WHATEVER WILL BE
Four years ago, when she was just 17 years old, Tammin Sursok was offered an overseas record deal that promised the world. But in a decision that was both wise beyond her years and indicative of her artistic integrity, she turned it down. ''I knew what music I liked and I knew who I was'', recalls Tammin. ''But I didn't know how to show that musically. I knew that if I did sign I wouldn't have a long-term career. And that's what I want, because music is something I'm really passionate about''.
Now, with the release of her long awaited album, WHATEVER WILL BE, Tammin has exactly what she wants: a debut album of which she is not only justifiably proud but which is set to establish Tammin as a pop artist with soul, integrity and a wonderfully discordant pop sensibility.
Music is in Tammin's DNA. Her mother, Julie, is an award-winning singer who collected a Springbok award (ARIA equivalent) in South Africa for Best New Talent prior to emigrating to Australia. ''I've kind of been brought up in the music industry'', says Tammin. ''Mum is a classically trained pianist and guitar player, and still teaches guitar. Plus there were always old records by Michael Jackson and The Beatles playing in our house. So I guess I've been exposed to music all my life''.
Tammin's first public performance as a singer was as a 12 year old in a musical production at school, where, even then, she stood out from the crowd. ''Everyone else was singing these tame classical numbers'', recalls Tammin. ''And I got up and sang ?Big Spender' dressed in a little black dress with knee high boots. My headmistress nearly had a heart attack!'', she laughs.
Tammin spent the next four and a half years performing in school musicals, which served to hone both her singing and her acting skills. When she turned 16, Tammin auditioned for the role of Danni Sutherland in Home & Away. Four and a half years - and a Best New Female Logie Award - later, it was time to move on. This time, back to the musical roots she never abandoned, despite that show's gruelling 18 hour production schedule: it's a fact that throughout Tammin's entire period on Home & Away, she continued to practice her singing and song-writing skills.
Recording for WHATEVER WILL BE commenced in 2003, while Tammin was still working on Home & Away. The first sessions were held in Stockholm, Sweden, and it was not unusual for Tammin to fly from Sydney to Sweden on a Thursday and return back to the set on a Monday. But the sessions and the schedule took their toll on Tammin, and by the end of 2004, she quit Home & Away to focus on singing. ''I could have stayed longer on the show, and they asked me to'', reveals Tammin. ''But it's hard to focus on two things at once. I want to focus on my music now''. WHATEVER WILL BE is the world of a young woman coming of age. Featuring five songs co-written by Tammin, it's about relationships, family, love, growing up and finding your way. It is, in fact, about exactly what any 21-year-old woman could find herself singing about. And for Tammin that was critical. ''I want people to genuinely believe in me as an artist and see where I'm going with my music. I want to move people. I want them to feel what I'm feeling. For me, songwriting is the heart and soul of being an artist. I may not have written every song, but I made sure that I connected with every song that I sing on this record''.
WHATEVER WILL BE is an emotionally textured, at times melancholic, guitar and piano driven pop album whose pristine production is juxtaposed by strong, understated melodies, the use of predominantly live instrumentation and an honest, vulnerable and sometimes playful vocal performance that establishes Tammin as an intuitive and soulful singer. It's an impressive debut, and it resonates to the sound of an artist doing what comes naturally.
''Pointless Relationship'', the angst pop-rock debut single from WHATEVER WILL BE, was released in November last year and immediately became a Top 5 hit, earning Tammin a Platinum record. But it's not representative of the entire album because WHATEVER WILL BE is an album of moods. Featuring production by heavyweights such as Steve Robson (Natasha Beddingfield, Natalie Imbruglia), The Location Crew (Dido, Christina Aguilera), Soulpower (Christina Milian, Brandy) and A-Side Productions (Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson), WHATEVER WILL BE veers from dark and edgy mid tempo ballads (''World Without You'', ''Backwards Again'') to shimmering guitar pop-rock (''It's A Little Late'', ''Better To Be Lonely'', ''Almost Me''), Tori Amos channelled, discordant piano ballads (''Tender'', ''Whatever Will Be'' - both genuine highlights), sunny pop (''It's a Beautiful Day''), searching ballads (''Something Better'') to the gloriously off kilter (''Around the World'').
Ultimately, WHATEVER WILL BE is the work of an artist brave enough to trust her instincts and talented enough to pull it off. ''I think it can sometimes be hard to know where your life's going'', says Tammin. ''But you need to believe there's a path out there for you and above all else, you need to trust your instincts. And if you do that, I think you'll always be OK. Whatever will be, will be''.
WHATEVER WILL BE, the long awaited debut album from Tammin Sursok, is released nationally through Sony BMG on 23rd May 2005.
