Tommy Cash Dropped a New Single, but Who Really Gives a Shit?
Watch the new music video below.
Stay informed on our latest news!
Tara Yummy Knows the Recipe for a Good Time
Still, all this makes perfect sense; you can’t miss her. She has a presence in a room like a shot of espresso, and if it helps, she also owns a hot pink Mini-Cooper! Tara Yummy (yes, she’s always gone by this), is the internet-crowned ‘life of the party,’ and throws Young Hollywood’s finest get-togethers. A few weeks ago, I attended her birthday party in Hollywood, and she had very simple rules: have fun, be in the moment, and DANCE!
A time was had, and it is clear she is adored by many, but I started to wonder if the world really knew the journey it took for her to get to where she is. Before Tara was posting on social media, we attended a traditional high school in Los Angeles, where she was often mocked by peers for “being too happy” and “living in LaLa Land.” She recalls one of her drama teachers telling her she’d “never make it.” A confusing time, for sure, she quietly began searching for community online.
The year she graduated high school, we lost touch. I moved to Chicago, and she stayed in LA. Soon after, she began posting lifestyle vlogs and comedic skits on YouTube. Fast forward, she now has a following of over 14.5 million followers across social media. Talk about a comeback story. It makes sense that her first single, released earlier this year, is titled “B34M,” pronounced ‘beam,’ as she emanates a sense of unrelenting optimism.
TOBI ORISARAYI: Tara… we used to scrape together quarters in our cup holders for slushies. Now you’re headlining shows, and sponsored by Redbull. What is going on?!
TARA YUMMY: Oh my god, I remember those days after student council; we would all get in a car and go to 7/11 to get slurps after school. I think it’s so amazing that it’s been so many years and we still get to have fun, just in new ways!
TO: Time flies! I’m glad we caught up between your shows and fashion week! It was also funny to hang out with you and Ian Smith. He’s hilarious. Is this your typical show day? Just catching up with friends?
TY: Honestly, kind of. I feel like New York is just me kind of running around and seeing everyone I love until someone reminds me I have a job to do. I am always trying to squeeze in coffee or food with a friend before a show to keep the day feeling fun and normal before I have to soundcheck. Ian is one of the most fun and supportive people I know, so it’s always so nice seeing him.
TO: Life was so much fun when we could get away with our scavenger hunts. Now we grab coffee, and people are coming up and asking for photos. When did you first realize, “oh okay, people actually know who I am?”
TY: It happened so gradually that I don’t think there was ever one moment where I was like, “oh, people know who I am now.” Honestly, it’s really funny seeing your reaction to it because to you I’m still just Tara from school, and I feel like I always will be. My life has changed a lot, but I don’t really feel that different.
TO: No, that makes sense. Well, you’ve been spending a lot of time in the city, these days… What’s been your favorite thing about New York?
TY: I love that you can do a million things in one day. One day feels like three.
TO: And perform at Warsaw! Your openers and guests really showed out. From Zetra and Binx to Madeline Argy, Jake Webber, and Caleb McDaniel— how do you go about selecting people to join you on tour?
TY: It’s honestly just people I love and people who I think are really cool and talented. I want the night to feel like you’re coming to a party with me. With openers, I love putting people on who are talented and who I genuinely think everyone should be tapping into. When it comes to my friends, it’s basically whoever is in town and whoever is down to be on stage with me for a fun moment. It’s the best excuse to get everyone I love in the same room to have a fun night together.
TO: Love that. What’s been the main focus when it comes to curating your DJ sets?
TY: I just want everyone to have fun. I never want my sets to feel too serious or to feel like you have to know a certain kind of genre of music to get it. I want there to be something for everyone, and honestly, I just play what I love and what makes me want to dance, and hope and gauge to see if it gets others moving too.
TO: Well, I guess, most people know you from social media and your Stuck in the Car series, so how has it been transitioning into the music industry and reaching newer audiences? Have there been any obstacles? What are you looking forward to?
TY: It’s definitely been a really interesting transition. I have been doing social media for so long; stepping into music has meant being new at something again and having to prove myself in a completely different way, which has been really exciting. Of course, there have been obstacles, and I knew there would be some skepticism coming from both the internet and the music industry, but it has just made me want to work harder and take it even more seriously. Getting to reach people who might have never watched one of my videos but connect with me through dancing, music, and partying has been what I look forward to most.
TO: First of all, your fans are so enthusiastic. They really brought the energy while they waited in line, hyping each other up. It made me hopeful to see that younger generations are still finding ways to be outside and in the moment. How does it feel to have created such a positive “mindset” not only online, but in real life, as well?
