Crossing The Cosmo: Tinashe Interviewed

Boldly taking R&B into the future...

When the Mayan calendar ended precariously two years ago, we all survived the mythologised end of the world, and the Age of Aquarius dawned. Which, according to astrologists, is a time for partnerships and community – ruled by the feminine.

Tinashe Jørgenson Kachingwe – her surname the sonic manifestation of a cash register – is just one of these rulers. But her velveteen voice that pours like syrup down our phone line, together with her polished look and pop sensibilities, has caused some to underestimate her. Or, to assume she’s a manufactured product; a doll to be dressed by the male-dominated industry.

A recent interview on New York’s Hot 97 station is just one (depressing) example of this. “Don’t lie, did you hear anything she just said?” Presenter one turns to his compadre sitting next to Tinashe, who has just answered a question about her creative process. “No, I was just looking at her.” The other nods. “Me too. I was just looking at her glossy lips and mouth move.”

So when Clash speaks to her, it’s hardly a surprise that one of the first things she remarks, bluntly, in that Californian accent is: “I’m not just some cute girl signed to a label.” This, of course, we know – we’ve listened to Tinashe’s string of mixtapes, independently written and produced. She makes a triple threat look basic: songwriter, producer, video editor, 16-year classically trained dancer, and actress are all badges she can wear with pride. Not forgetting her black belt in taekwondo.

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'Pretend'

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The Kentucky-born, LA-raised star’s entertainment career began when she was barely out of nappies, aged three. She played a tear-jerking Josephine in Cora Unashamed, then went on to star in Two And A Half Men alongside a “very professional” Charlie Sheen. Next: one-sixth of girl group The Stunners, who opened for throngs of wailing Bieber fans – an experience that was “so much fun… honestly!”

But being one of six wasn’t enough for the ex-Stunner. “I have my artistic opinion and when I was in the group it wasn’t really represented, you know, so being a solo artist is just a lot more fulfilling for me,” she outlines. “I want to be known as myself – I establish Tinashe as an artist.” We can even forgive her for slipping into the third person; here it seems right.

So instead of being groomed for a career where she had little-to-no autonomy, what Tinashe did was set up a home studio in LA with her financially struggling family. She bought equipment, taught herself editing and recording software (with YouTube as her teacher) and realised her creative aspirations headfirst.

It’s hard not to admire the shrewdness of these moves; by releasing mixtapes ‘Black Water’, ‘In Case We Die’ and ‘Reverie’ (that shroud her corn syrup-sweet vocals in dark, shadowy beats), she managed to cement her sound before signing to a major for the release of her studio debut, late-2014’s ‘Aquarius’. For which she proved just as prolific: “I made almost 200 songs for the album – a lot were beats I recorded in my studio,” she reveals.  

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I try and think outside the box and do things that’ll make people question me and throw people off track – just when they think they know who I am…

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But working with writers and producers like DJ Mustard, Mike WiLL Made-It and Dev Hynes (to name but a few) meant that she had to surrender some of her creative control. “It took some getting used to on my part and their part,” she acknowledges. “I think people had to get to know me as an artist and realise that I did have a perspective, and an opinion.”

Not only is it her star sign, but Aquarius is also “a metaphor to me. It represents my introduction to the music industry and the new era of music that I’m trying to bring to the table,” she affirms. As well as working with producers known for their chart-pop domination, ‘Aquarius’ takes beats from Cashmere Cat and experimental wunderkind Evian Christ. There’s even a snippet of a seven-year-old Tinashe singing a song she wrote at that age – ‘Deep In The Night’. “And I got to work with Stuart Matthewman of Sade; he just had amazing stories to tell about being in that group,” she adds excitedly.

Having seen parallels drawn between her talents and those of Cassie, Brandy and Aaliyah, Tinashe’s even being labelled the next Beyoncé in some quarters. But hers is a progressive R&B with idiosyncratic touches that defies comparison. “I don’t want anyone to box me in, or label me as one particular type of artist. I think people were used to (debut commercial single) ‘2 On’, and I had to shift their focus to get them in the right mind-set to listen to the album.”

‘Aquarius’ flits between getting turnt in the club (on ‘2 On’) to addressing the anxiety and claustrophobia of Cali life (in ‘Cold Sweat’). “It’s a warning to people who wanna move to LA and be in this entertainment industry,” she explains of the latter track. “There’s a lot of pressure if you wanna hang; it’s really not as simple and glamorous as you think it is.”

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'2 On'

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She’s living proof of this, as she still lives with her family – mum, dad and younger siblings, who are “amazing,” she gushes. “I give them a lot of credit for how successful I’ve been because they’ve always told me that I can do it… they’ve never doubted me. Because of that I’ve never doubted myself.” Her little brother even reps her at school, wearing a Tinashe T-shirt to class and playing her tracks to his peers during lunch hour.

A recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live saw her speeding through a high-energy routine while getting out pitch-perfect lines and giving the guesting ScHoolboy Q a warm hug. But she confesses that she finds all this new attention “very surreal. I really think that I’m a lot less well known than I actually am – it’s kinda hard for me to process!”

Not through coincidence but intent, hard graft and ability, Tinashe’s stars have aligned for ‘Aquarius’. “I just want people to know that I’m a real creative person and respect me as an artist,” she concludes, about to zip off to her next dance rehearsal. “I try and think outside the box and do things that’ll make people question me and throw people off track – just when they think they know who I am…” she ends enigmatically.

What’s certain is that Tinashe’s time is now: it’s the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

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Words: Felicity Martin
Photography: Nathanael Turner

Tinashe online. ‘Aquarius’ is out now on RCA.

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