The multi-instrumentalist and indie rock innovator who records under the moniker Vagabon is the subject of this interview. Her debut album, Infinite Worlds, received widespread critical acclaim. She describes her life in the studio as a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who is based in New York City. In this conversation, Tamko discusses her motivations for creating music, the gatekeeper culture in the music industry, and the music that inspired her latest release, Vagabon.
In 2016, Tamko quit her day job and pursued a career as a full-time musician. She is still living on her own, but she is starting to talk to her parents again. She admits that she put too much pressure on herself in the beginning when she was 18, and she could barely open her computer to arrange songs. But that's all changed now, and this new era is documented in her debut album, Vagabon.
Tamko migrated to New York City from Cameroon when she was 13 years old. She studied engineering at school and had a day job before switching to a full-time music career. In 2017, she released her first solo album, Infinite Worlds, and went on to tour internationally with Courtney Barnett. She has since gotten back into the music scene, writing and recording her third album, Vagabon in Herself.