Oh Bummer! is the new solo endeavor of Seattle-born, LosAngeles based singer/songwriter Tanner Houghton. BloodMakesNoise fell in love with the artists music a while back and has consistently tried to cover everything Tanner has done. His newest single though, was concerning as it skewed into darker territory than other tracks. It discussed the passing of Tanner's father from cancer and we thought it'd be cathatric for the artist to give us the full story on how he turned such a sad event into an indie pop song:
"I’ve gotten many concerned DM’s after posting snippets of songs where I’m diving into particularly heavy or sad topics. Discussing traumatic things that happened to me or struggling to feel excited about being alive. I’ve had to explain over and over again that even though I just wrote this depressing ass song, that doesn’t mean I’m currently living in that state. I’ve also had conversations with other song writers who struggle to write songs when they are feeling happy, healthy, and stable. When they’re so used to drawing from a current source of drama or hurt, it can be harder to express strong emotions in the absence of turmoil. In response to these DMs and conversations I always say that I would never survive living in this pain and hurt every second of every day, so I’ve had to compartmentalize and develop boundaries with myself.
I can reach down and find a dark, sad memory and put myself back in that place while I’m writing. You don’t need to constantly live in that sadness to be able to write about when you were living in it. More than just the experience, I remember the feeling the experience gave me. So when I’m circling a topic or memory that hurts, my heart instantly recognizes the feeling and it seems easier to elaborate in song. But it nearly always starts with a guitar part, then humming a melody, then freestyling over it until I feel like something could work. If the guitar progression isn’t right for me, the melody I sing over it won’t feel authentic, and the words that follow won’t either.
Trying to make some of the most painful parts of your life easily accessible and relatable for public consumption seems like a daunting task- but I have a belief that no matter what people experience in their lives, at the end of it we’ve all felt the same things. I love trying to express feelings like hurt, grief, confusion, self-doubt, and longing in the catchiest way possible, because the poppier it is, the more people will hear it, and the more people will know they aren’t alone. "
-Tanner Houghton