written.

You’ve said the track came from the same creative burst as ‘Serious,’ written in your Elwood apartment. What was happening in your life at that time that made writing feel so urgent?

It was an outlet for me to express what I couldn’t in conversation. I was young, struggling, and not always surrounded by supportive people, which certainly had an impact.

Originally, this song was directed at someone else, calling them a “Piece of Mess,” but I chose to redirect it toward myself, recognising how messy I also felt in love at the time. I’m strong in many ways, but matters of the heart have always been my vulnerability.

Three songs on the album — Piece of Mess, Serious, and an unreleased track, I Can’t Love Anymore — were all written around the same day, inspired by the pain of giving someone many chances, only to be hurt by someone I trusted and loved.

There’s a real tension-and-release feeling in the production, like the music breathes with the story. How did you and Lewis Pidutti shape that emotional push-and-pull in the studio?

When I originally wrote this song, I wanted it to convey a strong sense of drama, especially through dynamics. There are subtle musical nuances in the verses designed to create an unpredictable, almost suspenseful feeling.

I had been developing this track long before meeting Lewis, and I always knew how impactful it would be live with the band — something that is often difficult to fully capture in a studio setting. I revisited many of my old recordings to refine the sound, focusing on keeping ample breathing space in the verses to allow for explosive moments, and creating a striking contrast in the chorus with powerful, chunky guitars and a surge of intensity.

He listened and nailed it. I recorded this song in one take vocally through a drum microphone, and we never changed it. There is an entire range of emotions in this tune.

You built your reputation on the streets of Bourke Street, looping in front of strangers. How does that raw, unpredictable environment still influence the way you write and perform?

The streets have been my greatest teachers, and I believe that’s why I am such a strong performer on stage. Busking requires vulnerability, creativity, and authenticity. You must find ways to capture attention and keep people engaged. If your energy is off, the audience will feel it too.

Performing in this environment has taught me to recognise impactful moments in a song — where I can connect with the audience or elevate the set to the next level. My favourite part is creating those moments where the entire crowd joins in and sings with me.

You’ve just come off shows in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Did sharing these songs across Europe shift the way you hear or feel them?

It was genuinely exciting to hear my songs being sung by people outside of my hometown. Experiencing this brought new life to the album and filled me with a renewed sense of joy.

My time in Europe allowed me to fully reset from a burnout I had been experiencing. Now, I connect with the music from a healed and refreshed place, feeling completely ready to share it and fully immerse myself in everything album-related. Perfect timing.

The song digs into the messy, uncomfortable side of love — insecurity, frustration, the yearning underneath it all. Was there a lyric that felt confronting to write or admit out loud?

My writing is extremely honest and pretty direct. I think, “I want a solid apology, not this look you’ll demolish me, swallow me, I want equality” — ain’t that the truth.

Just wanting someone to be sincere, gentle, kind, and admit being wrong instead of being blamed as a woman.

Your sound moves effortlessly between soul, pop, jazz and vocal looping. When you’re writing something vulnerable like this, do you lead with emotion first or with vocal experimentation?

I would say it’s a combination. My voice conveys my emotions, and my emotions guide me in finding the words to express through that voice.

I embrace influences from a variety of genres, as I believe this is when the most interesting, unique and authentic creative moments emerge — then you get Tanya George.

You’ve played everything from the Roma Busking Festival to WOMADelaide and Airlie Beach Music Festival. Do songs like ‘Piece of Mess’ land differently on a big festival stage compared to an intimate room?

Absolutely. It’s a great song in an intimate environment, but it goes HARD at a festival.

It’s got some very intense parts, such as the bridge all the way to the end of the song, and live, the band just throw themselves in.

With your debut album Contrast on the way, where does this track sit in the wider emotional arc of the record?

“Piece of Mess” is the fifth track on the album, placing it right in the middle at peak angst. It comes just after “The Devil” (track four) and is followed by “Can’t Love Anymore” (track six) — all intense track titles.

