TARO

TARO is a new and emerging Fort Collins-based duo comprised of Cheyenne Duba (vocals/songwriting) and Steve Welhaf (guitar/production).When Cheyenne realized that playing guitar and singing in Old Town Square would never live up to the vision she had for her music, she turned dissatisfaction into determination. She learned not only the basics of Ableton, but the potential of what digital production meant for her future sound.After writing TARO's debut single, “Don’t Tell”, the pieces of her vision came into focus. She wrote the screenplay for a Fight-Club inspired music video and tuned that vision into a reality with UrbanImpression, a Denver photographer/videographer. The daring twist on the cult-classic features TARO’s vice-centered themes, with a healthy dose of sex appeal.During production of the video, Cheyenne met former drummer Noah Sauls, who then introduced Steve to the project. Steve had recently moved from Philadelphia to the local-music hub of Fort Collins to further pursue his career. A seasoned musician and producer, Steve—also known as dubstep producer Mistik, who has opened for notable artists such as Flux Pavilion—eagerly joined TARO as his first collaborative group. With his expertise in production and natural musical abilities (including perfect pitch), Steve elevated TARO to a level that would have been unreachable without his talents. Shortly after joining the project as its producer, Steve took on the role of lead guitarist/synth.Cheyenne’s dark lyrics and catchy tunes, combined with Steve’s “can’t-help-but-dance-to” beats, generate a unique sound hard to place under one genre. The phrase “electronic-pop/rock” comes to mind, but elements ranging from funk to classical music have resulted in a unique crossover sound. This sound is incomparable to any other, but it draws influence from artists such as Phantogram, K.Flay, and Halsey.TARO found their name through inspiration from an Alt-J song with the same title. The eponymous song tells the tale of Gerda Taro, the first female war photographer to die in action, as seen from the perspective of her lover and partner Robert Capa. Eight years after the tragic death of his beloved, Capa lost his leg from a landmine. The song’s lyrics illustrate his undying love for the photographer, noting she was the last thing “sprayed into his eyes” amidst his surroundings—the horror and destruction of war. But just as TARO’s upbeat sound is not all doom and gloom, neither is the song that inspired their title; it ends with a sadly sweet note: When Capa leaves this life, he is “reunited with his leg and you, Taro.”The final thing to ever cross your mind will be what you loved most, the thing that brought light to your life and made it worth living. For TARO, that thing is music. As other loves and interests have come and gone, that first love of music has been the one that’s never left, and sparked a passion that keeps them writing into the night.The duo is currently finishing their first EP which can be expected in late August, 2019. You can preview the EP with their singles “Don’t Tell” and “Constellations” available for streaming on all platforms, including music and lyric videos their social media.