Courtesy of Tanya Janca
Tanya Janca has been a feature of the Ottawa music scene for over a decade, writing and performing her own particular band of slow and rhythmic melodies described as folk-punk. The Ottawa native, who was recently signed to the new Ottawa label Hidden Vodka Records, has had a varied career, performing at such unlikely places as the Warped Tour, better known for punk rock and extreme sports than feminist-inspired singer-song writer fare.
On Wednesday, August 5 Tanya will be the featured musical act at the Basement Artists show along with Tonk and the Honkys and Ace Kinkaid. Some of the artists on exhibit include Dominique Boisvenue, Anik Charest and Margie Kelly, Nik Parent, John Bainbridge, James Turner, Dawn Sandey and Marcus Lamoureux. Show starts at 8 and ends at 11 at Zaphod’s, tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.
Through the miracle of the World Wide Web, Apartment613 caught up with Tanya to ask her about her music, computer science and the devil.
Apartment613 - When did you start writing songs? Did a particular event set you off, or did you come by it more organically?
Tanya - I was always singing little songs when I was young, and I bought a guitar at a garage sale when I was 14, so eventually the little songs had music too. I played a few songs one day for my step-father when I was 16 or 17. He seemed to like them and told me I should try to perform them for others. I joined a few bands in high school, and none of it really went anywhere. Then one day a boyfriend’s band applied to play the Nepean Student Showcase, and I said I wanted to apply too. The boyfriend ended up trying to sabotage my application by hiding it from me but I got my own copy, applied, and was accepted (his band was rejected). Although it was over between him and I, “Tanya Janca” the singer/songwriter was born.