My Oma (grandmother) features on the intro (track one) and the interlude (track seven). By the time we reach the interlude, the album transitions from a place of anger back into one of love and growth.

Track eight, “Have You,” is the only love song I’ve ever written. I often hear “Piece of Mess” in relation to “Serious” (track two), as I feel the two songs are connected thematically.

You’ve got momentum in Europe, festival dates at home, and a debut album coming. What part of this next chapter feels the most exciting for you right now?

I think the most rewarding part of releasing these songs is finally sharing them with the world and allowing people to connect with them.

For me, the highlight has always been performing live — seeing my dreams come to life on stage. I always had this vision to begin my set solo, using only my voice and looper, and then the band joins me, taking the performance to the next level.

We had an incredible show over the weekend. People were crying and singing along with the lyrics. It was exhilarating to see my ideas, long imagined in my mind, come alive in real time.

See Tanya perform over the summer at the following festivals:

Tanglewood Festival — 30 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026
Rising Sun Festival — 9–12 Jan 2026
Falls Creek Festival — 14 Feb 2026

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What moment made you realise that The Music wasn’t just another release, but a full creative shift for you this year?

I’m not sure I ever had a moment exactly like this, but there was one kind of “uh huh” moment that I feel guided the process of putting this EP together.

I was throwing a lot of ideas at the wall, and halfway through writing the title track it became apparent that this would be the northern star of the project — a sonic reference for the rest of the tracks. Lyrically, the track The Music was my reflection on how crazy the world is and how music can be a reprieve from that craziness. I wanted that to be the thing someone might hopefully take away from this whole collection of songs.

How did the idea for that “rubber band” synth line in Nobody (Like You) first hit you, and what feeling were you chasing sonically?

I guess it was a bit of a happy accident! I had it in an old session, and kind of pieced it together like a puzzle with the drums and vocals, all from different sessions. That combination felt like the track could tear apart at any moment — a lot of energy, and I found that really exciting.

This EP arrived quickly after legitimate dj behaviour — what sparked this streak of momentum for you in 2025?

It really did, and it kind of surprised me! A combination of things — I love making music for starters. And I had some great people in my corner: Leo Horton who did the artwork, my manager Jez, the team at Believe who did distribution. Great people to bounce ideas off and expand the world I was conceiving for this EP. I really attribute a lot of the momentum to the people around me who encourage and push me directly and indirectly.

When you listen back to the five singles together, what thread ties them into one cohesive world?

Hmm, it’s hard to say! I think the drum grooves, or maybe some of the synth elements feel quite cohesive across tracks.

Which track from the EP surprised you the most during the production process?

100% 1Mhz. It’s quite different to the rest of the EP in my opinion. A few days before it came out I was low-key freaking out it was going to flop, but it ended up doing better than some of the songs I felt more confident in.

A lot of your music feels built for communal moments on the dancefloor. How much do crowd reactions influence the way you shape a track?

I think I’m more focused on listener reactions. How does this feel in headphones? Is it exciting, and do I want to listen from start to finish? I’m also somewhat mindful of how it could be mixed when making it, but mainly on the listening aspect.

What did you want listeners to feel during that moment where the EP “could tear apart at any second”?

Excited and alive!

You’ve called this project spontaneous — how do you balance instinct, experimentation and discipline when you’re in a creative sprint?

I think the foundational element is discipline, or building and maintaining a routine to be creative. This was a bit of a challenge this year while juggling an almost full-time day job.

Experimentation is the second most important factor, and I would conceptualise it more as being freely creative without judgement, pressure or expectation getting in the way.

I think once I’ve turned up to be creative and gotten an idea somewhat fleshed out with enough essential elements to have some form, that’s where instinct comes into play. Instinct guides the refining period of finishing ideas for me — mostly subtracting elements, occasionally adding.

Where do you see The Music taking you next, both on stage and in the studio?

