Interview: Tamar Kaprelian

Tommy2: Hey, it’s Tommy2 and today I’m taking it easy here at the Cheesecake Factory with Tamar Kaprelian. So how you doing?

Tamar Kaprelian: I’m doing great how are you Tommy?

Tommy2: Doing good… little early this morning but the food is great here so you can’t beat that and your set earlier was awesome.

Tamar Kaprelian: Aww… thank you!

Tommy2: Now currently you’re doing a a 30 Cities in 30 Days for Feeding American Tour, how has that been going for ya?

Tamar Kaprelian: It’s been gong really, really well. It’s been an amazing experience. We basically have been doing a massive road trip from each city to city and it’s for such a great cause that it’s been so worth. It’s been an honor, really.

Tommy2: In terms of feeding people that need food. Is that a cause that’s near to your heart?

Tamar Kaprelian: It really is, yeah it really is. I mean we live in a country that there really shouldn’t be anybody that’s starving or hungry in any way shape or form, so it’s amazing charity to create awareness for.

Tommy2: And all these shows are taking place at The Cheesecake Factory, I hear you have somewhat of a connection with the restaurant?

Tamar Kaprelian: I do it’s close to my heart. I actually worked for a Cheesecake Factory for a year and a half. The Cheesecake Factory in Woodland Hills and yeah it’s just a company that’s always been there for me and I wanted to do something back for them.

Tommy2: So, Since you’re probably extremely familiar with the menu, what’s your favorite item if you were going to order something?

Tamar Kaprelian: Mmmm… my favorite item on the menu, that’s a hard one, cause you have everything, you have so many things to choose from. My favorite drink is the freshly squeezed Orange Juice. My favorite thing to eat though is the Beat and Goat Cheese Salad. It’s super tasty!

Tommy2: Now over the last couple of days, you’ve been releasing new music online. Is there more music coming and has the release date been set for your album?

Tamar Kaprelian: Yes definitely. More music to come and the album drops in February. Doing a Radio promo tour in January. The EP just came out a week ago, all the songs got released about a week ago and there’s three songs on iTunes that are available at the moment as well. New Day, Delicate Soul and Three Simple Words.

Tommy2: And is the album still titled, It Is What It Is?

Tamar Kaprelian: Might be… might be. We have a couple other options too, we added a couple of new songs we added to the record so it might be called something different.

Tommy2: Now speaking of the album, how long have you been working on it and who have you been working with?

Tamar Kaprelian: I’ve been working on this record for six years now, a very long time. But, Xandy Barry and Wally Gagel produced a majority of it and I also did a song with Butch Walker and a couple songs with Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic).

Tommy2: The first week of June, you’re song New Day was featured at the end of the final episode of The Hills. Did that have… what did that feel like to you, did that have a big impact.

Tamar Kaprelian: It was huge, it was an amazing feeling. It’s funny cause you sit and you write a song at the piano and your basically playing it for yourself and then you have the ability to reach out to millions of people and have them listen to it and have them react to it, so it was a great feeling.

Tommy2: And one thing about songs is you know like you can write a song and what it means to is totally different to someone else. Were you happy with how that song fit in with the context of the show?

Tamar Kaprelian: Definitely, it’s nice to have different people interpret your material the way that they see it. So yes, definitely yeah.

Tommy2: And you’re signed with Interscope Records and I could help but mention that you’ve crossed paths with some other familiar artists we’ve featured including the Clique Girlz. So what’s with you’re connection with the Clique Girlz?

Tamar Kaprelian: They’re so sweet. I was doing Cherry Tree Chat a couple days ago and both Destinee and Paris were online and we just started chatting with each other and they’re so sweet and their music is great and they have great voices.

Tommy2: What about Tokio Hotel, have you ever met up with those guys or chatted with them?

Tamar Kaprelian: I actually met them last year at the MTV VMA after party and those guys are super, super down to earth and so nice. Yeah, they’re great guys. Really talented too.

Tommy2: Yesterday was an odd day for you since you didn’t have a show, but it was close by so how you had like a lot of extra time on your hands. What did you do with your day?

Tamar Kaprelian: Yesterday in Chicago, Zoux my musical director and guitar player and I we went on a run in Grant Park which was so much fun. We went running along the water which was amazing and we also went to a U2 concert. That was incredible. It was amazing so…

Tommy2: Any notes you take, as being a performer. Anything you saw there that just really struck you?

Tamar Kaprelian: That’s a really good question. Bono just has this stage presence that is so engaging and so captivating. They’re just so together and it’s such an incredible unit as a band that they move everybody within’ the stadium it’s really incredible to see those people literally singing to every single word, to every single one of their songs. So…

Tommy2: And that’s gotta be uplifting to you since you’re a musician and songwriter seeing what music can do and you know all of those people were connect like at that moment and experiencing it all together. Did that kind of give you goosebumps?

Tamar Kaprelian: Of course as a performer it’s something you strive for and you know being able to even connect to one person is incredible let alone millions and millions of people.

Tommy2: Okay well we’re definitely going to be looking forward to your album when in comes out in February and thank you so much for taking time to talk with me today.

Tamar Kaprelian: Thank you so much Tommy, I appreciate it.