TARA MACLEAN SHARES HEARTBREAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL NEW VIDEO FOR “THAT’S ME”
TURTLEMUSIK
Singer-songwriter and bestselling author Tara MacLean shares the heartbreakingly beautiful new video for “That’s Me”. Watch below or HERE. The song is featured on her recent album Sparrow (turtlemusik) – the soundtrack to her bestselling memoir Song of the Sparrow (HarperCollins). The reimagined version of the song reflects on an early chapter in her life and musical journey. “Written in 1994 (at the age of 21) about a moment when I really needed to take a look at myself and ask myself who I really was,” shares Tara. “I had fallen apart and hit bottom. This song was my self-portrait. I was beginning to see the patterns that were emerging as a result of a tumultuous childhood. I was self-destructive, self-sabotaging and I was wrestling with all my demons. That was before I learned to make friends with them. I wanted to revisit this song as the woman I am now and see if I could break some of those deeply ingrained patterns that I was still catching glimpses of.”
Working with album producer Daniel Ledwell (Fortunate Ones, Good Lovelies, Jenn Grant) to capture this new version – Tara lowered the original key of the song and approached it with more maturity and a new perspective. “It was the first song I got into a movie soundtrack called Kissed, and then I sang it in the Jerry Bruckheimer film Coyote Ugly where I had a cameo,” adds Tara. “No matter how many years have gone by, this song reminds me how far I’ve come, and also how I have stayed the same.”
“Caught on the floor now
This bottle in my hand
In the confusion
It seemed the safest place to land”
When it came to creating a brand new video through the eyes of the reimagined version – Tara knew that it was essential for her to make it in order to have a personal breakthrough. “I always loved to dance, but after an assault, I began to dissociate from my body and I had no recall when it came to movement,” shares Tara. She worked with Sublunar Films to come up with a concept where she would dance, on camera, but with the support of Sashah Klapkiw and Naomi Jason as the guides through dance. In the video, they represent the male and female aspects of the psyche getting back into balance. Co-director Deanna Milligan shares, “Tara said she wanted to incorporate dance as a major transformational element and immediately we thought of Guochen Wang as our steadicam operator. With his extensive martial arts training he dances when he operates the camera and is able to sink into a symbiotic state allowing the dancers complete freedom.”
Tara continues, “In a kind of dream sequence, we worked together in the liminal space to free me from the past and help me see the true beauty again, to feel safe to inhabit my body. In the video, we witness me weeping on the floor as I dance through the fear using the music to move the pain through me. In the process, I learned that my body is sacred and cannot be desecrated.”
There are so many symbols in the video that relates to the memoir – the window, the flowers, and the corset. “The video contains symbols of transformation with early Spring flowers, ladybugs, a chorus of frogs at the end credits, and unmasking, veiling, and mirroring,” says Deanna. “While we were editing, the performance that Tara gave took our breath away many times. She has taken trauma and bravely brought it into the light and transformed it into a powerful reclaiming of her body and spirit.”
Tara Maclean
Sparrow
(turtlemusik)
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Tour Dates
Tues May 30 – London, UK – The Camden Club – Songs & Stories – TICKETS
Thurs June 1 – Hay-On-Wye, UK – Hay Festival Wales – TICKETS
Tues July 11 – Moncton, NB – Moncton Public Library / Bibliothèque publique de Moncton – Songs & Stories – 6:00PM
Wed Jul 12 – Fredericton, NB – Fredericton Public Library / Bibliothèque publique de Fredericton – Songs & Stories – 6:30PM
Thurs Jul 13 – Saint John, NB – Saint John Free Public Library Main Branch /Bibliothèque publique de Saint John – Songs & Stories – 6:30PM
Sat Oct 7 – Charlottetown, PEI – The Confederation Centre of the Arts – 7:30PM – TICKETS
More Info At www.taramacleanmusic.com/shows
Artist Links
Photo Credit: Jen Squires