TY: It's genuinely one of my favorite parts of what I do. I think the internet can feel really mean sometimes, so seeing this community that started online turn into something so real and kind is amazing to me. I love seeing people come to shows alone and leave with new friends. I’ve always wanted my corner of the internet to be a place where people can be themselves, have fun, and not take life too seriously. Seeing that exist in real life is really special to me, and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
TO: I know you’re no stranger to internet trolls. What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
TY: Honestly, I don’t know if I would give her much advice. I think I would just tell her to keep going and not take anything too seriously. At 16, you think everything is the biggest deal in the world, and then you grow up and realize most of it really isn’t. I’ve always been pretty good at letting things roll off my back, and I think I have only gotten better at it with age. You have to decide whose opinions actually hold weight and whose opinions you value, and most of the time, when it’s internet trolls, they don’t hold much. So many times I would just tell her, you’re good; keep being you.
TO: I went to your last party in the summer and had so much fun. You really know how to set the tone. Everyone’s comfortable. Everyone’s free. Any tips on how to throw a good party?
TY: A good DJ, an open bar, and fun people. I also think people know there is no judgment at my parties. If you know me, you know I couldn't care less what people think of me, and I have never judged someone for letting loose and having fun, so why should anyone else? I think that makes everyone feel more free.
TO: What can your fans expect from you in the future, musically?
TY: More music, more shows, more reasons to go out and dance— that’s the plan.
Recommended articles
Recommended articles
Now Entering: Contact Sports
You’ve spent much of your career creative-directing for other artists and brands. What made you want to step into your own project with Contact Sports?
I’ve always felt limited by other people’s constraints in my visual work, whether it’s working for a certain client or trying to uphold a position within social media algorithms to continue receiving brand deals that fund my livelihood. I also reached a point with my video art where I was rinsing the same tracks over and over again, and I had the idea of starting to score my work with my own music. It then just kind of snowballed into this project!
Contact Sports feels like more than just a music project; it has a very specific visual and conceptual world around it, which very much falls in line with your previous work. It’s not an easy way to create, and I admire that. When you first began developing the project, did you want there to be a separation between the two?
Yes, I created a separate identity for Contact Sports because I wanted the music to speak for itself, rather than have it come across as a desperate attempt to siphon an audience from my past work. I also felt that people might take it less seriously as a musical project if it were presented as “Illumitati tries music!!!!”
A lot of your work deals with the tension between humanism and technology and rejecting AI, especially “Me & My Machine”. That’s a really prevalent subject right now. Did creatively representing that feel important to you, especially in our modern age?
How could it not? I’ve literally seen videos of AI chatbots having conversations and falling in love with one another. That’s a human experience I haven’t had the privilege of having yet, and I resent the fact that robots are beating me to it.
You worked with Kurt Johnson on several of these videos and brought together artists like Genesis Owusu and Weiland to create this album. You seem to have had strategic, intentional visions for your work. Does collaboration change the way you approach your own creative vision?
Absolutely not. I feel like bringing in collaborators is similar to how a casting director functions: the role is already written, and it’s just a matter of casting the right person to fill it rather than having them write their own part of the project.
You mention that you aim to create your own sonic world with this project. Was there a particular moment when you came to the realization that you wanted to start making music?
It’s actually been a lifelong goal of mine, one I just never had the time or freedom to pursue. Ever since I became a concert photographer at 15 (at the time, as a way to sneak into EDM shows and raves), making music was something I wanted to try at some point in my life. I’ve had ideas for songs and melodies in my head since I was a kid, and now I finally have the technical skills to bring them to life!
You take performance art very seriously, with the “Me & My Machine” music video shot entirely on location in Riga, Latvia, featuring a visual feature of a 35-foot “Tree of Life” hand-woven from live electrical cords by Berlin dominatrix and artist Moir Div, who spent hours rigging you into the canopy. What is it about the extremities of performance art that contribute to your work and the result?
I think pain is a very important part of my performances in general, whether it’s rope burn or having to sit still for six hours straight in 100-degree weather in front of an audience. I think it shows commitment to your craft. What are you willing to do for your art? I think any artist who answers that question with anything other than “die” needs to rethink what they’re creating for.
Do sound, image, and performance remain separate elements in your craft, or do they feel inseparable to you?
INSEPARABLE. I create with the idea of world-building in mind, never as singular entities!
With your debut album arriving, and upcoming performances alongside artists like Madeon and Danny L Harle, what are you most excited for people to experience as Contact Sports moves into a live environment?
I’m most excited for people to experience the community we’ve been building around this project in real life. Everyone at the live shows has left with new friends and lovers, and with the death of third spaces, it’s been amazing to create a cult of kind people who love to dance. Seriously, every type of person is a fan of Contact Sports, and it’s amazing to see furries, sporty guys, tech nerds, clean girls, and emo kids all in one room together, having fun.
