To say that Interstellar Tay is an artist that creates fine music would be a massive understatement, especially when tracks such as “Garden Song” feel as though they’re curated to speak to the heart and soul in tandem.
The musical moniker of Tay Zastrow, Interstellar Tay has been creating music for quite some time, with a background as a Conservatorium-trained bassist, and a life spent in a musical household with several generations of her family working as professional musicians.
“For me, music was sort of more of a given rather than a choice,” she explains. “There have been a few occasions where I’ve walked away from music, but ultimately there are emotions and stories that I can only seem to voice through playing and writing.”
Now, Tay is back with her latest track, the gorgeous “Garden Song”, which sees its official release today.
Described as a deeply special track, “Garden Song” showcases influences as varied and diverse as Paul Kelly, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, and First Aid Kit, with equal aspects of songwriting, lavish instrumentation, and a slick performance style shining through. With sweet acoustic guitars, smooth vocals, and textured percussion, the track is as powerful and moving as the story behind it.
“Garden Song is about the night my grandfather died,” Tay explains. “I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but we were very close. At 11pm that night I had a dream about somebody stomping on piano keys which woke me up. In the morning I called my grandmother and she told me that he had passed away at 11pm that night.
“I didn’t think too much of it at the time. However, after his funeral we were all having a chat about the night he died. Both my uncle and grandmother told us that they were also woken up at 11pm. So the song is about how jarring losing the connection of a loved one can be.”
Despite its origins in a melancholic period of time, “Garden Song” is far more enthusiastic and upbeat as one might expect, with its focus placed upon the celebration of life rather than being mired in misery and loss.
With the new single out in the world today, Interstellar Tay is on track to make more big moves in coming months, with a new EP set for release on September 1st.
Interstellar Tay’s “Garden Song” is out now.
