Tanya Goltz is an artist who liberates her audience. “Someone came up to say that they resonated so loudly, as it explained how they felt when they couldn’t find the words for themselves.” shares with Happy.

Fresh off the release of his latest single steal my soul, and with a debut EP well in the works, singer-songwriter Tanya Goltz shows no signs of slowing down. With both steal my soul and companion EP single sketches (released in 2022) as evidence, Goltz’s musical mission in his next project parts of me it is abundantly clear. Skilled at empowering lyricism and defiant in confronting her detractors, the singer’s latest single will reflect broader themes and equally anthems of being yourself. Before the release of Parts of me we caught up with Tanya Goltz to discuss her songwriting technique, women in australian musicand the only time when sheknew [she] I had made significant progress on my self-acceptance journey.”

HAPPY: Hi Tanya, thanks for chatting with us! What are you waiting for this week?

TANYA GOLTZ: I’m celebrating my nephew’s 30th birthday this weekend. All systems have been up since the start of the year with the new release, so expect some downtime. And it’s also a bit surreal that he’s turning 30. But my nephews and I are the same age as my brother, and I was born more than 20 years apart.

HAPPY: Tell us about your suburb, what do you love/don’t love about where you live?

TANYA GOLTZ: I used to live 10 minutes from the Brisbane CBD, but over time I have moved further and further from the city and now my home is a quiet, leafy place. residential suburb 50 km. I finally feel at home, after moving around a lot as a teenager. The suburb is so quiet that I can see the stars from our backyard at night and you get the feeling of space even though we are in a residential area. It allows me to reconnect with what is important, far from the influence of the daily hustle and bustle.

HAPPY: Do you think women in Australian music are getting enough recognition, opportunity and support at this time?

TANYA GOLTZ: No, unfortunately I don’t think women in Australian music are getting enough recognition and support. She was reading an article that identified that women make up about a third of all employed musicians in Australia, with an even smaller percentage going for technical roles within the industry. I think there’s an obvious difference in the number of female artists charting at festivals and also playing on major radio stations. I encourage fans to think about how they can show their support for their favorite female artists. Things like; requesting them on the radio, buying their merchandising or attending a show. It’s also great to see movements like Rebel and Roar (founded by singer-songwriter Melody Moko and her manager Kaz Waters) establishing themselves. Rebel and Roar is designed to support empowerment and change in the music industry. They can be found on Instagram and through their website: www.rebelandroar.com.au

HAPPY: The journey towards self-acceptance and being unapologetically yourself is a difficult and ongoing one, what are some of the challenges and accomplishments you experienced during this journey? And what helped you keep going?

TANYA GOLTZ: The journey towards self-acceptance and being yourself is a challenge, and to be honest, I’m not sure if that challenge will go away entirely. I was bullied significantly throughout my childhood, which had a serious impact on my self-confidence as I grew up into an adult. Music has always been a part of our home, but I began to sing, write, and perform more consistently from the age of 9. And as I began to become more visible in the industry, I was met with additional judgments about my appearance and personal self from industry professionals and adults. But the deeper I got into singing and songwriting, I was able to channel those feelings into my music and it has become especially therapeutic. Music helped me navigate those difficult years and, in turn, helped me connect with like-minded people. I knew I had made significant progress in my self-acceptance journey when I wrote “Steal My Soul” a few years ago after receiving some negative feedback directed again at my personal self rather than my music or brand. And after writing the song I felt empowered and strong, instead of criticizing myself or getting angry about the comments. The main motivator for moving forward on my self-acceptance journey is the unconditional love and support I have around me, particularly from my husband and those few special friends who have now become family.

HAPPY: In the last article Happy did with you, we shared your big list of Australian female music legends! Who is not on that list that you would also like to nod to? of any gender, decade or genre. Artists that simply inspire you!

TANYA GOLTZ: One of the artists that isn’t on my curated playlist but is one of my biggest inspirations is Brandi Carlile. Brandi is not Australian, but she has had a huge impact on my development as an artist; her being so impressive through voice, songwriting and

performance in addition to presenting diversity of genres from Americana to folk rock, pop rock and alt country. Which I find particularly encouraging; Since my own music doesn’t fit well into one genre, it’s great to see that there are other successful artists doing the same thing. I love the way Brandi uses lyrics, harmony, instrumentation, and performance to create an undeniable prosody in her songs. Some of my favorite songs are Wasted, My Song, Broken Horses, This Time Tomorrow Y Letter to the Past. I am also a big fan of Diesel and have seen him live many times and his musicianship amazes me. When I first saw him play, he was using his Mini-Maton, and I just fell in love with him. So much so that my husband later bought me one as a gift.

