Tara McDynamite

She is one of those artists, who surprises you every time when a new project of hers get released. She can be sweet, she can be nice, she can be glamorous, she can be charming and now she is sexy to death. I'm talking about Tara McDonald - the voice behind some of the most beautiful house songs ever made. With her new single "Dynamite" together with Sidney Samson, she is going for something completely different from her other tracks. Not only the sound is explosive, but so is Tara in the video - she is dangerous, sexy, mysterious, naughty, french and chic. Although her schedule is fully booked, she found some time to talk to me about the exciting video shoot and how it felt to shoot with the directors of the latest Dior commercial.





E: Tara, your new single together with Sidney Samson is called "Dynamite“. What is the message of the track and the idea behind the video?

T: Sidney and I wanted to work together again, as we had such a great time making "Set Me On Fire", our single released last year. I was in Amsterdam and we hooked up and decided to make a follow up. When we worked on "Set Me On Fire", the instrumental track was already written and so I had no freedom to influence the track, but with Dynamite we started from scratch together, which was really inspiring. We talked a lot about the type of record we wanted to make and jammed around different chords and melody. We both influenced each other on the track and vocal melody and we came up with something really special.

Set me on fire Sidney Samson vs Tara McDonald by Tara McDonald


My lyrics for tracks usually are from my life experiences and where I am in that moment. As I had recently fallen in love with a great guy, the track is about finding that special someone and how we are just normal people but when we get together the mix is explosive...Dynamite! It's a very sexual and sensual song about sharing yourself with the person you love and how they turn you on.



I believe the video represents the song really well. It was shot in Paris with a French team and the French style is really obvious. We wanted the video to feel very fashion and chic but also very sexy. The whole video is really a fantasy where the viewer is left wondering, did that really happen or was it all in her imagination? We referenced the French movie "Belle de Jour" by Luis Bunel in 1967, starring Cathehrine Deneuve and we were also greatly inspired by the work of the photographic genius that is Helmut Newton. Nearly all the budget was spent on the lighting and I think that's why the shots look fantastic.




E: The video has just been released and you worked together with the same people, who are responsible for the fabulous Dior commercial. Why did you chose to work with them and was it different from your other videos?

T: This was a completely different experience from the other videos I have been in before. This is the first time I have been in a position to choose who I wanted to work with. Previously, I have taken directions from the record label or producer and not been involved in the creative process of the video at all. I chose to work with Alex Ubede and Tao (the directors/producers) as I had previous experience with them, on my photoshoot for the cover of French Playboy Special Music Edition in 2010. Alex was the photographer and we got on really well. Playboy was a nerve wracking experience for me but he made me feel so comfortable and was very proffessional and I really liked the end results, so it was a natural decision to work with him again. Plus his first video was an advert for Dior which was so beautifully shot that I knew I was in safe hands! This is actually their first music video so I'm very lucky to have them work on this, soon I'm sure they will be one of the world's biggest video producing teams!



I'm learning more about all aspects of the music business. I'm relatively new to making videos and the lead actress Sonia really taught me a lot, she was so professional and kind. Sometimes you can feel you're giving everything but it doesn't translate to the camera. There is a real skill involved. So much more than I ever realised before.




E: In “Dynamite” you are showing a different side of you. Would you describe the video shoot as a challenge?

T: I really feel that the whole video team put in so much extra love and care to make the video clip so explosive. We wanted something unique and it definitely shows a different side of me, that no one has ever seen before (except my boyfriend) LOL.



One of the funniest moments during the filming of this video was when I was tied up wearing nothing but rubber underwear. The remainder of the crew were standing around adjusting the lighting, smoking cigarettes and drinking mugs of tea/coffee and it struck me as being so odd, because everyone acted as if it was completely normal! Also the scene with the nun was funny, we were filming in a studio opposite a church with real nuns, so made sure all the windows were closed in case we offended anyone.



The video shoot was challenging for me mentally rather than physically, viewing the video is completely different to making the video obviously. Standing around half naked in front of a room full of strangers was something I wasn't looking forward to, but everyone is so professional that I ended up really enjoying the experience and I feel so proud of the end result, it's very artistic!



E: Not only the video, but also the music is very different from your other projects. When doing something new, aren’t you nervous that your fans might not like it?

T: Musically this track is different from my previous releases, I just wanted to make a record which reflects the music that I'm really into at the moment. Something that makes me wanna dance with a strong melody. I like to mix up my sound and nearly everyone of my records have been different. I enjoy working with different producers too, as I'm quite a social person and love hanging out in the studio working on a new creation and getting to know the person I'm working with, as I believe this gives more of a vibe!



My inspiration when creating new music, is to make it for myself initially and if I like it then somebody else will. Of course, I hope that everyone will love my work but as an artist I've really learnt that you can't please all the people all the time. If I try and people please I think I would never make a decision, as everyone has a different opinion. I listen to other people's perspective but the last word and decisions have to come from me, as it's my music at the end of the day.