by Daniel Warren Hill
Alchemical Records recently wrote an article about a trio that prided themselves on how big they sounded (among other admirable qualities). Still, LA-based power duo Tarah Who? would receive our ‘Biggest Sounding Band with the Fewest Members award’ to date. Composed of grunge-punk sage Tarah Carpenter and drummer/backing vocalist Coralie Hervé rightly told moshville.co.uk “You have two chicks sounding as loud as a five-piece on stage.”
They may actually have been a five-piece band on stage at one point. The lineup for Tarah Who? has changed a bit since their 2014 debut of single, “In A Rush.” Hervé joined the band in 2017 and in time for the release of “Half Middle Child Syndrome,” after which Tarah Who? would solidify into the powerhouse you know them as now.
Carpenter and Hervé share some similarities in that both are from France originally, both are drummers, and both moved to Los Angeles at different times in their careers. Together they have continued a long legacy of rock and punk influences while carving out a unique space for themselves both lyrical and musically.
Tarah Who?’s 2021 full-length album, “Supposedly A Man,” is a response of sorts to the #MeToo movement that delves into a variety of topics about male privilege, toxic masculinity, and the effect(s) a primarily patriarchal society can have on its female population. Inspired by the underground feminist punk movement, Riot grrrl, that began during the early 1990s, Tarah Who? released “Asian Blood” in 2022, produced by Jason Orme (Alanis Morissette) and Tarah Carpenter herself, who says the song “is about getting older and realizing that the industry, whether music or movie, is unjust to artists (especially women) who sometimes feel the need to look younger to obtain a role.” Additionally, the song emits the reflection that time doesn’t wait.
Mixed by Norm Block (L7, Alain Johannes, Girl Friday) and mastered by Jesse Cannon (The Cure, The Misfits, Limp Bizkit), “Asian Blood” is a prime example of how Tarah Who? continues to produce art that invokes conversation through their always passionate and raw energy. It pays tribute to its influences while simultaneously magnifying its own distinctive sound. Check out the track below or on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify. Follow Tarah Who? and their journey by visiting their website at tarahwho.com or connect with Tarah Who? on Instagram.
Daniel Warren Hill is an American musician, writer, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the frontman for Washington DC area Alternative Rock band YellowTieGuy, as co-founder of Capitol Groove Collective, and increasing the exposure of artists on a global scale through his work with Alchemical Records.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
