Tali steps into her EMPRESS ERA, reflecting on survival and strength

Few artists in Aotearoa’s electronic scene carry a story as wide ranging as Tali. From a dairy farm in Taranaki to the heart of the UK drum and bass movement, her path has moved through rave culture, jazz exploration, songwriting, teaching, and international touring. Now she enters a new phase with Empress Era, a record shaped by personal upheaval, healing, and creative renewal.

Built alongside collaborators such as Nathan Haines, Jordan With a Why, and Stamina MC, the album reflects significant transformation. In this conversation, TALI reflects on the experiences that shaped the record, the lessons learned from decades in music, and the sense of power that comes with stepping into a new era of self belief.

EMPRESS ERA is a bold new chapter. What drove the vision for this album?

I didn't initially set out to write an album. I was just writing songs that felt necessary and cathartic at the time. For the last couple of years, my life had started to feel rather chaotic and overwhelming in some respects. Emotionally I was feeling all over the place, and physically my body felt like it was betraying me - it was very confronting. Writing these songs felt like a step towards acknowledging what I was going through - and it felt very healing. Over time as I got a handle on things, I began to realise that these changes I was going through in my life, as much as they were a struggle - were also a form of evolution and a stripping away of the old norms, and stepping into a new way of being. Of thinking, of seeing myself, and of how I wished to be seen.There was a point where I looked at four or five of the songs I had written as a collection and thought to myself - oh okay - looks like I'm making an album - and it's very clear what its theme is! 

The record brings together a wide group of collaborators including Nathan Haines, Jordan with a Why, Polaris and Stamina MC. What did each of them bring into the world of this record?

Polaris was the first person I worked with and again initially, this wasn't meant to be an album track. We wrote this song and Polaris said he wanted to put it out. A few months passed and there seemed to be no plan for it, so I asked him what was happening. When he asked me if maybe I wanted it, I instantly said yes because I loved the track so much. Then I started working on the other songs and when it became clear I was actually writing a record, I decided to re-record the vocals for the track, as sonically they were sitting in a slightly different place to the rest of the album. Once that happened the track slotted in perfectly. Jordyn was someone I had met a few years previously at the Silver Scroll awards through a mutual friend - who suggested we work together.Jordyn said she'd love to and I replied 'You know I make Drum n Bass right?' and she said 'hell yeah girl I'll do a Drum n Bass track'. It took a while for me to write the right kind of song that I felt would suit her beautiful vocals - but when I finished 'Young Daylight' I instantly knew Jordyn would be perfect for it.Nathan is someone I have known of for many years through his work as 'SciClone' with Jason A Sides from the UK. He knows how to lay sax and flute over DnB beautifully, and after working with him a bit last year through a social media job I was doing - I plucked up the courage to ask him if he would be a part of this new project. He said yes straight away, and understood the vibe and direction of 'I Feel Too Much' perfectly.Stamina is a long time friend. We've collaborated onstage before, but never in the studio. It was just a case of when, not if - and again - when I wrote 'Amongst Kings and Queens' I couldn't imagine anyone else making a cameo other than him. Stamina is my bro and someone I love and have a great respect for -  so to have him on this album is the icing on the proverbial cake! 

You grew up on a dairy farm in Awatuna. When you look back at that time, how did that environment shape the artist you've become?

Oh man it shaped me in SO many ways. It was a very isolated, lonely place to be at times. I spent a lot of it by myself. Those times inspired a lot of my imagination, songwriting, poetry and stories that I would write, both in my song books and at my piano. Also feeling so far away from everything and feeling so insignificant really inspired me and instilled in me a hunger to explore the world, to make something of myself (even if I didn't know as a child what that 'something' was), to experience others lives and cultures and to educate myself through what I saw and learned and experienced personally.  My love of nature and empathy for animals also came from that life - which in turn has been reflected in my lyrical content.. I've written songs about war, animal rights, climate change, dismantling the patriarchy... I know a lot of people maybe aren't even aware of this because they just see me - and hear DnB - as something very surface and only for the dancefloor - but if you dig deep there are a lot of these themes running through my work.  

