It’s often said that life imitates art. But for some artists, life and art are so intertwined that the two become indistinguishable from one another. Tya is among that class of artists, a rare breed for whom existence itself is an act of self-expression.
“Entertainment is in my blood,” Tya says. “It’s all I know.” It’s no surprise the Vancouver-based alternative pop artist recalls an intrinsic desire to create since her earliest days. Tya (She/They) was born in Las Vegas, Nevada to two theatre artist parents (her mother was a Can-can dancer at Paris’s famed Moulin Rouge before meeting her father, who played a giraffe in the Broadway musical The Lion King), Tya had a rather unique upbringing. Spending their formative years on the road touring with her parents, being shuttled from one iconic performance venue’s dressing room to the next at some of the country’s most renowned theatres, from the Las Vegas Strip to Radio City Music Hall. Rubbing elbows with dancers, actors, directors, classical musicians, and more all before she’d even learned to walk practically sealed Tya’s fate: they were born to be an artist, and now, after what feels like a lifetime spent backstage, it’s finally their turn to step into the spotlight.
Tya’s pop music debut has been a long time coming. She’s always had a natural talent for singing, and her introduction to songwriting also came early in the form of poems she’d write to sing along to the rhythmic percussion of her father’s tap dancing. A talented actor and dancer in her own right, Tya has a long list of credits, including The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. But now, she’s traded the dancing shoes in for glistening pop beats, organic instrumentation, and programmed drums. Tya learned to play guitar and piano at a young age, which helped catapult their songwriting into the stratosphere. Now, with the release of her debut single, “Chamomile Tea,” Tya’s auspicious beginnings have given way to a multi-talented artist poised to take the world by storm.
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photo by @theportraitsessions
Tya’s penchant for writing and delivering powerhouse vocal hooks with heartfelt, image-laden lyrics is on full display throughout all their work. Her ability to craft a compelling narrative arc is a nod to master storytellers she reveres like Taylor Swift and the Beatles, while her soul-baring lyrics recall the emotion and edge of Julia Michaels. “I often find that my songs know how I’m feeling before I do,” she laughs. The release of her debut single, "Chamomile Tea", was accompanied by a fundraiser for the mental health non-profit Anxiety Canada. The overwhelming response Tya received from listeners, relating to the more vulnerable lyrics, has inspired her to continue speaking up about her own mental health through music.
A dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. as well as the queer, bi-racial child of an African-American father and a Norwegian / Australian mother, Tya knows firsthand the amazing things that can be borne out of exposure to different cultures and ideas. After all, the years her family spent on the road before moving to New York, California, and finally settling down in Vancouver are not the only terrain the young artist has covered. She relishes the opportunity that music presents to explore and combine all of her artistic passions. “What I love about being a musical artist is how multifaceted the job is,” Tya says. A true triple threat (and then some), Tya is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a pop artist. Their talents for singing, writing, performing, dancing, acting, and directing all collide under the vast umbrella of content she is gearing up to release for her solo project. “I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to create all the forms of art I love without being limited to one,” Tya says. With more music, videos, and live shows on the horizon in 2023, this is just the beginning for Tya.