HAPPY: Describe your writing and recording process.

TANYA GOLTZ: My approach to songwriting varies, I generally like to be structured and make time to write whether I’m feeling inspired or not. But I also have moments where I wake up with an insight from a dream, or have an interaction and feel inspired to channel my emotion into a song. Sometimes I can be driving and think of a melody line or a lyric line and record it for later. My phone has so many voice memos of random ideas! But it’s great to be able to access them if I ever feel stuck at one of my scheduled times. Then I’ll demo the completed ideas and I’m incredibly grateful to have some wonderfully talented friends that I met during my studies at JMC, who join this process, and we toss ideas back and forth until we have a complete demo that I’m happy about. With regards to the recording process in the studio, I remember that I was still perfecting the lyrics the day I was recording my vocals. I think as a songwriter you may never feel like a song is really finished. But I am very proud of what I have to offer as my debut recording. I have been extremely blessed to work with my team, particularly my producers Steve James and Andrew Cochrane from Red Engine Recording. They are both very understanding but also direct and honest which really allowed the songs to come together in the best possible way.

HAPPY: When and where are your next concerts?

TANYA GOLTZ: I am booked for a series of corporate concerts at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast in February and March. And I’m currently wrapping up a series of shows to promote the upcoming EP, so stay tuned! All concert dates will be on my website in the near future.

HAPPY: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

TANYA GOLTZ: I’ve traveled a lot so if I could go anywhere it would have to be somewhere I haven’t been, but also somewhere I can get away from this heat! My mother’s side ancestors originated from Ireland, so I would love to go there. I love winter, it’s my favorite time of the year even though I grew up in Queensland.

HAPPY: What would your last day entail?

TANYA GOLTZ: My last day would start with a strong latte in the sun, with a little time to play with the pups. I have a 5 month old mini dachshund named Jett and a 16 year old mini foxie named Toto and I couldn’t imagine my days without them. A bit of yoga or some free time reading something new. A date with my husband, a visit to the beach, and then some time to sing and write would round out the day perfectly.

HAPPY: What book or TV show are you currently watching?

TANYA GOLTZ: I am currently reading the next girl by Pip Drysdale. is a modern psychological thriller and I’ve definitely spent a few nights not being able to put it down. But I can’t say I’m not completely biased as Pip is a friend of mine who I met years ago at a music event and we ended up writing a song together. But I would definitely recommend this one, particularly if you like modern thrillers and love a young, brave but sometimes reckless protagonist.

HAPPY: What was the last thing you read that opened your eyes and mind to a new perspective?

TANYA GOLTZ: I recently read a quote from the book brave not perfect by Reshma Saujani who opened my eyes to the limitations and consequences of waiting until

everything was “perfect” before committing or making the leap. Being raised as a perfectionist, the strong desire to achieve my standard of perfection while maintaining productivity has always proved a challenge. And how about the appointment “If you wait for everything to line up, it’s over” it really resonated. As 10 months have passed between single releases and although I did experience some unforeseen hiccups that affected the timeline, the drive to make everything perfect was a major factor in delaying the process. So now, instead of focusing on perfection, my goal is to do the best I can, with the time I have and I promise to take a leap, being brave and consistent.

HAPPY: What is something someone has said about your music that you will never forget?

TANYA GOLTZ: I’ll never forget a recent conversation I had about my music, where someone reached out to tell me that my new song steal my soul made them feel liberated. They went on to say that they resonated with him so strongly that it explained how they felt when they couldn’t find the words for themselves. That really is the highest compliment you could receive. Being able to write and perform a song that could give someone a sense of peace or purpose, whether it’s finding strength or connection or even just 3 minutes of happiness; It’s what I set out to achieve as a musician. Whether I connect with 1 or 100 people, that’s my definition of success.

HAPPY: Thank you very much for having a chat with us!

TANYA GOLTZ: My pleasure!

If you haven’t had the chance to hug steal my soulthen check it out below ASAP.

Interviewed by Olivia Adams.

Photos supplied.