Today we’d like to introduce you to Mommy Rockstar Bitch.

Hi Mommy Rockstar Bitch , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

My name is Zoë Tanner. I grew up on a farm in Harford County, Maryland. When I was very young, I began singing and playing piano. I remember my parents bought me an E-Kara karaoke headset and I would perform songs for my siblings’ friends. My go to was “Case of the Ex” by Mýa and “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer. In the fourth grade, I started playing saxophone and got my first solo in choir. Fast forward to middle school where I performed my first original song. I still remember the song. It was about this boy, Andrew, I had a massive crush on. I decided I would profess my love in front of the whole school with this song. That was the first time I ever felt heartbreak, but it was also the first time I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I have been making songs ever since. I had a small project with my best friend, Ian, in high school called Deranged Symphony. We wrote little French piano songs with playfully dark lyrics. We would perform at the local Starbucks and talent shows. Unfortunately, we have disbanded due to geographical relocations. When I was 19, I met my ex husband. We dropped out of college and moved to Philly to start a band. After multiple projects, we started to have success with our project, Geisha Facade. It started with Jordan and I writing the music and producing it in our one bedroom apartment on Girard. We went on two tours. We played for NPR in Indiana and won Artist of the Year for Deli magazine. Unfortunately things started to fall a part as my ex’s drug addiction grew stronger. This time of my life is very confusing because I was in a constant state of survival. I was always trying to do the correct thing to avoid my husband relapsing and hurting himself. I went through years of disappointment and disassociation for him to decide to see other people. This broke me. How could someone I gave everything to betray me? I knew I needed to get out of this marriage. It was a hard few years, but when I look back on this part of my story, I see the strength that is me today. Mommy Rockstar Bitch started during this difficult time. I was tired of putting my artistry on hold for someone else and I started working on my own songs. I recorded my first three albums back to back in the spring and summer of 2022. This was my safe space to let out all the pain from my failed marriage. My music is a space for women to be. I needed a space when I was going through it and I could not find it. I want Mommy Rockstar Bitch to change that for other women struggling in traumatic and abusive relationships. I see you and I am here for you.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I think the biggest obstacle for me with this project was letting myself be. When you are devastated by life, it is hard to let yourself feel that way. We live in a culture that’s constantly trying to hide or fix the uncomfortable moments, but you can only avoid that pain for so long. When I first split with my ex husband, I self medicated with alcohol. My first album is pretty honest about where I was at. I went through this huge manic episode where I felt electric, but I see now that I was just trying to avoid the pain. The pain of loss, rejection, disappointment, and shame. When I stepped back, I was so depressed. I did everything for my ex. I was the only one bringing in money for years. I paid for his medications, drugs, food, rent, etc. I felt so ashamed of enabling him. I felt so betrayed by someone I took care of. I felt so ugly to be rejected by someone I loved unconditionally. I felt so behind other people my age who put themselves first. I had to go through all of these feelings sober. I poured my heart into my music and it kept me alive. I know that sounds cliche, but I swear that it really kept me alive. When you listen to my songs, they are the stories of my pain and healing. They are raw. They hurt, but they are honest and every lyric pulled me out of that depression.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I make music. I do everything from writing, recording, mixing, mastering, and producing. It is rare to find a female artist who does everything herself. That is what I am most proud of. I am not afraid to make mistakes with mixing or production because I want people to hear what I hear. I like to bring people inside my ears and head. That may not be “industry standard,” but I am on this earth to make art. People in the music industry have these rules about quality and production that are limiting. I mean the world in general has rules about how we package ourselves that are limiting. I guess I’m kinda over it for lack of better words. Why do I have to change myself to fit some marketable package? I already went through real life shit and I think that qualifies me to make art by myself. If you like my music that’s great, but if you don’t, I don’t really care and I don’t need your opinion. I know that may sound harsh, but in the music industry everyone is always giving me their unsolicited opinions about my art. I mean I am pretty comfortable with not being accepted, but being a female in music is really hard. You’re not skinny enough. Your mixes are unprofessional. You can’t play lead guitar. I mean what haven’t I been told. So I just feel like keeping my art completely mine is a pretty big accomplishment and sets me apart from other creatives.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

Mentors are hard to find in our culture. This is actually something I have been talking about a lot lately, but I feel like people from my generation really lack mentorship. My mentors are the artists I listen to. I think I’ve gotten more life advice from Neil Young than any other adult. We really need community right now. I don’t look at making connections as networking and I think that’s why it works for me. Every time I meet someone, it is an opportunity to make a friend. I don’t like looking at things transactionally. It’s so odd that everyone is looking for authenticity, but our society is so capitalistic that we see networking with people as dollar signs. Friends are really important to me in my life because I don’t have a lot of mentors. The people I connect with, we help each other. Whether that’s listening to one another’s problems, celebrating each other’s successes, or just hanging out. I like meeting new people and sharing life with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mommyrockstarbitch.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @mommyrockstarbitch
• Youtube: @mommyrockstarbitch2038
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mommy-rockstar-bitch/1633465594