Tiffany Sammy has no interest in playing musical matchmaker. That’s why her solo project TIFFY cites precisely one person as the writer, producer, and composer of her debut EP: Herself.
After moving to Boston from Southern California at the age of 15, Sammy had over a decade to plant her musical roots in Massachusetts, but it wasn’t until last year that she formed a truly fulfilling solo project — aptly named TIFFY — that keep her creativity unfiltered (and without compromise). Today (May 31), after a release party last night at O’Brien’s in Allston, Sammy sets her very own fuzzy, “soft punk” opus Fire Sale free.
“I was in a music program in college, but never took the time to explore my own ideas and only played music for my classes/program,” Sammy tells Vanyaland. “In past bands, I was never the lead songwriter or organizer. I was feeling the urge to play and create but I didn’t want to go back to trying to find a band to be a part of or auditioning, people are always looking for bands to start or people to join theirs, but it’s just kind of exhausting, it’s like dating, ha. I decided that I would try and fully workout some ideas I’ve had, write some new songs and see how that would go.”
Eventually, other folks came into the fold for her live shows; friend Patrick Niland quickly got involved on guitar, and Sammy recently recruited drummer Ben Husk as well, phasing out her beloved drum beat loops. Still, when it comes to the entirety of Fire Sale, the instrumentals were performed by Sammy herself, with the exception of some additional guitars and percussion for melodic flourish.
“ It [juggling all the titles] was a challenge for sure, which inherently made it the best learning experience,” she explains. “From past experiences I’ve been a part of every aspect that goes into a project but this EP was combining it all at a level that pushed me. It was an endurance test in many ways – through the decisions, emotions, I had to be my own cheerleader every step of the way and also recognize when I need to stop trudging, reach out and ask for help or delegate some of the things that need to get done! I wouldn’t have been able to execute it the way I want, without the help of those involved.”
She adds: “Ultimately I’m really grateful to have done this work and the work of those who helped. It was a total self-discovery process, I learned a lot about myself musically and personally. I feel ready to take on a lot more that’s to come.”
Take a listen below.