I’m figuring out the studio stuff now, and I think that’ll become clearer over the next few months. I’d like to work with some other people on tracks — it’s been almost entirely me on production so far. I’d also love to be involved in other people’s projects too!

Hopefully a lot more sets in 2026!

Stream:

https://bfan.link/the-music-ep

Socials:

https://linktr.ee/harleygirl.vroom

Credits:

Written & Produced by Connor Grant (aka HARLEY GIRL)

Mixed by Connor Grant & Doug Wright

Mastered by Suture Mastering

Artwork by Leo Horton

Photos by Koady

How did returning to Christmas music open a different creative or emotional space for you compared to your previous albums?
I am a songwriter and I sing my own songs. I have not regularly performed other people’s songs for twenty years. However, over the course of this project, I was captivated by the process of curation and how it is artistry of a different kind. Earlier this year I looked closely into how art and museum curators work. Placing different objects side by side, or in particular rooms, can take visitors on a specific journey through an exhibition. In curating the Christmas EP, I found myself doing the same, but sonically. The artistry involved was such a wonderful surprise.

As I have pursued the meaning of Christmas art, I have found the coexistence of light and darkness. Images of homes, greenery, merriment, and the warmth of fireplaces and hot summers sit against a backdrop of war, longing, death, and grief. There is a lot to work with.

What drew you to curate a collection that blends German hymns, wartime Hollywood ballads and early Laurel Canyon storytelling — and how did those influences shape the final EP?
Often, it’s easy to think of Christmas music as what we hear blaring through shopping centres. These tend to be seasonal songs of the Christmas experience like White Christmas or Jingle Bells. However, there is a huge pool of music to draw from.

One of the oldest and still very popular carols is O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which dates back to the eighth century, but there are even older tunes still used in Byzantine churches at Christmas time. One of the carols I chose for It’s Coming on Christmas is Lo, How a Rose is Blooming from around 1580. Silent Night dates to the early 1800s. These carols have a rich history and have survived the test of time.

However, the popular songs from wartime Hollywood like I’ll Be Home for Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas also have a rich history and interesting stories, especially around separation and longing for home. River by Joni Mitchell provides another perspective on the season. It’s not even a Christmas song, but it has become one because of its wide use. It is a very personal and complex song for Joni Mitchell. I wanted to record the songs and live in those different worlds that bridge the centuries.

When you talk about Christmas being “beautifully complex,” what memories, images or personal experiences informed that perspective while you were recording?
I have great memories of my childhood Christmas experiences. I am from a very big family – one of six children. We also have such a large extended family. Christmas has always been a huge affair.

However, in 2011, I lost my father, my uncle, and my seven-year-old niece within the span of three months. From that point on, Christmas has involved a lot of grief, but has also been a time when the memories of our traditions or the quirky, silly stories from our past provide a lot of comfort.

Your version of “River (It’s Coming On Christmas)” feels like a centrepiece of the EP — what did you want to emphasise or reinterpret in such an iconic and deeply melancholic song?
The song starts with familiar festive imagery and sounds – It’s coming on Christmas / They’re cutting down trees / They’re putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace. Then Joni Mitchell hits us between the eyes when she sings, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

To me, it’s like that lyric sums up how I have felt before. Even though there is a lot of joy happening, and everyone is caught up in regular rhythms of the season, I don’t want any part of it because it’s too painful.

This EP has been out for such a short time, but so many people say that this is the song that has touched them the most. River resonates with many people. It’s saying the outside does not match how I feel inside. That song speaks to me each time I hear it or think about the lyrics. Joni really is one of the best songwriters. What a gift she is to our world.

Working with Sean Carey at Church Street Studios brings a particular warmth and honesty to the recordings — how did that collaboration influence the atmosphere of the project?
Sean Carey was the perfect producer for It’s Coming on Christmas. Every moment in the studio was filled with ease, and I absolutely loved working with Sean. I performed at Church Street Studios in 2024. Before the show, I poked around the halls and found his magical studio. We met and then stayed in touch for about a year or more about working on some of my songs.

