The first musician in our series is Tausha Hanna from Ontario, Canada. She recently spoke to Tassoula Kokkoris about her artistic journey.
TK: What inspired you to become a musician?
TH: I’ve always felt really drawn to singing, even as a child, but specifically my Dad was a very big influence for me—he would buy me these Women & Song CD compilations. They had powerful women like Sheryl Crow and Jewel, and he would bring them home for me to encourage me to listen to what they were talking about. He’d say “They have a voice and this is what they’re doing with their music—you could do the same.” Which is really sweet when I think back on it. He was always someone who motivated me; not only to be a singer and practice that art, but to focus on what I want to say, how I want to use my voice and how impactful it could be.
TK: That’s really beautiful. So who do you listen to these days? Who are your musical inspirations?
TH: Florence + the Machine is a huge one for me. Right now I think the whole world is obsessed with Taylor Swift, so I have to mention her. But honestly, I’m really drawn to female musicians all across the board—I’ll listen to anything. I really like Halsey. A Canadian artist named Lights is fantastic too.
TK: How did you become a part of Future Youth Records?
TH: I submitted a demo for one of their Think Peace campaigns and it was an original song called “Peace.” I ended up winning that contest back in 2020.
TK: How did you become a part of this specific Future Youth Records campaign?
TH: I had worked with Future Youth on two campaigns and we had a really good relationship. I think they knew that I would be on board. I hadn’t done a Think Earth campaign with them yet, so they reached out.
I got the email from my coach and I freaked out for several hours, and immediately started wondering about all of the details regarding “Saltwater” and the production of it. Was it going to be the same? Or was it going to be different? So those were my first thoughts—what are we going to create?
When I listened back to the original song, I thought “Everyone needs to hear this song!” When you have a song that’s so impactful and a cause that’s so urgent—to be able to spread that message through music is so important.
TK: What was it like working with Julian Lennon on this project?
TH: He was such a nice person—he just had a calm and peaceful energy about him. We were all very buzzy and nervous, but once he entered the room, we all relaxed and just enjoyed the chats and time we had with him.
TK: Speaking to the environmental aspect of this campaign, what gives you hope that things are going to get better?
TH: I think as a society we’ve seen a huge shift toward people genuinely caring about causes. Instead of “caring from your couch,” we actually see people protesting and fighting for the things that they believe in and the changes they need to see in the world. I think music is a huge part of that; songs like “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R. — I remember how impactful that was.
Music has a way of being incredibly relevant and comforting, to inspire so much energy in a group of people—and a whole planet. That’s a huge amount of power to have from one person sitting down with a guitar and singing. I think Julian Lennon’s “Saltwater” has already done that, but has the ability to do it for another generation.
Tausha is currently working on her debut EP, which will have a tie-in to mental health. Follow her for updates on Instagram at @taushahannamusic.
The Future Youth Records Think Earth Campaign EP featuring the new version of “Saltwater” will be available for purchase on Earth Day on our collaboration website. Proceeds will equally benefit our Save the Mirning Sea Country campaign and Future Youth Records.
