Next Friday sees the launch of debut EP Confessional from Australian Maltese singer-songwriter Tara Formosa, a release she describes as a bridge between her previous output – and life experiences – and a second planned for later this year.
The three-track EP, funded by Arts Council Malta, follows three dreamy trap-inspired singles released last year and features contemporary pop ballads alongside darker electronic indie offerings.
Formosa sees the upcoming EP as a chance to “confess everything,” letting go of past experiences in preparation for a second release later this year that will reflect a different outlook.
“I wanted to create something honest and unfiltered, music that feels like a conversation, a diary entry, a late-night revelation,” said Formosa, describing song writing as “musical journaling”.
She started working on material for the EP three years ago in her native Melbourne – a life she describes as very different to her time in Malta.
“In Australia I was living in my bubble, seeing the same things and the same people all the time, but in Malta I’ve been able to branch into something new,” she said.
While coming from a background in musical theatre, Formosa decided to “reinvent” herself musically in Malta, pulling down previously released material available online and starting work on something new.
“I’ve had the best time of my life here; the experience of living in Malta has been so much fun.”
Formosa chose to release Confessional separately to songs planned for release later this year for creative reasons, she explained, with both projects representing different personal experiences.
While her upcoming tracks – Confessional, Me, Myself and I and Greedy for Your Eyes – suggests a yearning quality, she shared that her next release for later this year will reflect a more settled, harmonious outlook.
Explaining her creative process, Formosa said that while she used to produce, mix and master her own work back in Australia, she “used to obsess over everything,” and instead now works with local producer David Grech, whom she sends vocal recordings, chords and reference songs to inform his work on her music.
Turning to the Arts Council assistance, Formosa explained it was part of a programme that grants up to €3,000 to local creatives. “It really has helped me to cover all of the bases,” she said.
While Formosa plans to hold a launch party for the EP in Spain, where she will be visiting at the time of its release, she has performances planned back in Malta across May and June.
“I will be performing a lot more when I’m back,” she said, adding her recent work had instead focused on song writing and the upcoming EP.
One of the performances slated for June includes one under the banner of international event platform Art N’ Soul, which promotes female artists across a range of creative disciplines.
“We’ll be turning music into art,” she said, explaining the event will see a painter interpret her music to create a painting in real time as Formosa performers.
Returning to the upcoming EP, the singer said the tracks on the record had been “evolving with me as an artist and as a person” for the last three years.
“Now, I’m finally ready to share it with the world.”