I reached out to him in July and said, what about a “Christmas-adjacent” EP? This is why Angel by Sarah McLachlan is on the EP. We wanted to touch the sides without going “Christmas proper.” Well, obviously we ended up making a proper Christmas record. But I think the honesty is there because the intention was that we wanted to record songs that brought comfort to people.

When we selected the songs, the benchmark was that they had to have a particular emotion, fragility, and sensitivity. He was the best person to create a soundscape that matched that intention. Sean has great taste and the kind of restraint needed for these recordings. It was just one of those rare times where it all fell into place. We were really in step, and it was completely stress-free.

As you explored Christmas music traditions from different countries, what surprised you the most about the way people use holiday music to cope, connect, or remember?
Okay, stick with me. I think music is a way to find comfort and solace. The seasonal music of Christmas especially feels familiar and safe. When I created the songs for my 2023 album Familiar Drama, I went on a journey to discover more about nostalgia. And this Christmas EP really extends those findings.

Nostalgia comes from two words, nostos and algos, which mean home and pain. However, there is so much more than wanting to go home. First of all, nostos is first used in Homer’s poem The Odyssey:

“Take off these clothes, and leave the raft to be carried on by the winds, and then, I tell you, strive for your nostos, the land of the Phaeacians, by swimming with your hands; your destiny is to flee [from death] there.”

While nostos has come to be known as home, in The Odyssey, it is not about home only. Instead, the word’s use in this poem also means escaping death, safe landing, returning from war, and being back home. When we think about nostalgia, we think it’s about wanting to return home.

I don’t think people really get that full satisfaction when they return home. Instead, this longing we call “nostalgia” could be simply an escape from difficult times. I like to think about this at Christmas because we want to go home, but sometimes, once there, it’s not all we remember it to be. All that to say, I think music at Christmas time is a way to live in a world that feels secure, and as you say, cope.

“Blue” seems to be a recurring emotional colour throughout the EP — how intentional was that palette, and what does “blue” mean to you in the context of the season?
I started working on pre-production for this in July. It was weird to immerse myself in Christmas while it was Winter, because this EP would come out in Australia in Summer. But in another sense, it wasn’t weird because Christmas comes with so many northern hemisphere Winter references.

However, I decided to lean into the Winter metaphor. I think this is what makes the album a little blue. I read Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, Susanna Clarke’s The World at Midwinter, and listened to Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow. Even though I will have a very summery Christmas and holiday season this year, I really enjoyed immersing myself in imaginary white Winters. We are having a private show and will perform White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. I find that Winter is magical, mysterious, and strangely comforting.

This is your first release since Familiar Drama — how did stepping into a Christmas EP help you reconnect with your artistry after the emotional weight of that record?
In a way, It’s Coming on Christmas extends the emotional arc found in Familiar Drama. That album is filled with grief, redemption, and nostalgia. It’s Coming on Christmas explores all those themes. Including Angel by Sarah McLachlan, as well as River, provides a bridge between the two.

Running your own label gives you a unique vantage point on independence and creative direction — how did Lights Record Label shape the way this EP took form?
I just love being over in my little corner of the world. I am not really part of the music scene; I play on the edges. I love to create and dream without any inhibitions, without worrying about where the work will end up.

Many years ago, I heard a visual artist talk about how he was going into the bush in South Australia with his 80-year-old Dutch mentor to paint for a few days. As they drove there, this 80-year-old said, “Oh by the way, everything we paint, we will burn.” Can you imagine? It meant that my friend could paint without any rules, take risks, paint for the joy of it, and be in the moment. I love that philosophy, and I think that’s what I try and do with Lights Record Label.

As listeners revisit these songs each December, what do you hope this collection adds to their own holiday memories, traditions or reflections?
When we recorded this music in Church Street Studios, I said over and over again, make it sound like a hug. I want to pour proverbial tea in an oversized gingerbread-man-shaped mug for people. I hope this brings comfort and bears witness to those who find Christmas a little tricky.