Berlin-based Irish-Norwegian artist Tara Nome Doyle will release her third album Ekko out 11th April via FatCat Records.
Tara’s haunting vocals, introspective lyrics, and atmospheric, art pop sound has gained International praise from The Line Of Best Fit, CLASH, The Most Radicalist, Why Now, Wonderland, Vogue Japan, The Irish Times, and more. Writing with Isobel Waller-Bridge, she’s contributed to Netflix’s Munich and forthcoming Three Women based on the best selling book by Lisa Taddeo, plus Tara’s songs, music and performances have featured in several films and TV series, including HBO’s Generation.
Ekko is a journey that ventures outward into the unknown and inward to the depths of the self, and along the way, it explores pain, farewells, new beginnings, and ultimately, acceptance. Spanning just 30 minutes, the album exudes a remarkable clarity—not just in its brevity, but in its emotional depth. Songs like ‘Lighthouse’, ‘Bad Days’, and ‘Dive In’ feature refrains destined for large venues, their powerful melodies soaring on pop-infused harmonies before retreating into the intimacy of the verses.
There’s a newfound freedom is reflected in the album’s minimalist approach. Tara produced most of Ekko herself, intentionally keeping the musical palette simple. She collaborated with Grammy winning producer and engineer Simon Goff (The Joker, Chernobyl) to create a precise, stripped- back soundscape built around voice, piano, guitar, strings, Mellotron, and occasional analog synthesizers. A personal touch lies in the string arrangements: before transcribing the cello parts, Tara recorded vocal demos for each line herself.
Ancient myths weave seamlessly through Ekko, intertwining with Tara’s introspective themes. The figures of Narcissus and the nymph Echo embody two extremes—self-obsession on one side and complete conformity on the other. These ideas resonate deeply in today’s digital landscape, where identity often shifts between authenticity and the pressure to assimilate. With Ekko, Tara reveals how repetition—like Echo’s curse—is not merely mimicry but can be transformative: a reinterpretation of tradition and identity. Here, Echo becomes more than a passive voice; she is a medium for reshaping and reclaiming meaning.
FACTS
1. I used to play the tuba.
2. Snails are my favorite animal.
3. I have permanent wrist damage from knitting too much.
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Language. I often find certain words or phrases incredibly inspiring—they spark something in me, and I want to build entire worlds around them.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I probably started singing as soon as I learned to talk. My parents are from Norway and Ireland, where singing is deeply embedded in the culture. We would sing before meals, on walks, at bedtime, and in church—it always felt completely natural to me. When I was about 12, a friend suggested I write a song for a school concert. I enjoyed the process so much that I never really stopped.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Susanne Sundfør – Susanne Sundfør
O – Damien Rice
Carvings – Juni Habel
DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Home. I had the privilege of growing up in multicultural Kreuzberg, where having multiple cultural identities felt completely normal. Berlin has given me the freedom to grow into whoever I wanted to be and has carried me through different phases of my life.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Probably the Landwehr Canal, around the Admiralsbrücke area. I grew up there, and so many of my memories are tied to that place.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
I’d write, paint, and maybe become a therapist.
7. What was the last record/music you bought or listen?
Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc by Bruno Coulais. It might just be my favorite film score of all time!
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Susanne Sundfør would be an absolute dream. She has been my biggest inspiration throughout my music career.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
I recently saw my friend Albertine Sarges perform at Berghain Kantine, and I was blown away by her raw talent. She’s a true rockstar—I’ve never seen someone command a stage in such a powerful yet effortless way. Check out her new record Girl Missing!
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
My main songwriting tool is the voice memo app on my phone. I record all my improvisations, and I love having a backlog of ideas to revisit when writing. Aside from that, technology only really becomes relevant again when I start final recordings and production.
Please tell us more about the creation and development of your new album Ekko.
Ekko was born out of a period of disorientation—it became a guiding light, helping me reconnect with my roots and rediscover why I wanted to make music in the first place. I was deeply drawn to the myth of the nymph Echo from Ovid’s Echo and Narcissus—how she loses her voice and becomes a reflection of others. That imagery resonated with me, and I wanted the album to capture my doubts and low points while also carving out a way forward. That process—both in writing and in real life—was incredibly challenging. But it forced me to face my demons and rebuild myself in a way that felt sustainable.
