Captivating, moving and truly salt of the earth. Tanya Ransom weaves her signature sound of folk blues and alt country amongst ornate melody’s and powerful vocals. Whether accompanied by her band or a one woman show wielding her guitar, ukulele and percussion, she draws in her audience with her unassuming warmth and personality.
Residing in the remote North-West of Australia hasn’t deterred Ransom from seeking a successful music career, supporting artists Kate Miller-Heidke, Boy & Bear, John Butler, Missy Higgins and Tim Rogers to name a few. With performances at Nannup Music Festival, Blues at Bridgetown, North West Festival, Fairbridge Festival and WAMFest, from playing intimate House Concerts to performing in front of thousands, she is no stranger to the stage.
Awarded WAM Best Regional Act 2020 and recipient of the inaugural Nannup Music Festival Directors Award, there is no sign of slowing down for Tanya Ransom. The Kimberley songstress’ new EP ‘Breakdown To Breakthrough’ is a collection of songs that explore the intricate emotions of the human condition. Set for release on the 24th September, the first singles ‘Armour’ and ‘Cyclone’ received spins on Double J, Triple J and added to high rotation on ABC Radio.
On “Breakdown to Breakthrough,” Ransom offers a refreshingly frank pick-me-up, encouraging us to be brave when things get tough. In our interview, Ransom talks about the song’s origins and how she keeps herself entertained while touring.
Does your EP have an overarching theme?
“Breakdown To Breakthrough” is a collection of songs that explore the intricate emotions of the human condition. These separate stories share a common thread of vulnerability, digging deep into our past in order to learn about ourselves, our wounds, the power of healing and changing a narrative that no longer serves us.
Explain the title of your album.
The title track “Breakdown To Breakthrough” was written during the first wave of the country going into lockdown. From the theme of “Imagination” (written as part of the online songwriting club I Heart Songwriting), to dream a new world into existence, what systems would you change? It’s a song that came to me in a time of self reflection, when the world appeared to stand still. Realizing that the most significant times of change have come when everything around you falls apart. When you’ve hit rock bottom and there’s nowhere left to go other than picking yourself up and moving on. Usually with a newfound sense of purpose.
For me, the title of this song sums up the overall emotional feeling of the EP.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
Practice, Upskill, practice some more! I use a lot of songwriting techniques taught by Pat Pattison. Object writing is one of my favorite tools for getting new lyric ideas.
How do you kill the long hours in the van?
I love a good audiobook or podcasts. My last tour favorite were Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton and Song Baker podcast with Sam Buckingham. The Working Songwriter is another great music podcast.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
Come join my Patreon community. For a small monthly donation I create exclusive content for my patrons. It’s a lovely exchange. Buying direct from my Bandcamp shop and definitely coming to shows if I’m playing in a town near you.
Breakdown to Breakthrough is available on all streaming services today.