Tammin's Worth The Wait

[Andy]

Tammin's worth the wait

Sunday Telegraph / Sunday Herald-Sun

10 April 2005

Few people turn down lucrative international recording deals, but former Home And Away star Tammin Sursok had no qualms about doing just that when the moguls came knocking five years ago.

Despite a burning ambition to sing, Sursok declined the offer of instant chart success, preferring to wait and develop her musical style.

"I was going to be signed to a UK company when I was 17," she says.

"I got this deal, it was all there on the table, but I thought: `How can I release an album and still have four years left on Home And Away, and do both properly?'

"With an album, I would have wanted to travel and tour and go overseas with it, and I thought I'd be selling myself a bit short if I tried to do that and Home And Away.

"It was a very tough decision, but I was guided by the right people. They (producers) wanted to take me in a very pop direction.

"I have nothing against that style of music, but at 21, I'm still discovering who I am, what style of musician I want to be and where I want my career to go.

"At 17, I had no idea what I wanted to do."

Sursok's patience has now been rewarded.

Sony/BMG has signed her, and she has spent two years creating her debut album, due for release on May 22. The first single went top five nationally.

Whatever Will Be is a labour of love for Sursok, who recorded it in London, LA and Stockholm. For the final sessions, she flew to Stockholm at weekends.

"I'd finish work (Home And Away) on Thursday, fly to London, then Sweden, spend two days in the studio, leave Saturday night, get back home Sunday night and be at work Monday morning," Sursok says.

Sursok, who is dating music-video director Michael Spiccia, says some of the songs on Whatever Will Be are "very emotional".

"I've been writing about relationships a lot because when you are young, that is the only way you do feel pain, unless there has been pain in your private life or family life.

"Some are about people I know and I have had a few text messages saying, `Is that about me?'.

"There is a lot of growing up on that album. Where I am now is a lot different from the person I was when I started working on it."

Sursok said it was important to her that she was not pigeonholed as just another soapie-star-turned-singer.

"Sometimes people think when you come from a television show, you are just going to come out with something that is quite meaningless -- the same word repeated 55 times," she said.

"It is good to let people hear there is something more, that I have got something to say."

Sursok is not abandoning acting. She has been filming US feature Aquamarine and auditioned for several Australian films. But her next step is to release the album in London.

"I will probably work there for a few months in the middle of the year. Despite what you may have read, I am not moving to London," she said.

The single Whatever Will Be is out now. The album will be released on May 22.

[Di]

Yeah she sure is, glad she waited .Still can't wait to buy it.

[Cat123]

Cool. I think she's fab, and I'm glad to hear she's taking it seriously and not just trying to make money. I think it shows. I'm glad she's still acting as well.