Not since the heyday of poet/rocker Patti Smith has there been an artist quite as unique as L.A.-based Celeste Tauchar, aka talker. Her music has the stamp of a Real Artist, kinda like if Joan Didion started playing guitar or Anne Sexton became a singer.
One of the highlights from talker’s debut album I’m Telling You The Truth is “Wet” – a song that’s extraordinarily intimate. It’s not about a crush or an ex, but instead explores talker’s relationship with a troubled friend.
“I wrote ‘Wet’ when one of my closest friends was dealing with a really difficult chronic illness that was leading her down some dark mental paths,” says Tauchar. “Chronic medical issues really test friendships. It can be difficult to be there for your friends in the ways they need it, and not everyone sticks around. I certainly was far from perfect in supporting my friend through this, but I wanted to write something that really solidified that I would be there for her. Something that showed her that even if I couldn’t pick up the phone for a few days, I wasn’t going anywhere.
“This was a topic I hadn’t really explored in my writing before, and so I wanted to get more creative with the music as well. The transition from the intimate, acoustic-leaning first half into the larger outro was super intentional, trying to follow the lyrics from a place of two people holding onto each other for dear life, to a place of hope and looking towards the future.”
Musically, the song’s finale feels quintessentially American – like Randy Newman’s “Sail Away” or any melody by George Gershwin. There’s a tenderness in the way talker sings “where the sun is” that’s touching and unforgettable.
Celeste Tauchar is already a multi-hyphenate: composer-performer-budding film-maker and more. She’s already created some classics and (fortunately for us) her best is yet to come.
Watch the live video for “Wet” below, and find the full I’m Telling You The Truth album on streamers.
