Since dropping her debut EP Your Today back in 2017, Melbourne indie songwriter Tartie has spent years cutting her own path on the Australian circuit. Blending the grit and pop sensibility of influences like Missy Higgins, Maggie Rogers, and Lady Gaga, she’s notched Triple J Unearthed chart spots, grabbed international songwriting attention, and teamed up with producer David Baron (Noah Kahan, The Lumineers) on her 2024 collaboration project, In These Trees & Tartie. Fresh off radio rotation for late-2024 single "They’re Not You" and a festival slot at Moonee Valley Sounds, she brings that sharp, independent focus to her latest release, "Pause."
That percussive ticking clock right at the start of "Pause" grabs you before the instruments take over. It’s a bold way to kick off the track, placing the subtle sound of seconds ticking away for a track built around the heavy topic of time moving too fast. We caught up with Melbourne artist Tartie to dig into the new release and find out how that initial idea made its way into the recording. We asked Tartie whether the ticking clock sound was part of her original home demo or emerged during brainstorming during the recording process.
"The ticking clock at the start of "Pause" was something I always envisaged in the song. This song is about time and wanting to press "pause" in the present moment and so it was super important to me that the ticking of the clock was featured throughout. My producer Benjamin McCarthy was able to create the perfect ticking sound. It quickly became the heart of the song."
McCarthy has a solid track record dialing in sounds for artists like Gordi and Alex the Astronaut, but piecing together the arrangement for "Pause" required carefully balancing the need to keep its raw intimacy intact.
"We worked remotely and he was so receptive to the kind of arrangement I wanted for "Pause". I was listening to a lot of atmospheric uplifting pop/folk stuff and that ended up influencing how this track turned out. I love how it's still got that raw sound to it too. I played the piano part on the track. The piano is my favourite instrument, I write all my songs on it and it is literal music to my ears to hear it feature so much throughout this song."
Writing music about watching your kids grow up and time slipping away can easily become sentimental and soppy. We asked Tartie how she successfully navigated this challenge to deliver a meaningful song for a broad range of listeners.
"When I was writing the song I didn't think too much about the lyrics but I guess I kept them simple in order to give the song a universal feeling," she explains. "I started writing the song with the first line "time is a little thing that you can't get back." From there the rest of the song came tumbling out. I find often the simplest and most straight forward and obvious lyrics hit you the hardest. The sentiment of wanting to elongate time when we're with the people we love the most and who bring us the most joy is universal. It would be easy to take it into soppy territory but I wanted the song to have an uplifting quality to it too. I wrote "Pause" about the experience of watching my babies grow and just wanting to press pause on those everyday moments. Every stage brings new wonder and awe and of course challenges and chaos. The beauty of songwriting is that the listener can take what they want from the song and apply their own meaning to the lyrics."
If you line up her earlier releases next to "Pause," there’s a clear shift in how much breathing room she gives her vocals. It feels like the mark of a songwriter who is increasingly calling her own shots in the studio.
"I didn't make a deliberate decision to give my vocals more breathing room in this song but I feel like it suits the subject matter of time passing and space so it kind of happened naturally," Tartie says. "I've definitely become more assertive in the studio and the whole process. If I'm not happy with something I'll definitely point it out and that's not how it always was. I'm always very particular and a total perfectionist about my vocals and how they sound in the mix. My producer Ben was so accommodating and patient with me over my vocals for 'Pause". I ended up re-recording them all as I wasn't satisfied with my performance in one of the demos. I think as an artist you have to walk a fine balance of perfecting a song but then also knowing when to leave it and trust that it's enough as it is. I still listen to my older songs and pick things I could've done differently but I just have to trust that that is where I was at at that time."
Melbourne has some of the best live venues in the country, we asked Tartie how she feels about performing her latest release live.
"I've performed "Pause" a few times now live and each time the intimate nature of the song translates well. I have performed it at the right venues though where my set has been just me and the piano so I think that's really helped it." That eye for authentic detail extends beyond the music itself. When asked what non-musical sound from her daily life she would press to vinyl as a hidden track, Tartie didn't hesitate: "The sound of my kids laughing from another room as they play together, it's pure magic."
"Pause" reminds the listener to find time to reflect on what's important and what's right in front of them today. We asked Tartie what she hopes the single will deliver.
"I want "Pause" to take the listener to a happy place where they're hanging out with their loved ones and wanting the moment to last forever. Think of those simple everyday moments that you kind of don't realise are significant and transformative until they've passed. That's where the magic is, that's what I want "Pause" to highlight and celebrate."
For listeners looking to keep up with future live dates and new releases, Tartie keeps the lines open: "I'm most active on social media on Instagram @tartiemusic or Facebook too and I also have all my music up on Bandcamp too."
Listen to "Pause" by Tartie on Local Sounds here.
SoundVerge Editorial
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