Tanya Wills dreams of having Someone To Love in her romantic new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The global pandemic was costly in terms of lives, misery and missed opportunities for all ages. For some in the early chapters of their lives, it was a lost attempt at having a crush during junior high, the excitement emanating from school proms or finding romance in university. But Toronto blues/jazz chanteuse Wills has encapsulated that feeling of youthful optimism for finding love in such hard, challenging times with her latest single, the serene and stylishly yearning Someone To Love, from her forthcoming solo album She.
Wills says Someone To Love originated while, like most of the world, she was isolated and went for a run near her home in the midst of the angst, turmoil and continual public restrictions. “Someone To Love is a song that began its life during the pandemic,” she says. “I thought about the impact this would have on the young people, missing out on the important social moments. We all experienced the loneliness of that time, not knowing how it would end, but for the young lovers — or those wanting to fall in love — it might have seemed particularly bleak. And so, this song is about holding on to the hope and a dream… of love.”
Wills’ light and delicate delivery works tremendously well with guitarist Bill Bridges’ sparse but inviting accompaniment. Bridges, who Wills describes as her “constant touchstone and mentor,” helps fuel the mood and atmosphere instantly. It’s a lovely, hushed and heartwarming blueprint for an enjoyable listen. Meanwhile, drummer/percussionist Kevin Coady and bassist Ron Johnston keep things gliding alongside Wills’ earnest approach. Someone To Love would fall in line with material by the likes of Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Joni Mitchell.
The song epitomizes the dreams of a woman finding her perfect partner who offers her a night on the town and figuratively sweeps her off her feet. She isn’t sure who that man is, or when she will meet that man of her dreams. But she’s steadfast in believing he’s out there somewhere.
“Somehow her heart knows the answer
When destiny and chance meet one moonlight night
Before her a wondrous sight
Her someone to love
‘Til then her dreams are her own, but she’s not alone
She hopes he’s watching the stars above
Her someone to love.”
When she’s not busy fronting the Tanya Wills Quartet featuring Bridges, Coady and Johnston, Wills performs as part of the Wintergarten Orchestra, a cabaret-ish show featuring material from the 1920s and 1930s. It’s a far cry from her previous gig as an Ontario Provincial Police officer for a decade.
Check out Someone To Love above, hear more from Tanya Wills below, and find her on her website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
