Not your average musical artist, Tanya Nolan’s impressive voice carries inspiration from an era when R&B dominated the musical landscape, and song lyrics expressed sentiments listeners related to. Her sound is influenced by such musical legends as Billie Holiday, Chaka Khan, Minnie Ripperton, and Quincy Jones.
Nolan’s lyrical prowess often waxes poetic about love and joy, but also the pain and heartache that accompany those profound feelings. Her authentic words and skillful storytelling have attracted a strong following of loyal fans who listen to her music via top radio stations, satellite radio, and streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeart Radio.
Tell us about your single “My Best.”
I believe it’s a timeless tune. It brings you joy and makes you feel good. I believe it’s a universal song. … It’s one of those songs that you listen to on a Saturday morning, and you know it’s time to get up and do some cleaning. Mom has the food cooking and everything’s coming together. It’s just one of those songs.
Whre did you find your appreciation for music?
Music found me. I had no idea that I could sing, all I know was that I wanted to make some extra money. I asked my mother for permission. She gave me the Galveston daily newspaper real quickly and [there] was an ad in the paper that caught my attention. He was looking for a female vocalist. Why did that catch my attention? I was very adventurous obviously. So I called him, and he told me to sing over the phone. I was in the bathroom because I wanted to make sure the acoustic was good. After a while, he asked me how old I was, and then he wanted to speak with my parents. I gave my mom the phone and he wanted to make sure it was me singing. He told her I would need to come in person to rehearsal. I went in and I’ve been doing it ever since.
What does music mean to you?
Music to me is healing. Music to me is joyful. Music to me is life. Music to me is refreshing. Music to me is air and all the senses that I have. Music to me is inviting the angels from the heavens. Music in itself, is in my opinion, its own entity.