You moved to the UK to chase music and soon found yourself working with legends such as Roni Size. What did those early years in that scene teach you?

Those years taught me about working hard and showing up - but also that the only person you can really rely on in the end is yourself. I learned about studio and stage etiquette, how to be professional in working in those spaces to get the best out of the situation and oneself. I learned that when you push yourself too hard - things can collapse. I really didn't know anything about looking after my mental or even physical health and as a result this often suffered.I learned that the scene was majorly skewed towards men and saw first hand how differently female artists were perceived and treated. Thankfully we have come some way since then. 

Your career has crossed drum and bass, hip hop, and jazz. What makes you curious when it comes to sound? 

I've been inspired and influenced by many different decades of music and my own experiences during these formative years. I could never just make one genre of music all of the time. I would get bored. Music is one of the ways in which I express myself as a person, my feelings and what I am going through - so it makes sense that the style and tempo might change to reflect that. Also I grew up raving to many different genres, going to The Big Day Out, and seeing various live bands. I love DnB of course, but also UKG, house and techno. I also love 90s RnB and Hip Hop, Brit pop and Grunge rock. For me - music is music, and people shouldnt be pigeon holed by genres. Make what you want, collaborate with people from different scenes, experiment with your voice.. at the end of the day as long as there is something consistent and recogniseable within everything you make - then it will still be attributed to YOU as an artist, regardless of what you're making.  

You stepped away from drum and bass for a time before returning to it on your own terms. How did that distance change the way you approach music today?

I stepped away from DnB because I felt very disheartened and disenchanted with the way the scene was - particularly the people I was working with at the time. I also was experiencing depression and anxiety from burn out and basically touring and working myself to the brink  - (although I was unaware that was what it was at the time, and definitely wasnt being supported in the way I needed to be). When I returned to making DnB I was very aware I needed to set some boundaries. I prioritized things like my mental and physical health by getting myself a female agent who understood and empathised with me and my needs and didn't push me.Even though it pained me to - I said no to certain projects and shows.. choosing quality over quantity. I experimented more, and learned to spot opportunities that would benefit me not just in that moment, but for the longer term. 

Many artists speak about the pressure of longevity. After decades in music, what keeps the creative spark alive for you? 

I think my longevity in DnB comes down to having gone through that dark period and emerging out the other side stronger, and more certain of myself - and taking the lessons I learned then - through to how I approach music today. Music is how I express myself, and in a way - cast a microscope over my life, how I'm feeling and how I'm impacted by the world around me. Writing and creating helps me process all of this. Plus I just love making music! It's so exciting sitting down either with an idea and a purpose, or with no idea what I'm going to make - and letting the music guide me.It's also important not to force things. I tend to create in cycles. So during the winter I am very inspired and hunker down in my studio writing and producing. In summer  that music comes out and is given life, and I focus more on performing and touring. 

The album carries the title EMPRESS ERA. What does that phrase mean in your life right now?

This album name was inspired by a card reading my friend Courtney gave me. She is a DJ who lives in Perth (shout out Weaponess) and being in music herself, I think she understood and felt a lot of what I was going through at the time when I asked for the reading. The main theme coming through in the reading was about letting go of past ties, ideas and relationships that were holding me back, or misleading me, and stepping into this new era of power, wisdom and renewal. The Empress card kept showing up and the concept of a new 'era' of femininity and womanhood. To me it was not only a confirmation of what I needed to do in my life, but also with my music. Starting with calling the album 'Empress Era'.10.

When listeners step into EMPRESS ERA, what do you hope they feel by the time the final track ends?

I hope they feel like they wanna listen to it all over again!! I also hope people feel inspired, and maybe emotionally moved in some way. It's not a long record, but it packs a lot in - and really gives an insight as to where I am at right now in my life and my music.