As 2024 draws to a close, what better way to pay homage to the past 12 months than with a song about nostalgia, love and timid optimism? Lucky for us, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Talker (Celeste Tauchar) is doing just that, with a little inspiration and reimagination of The Killers’ decade-old track, “Smile Like You Mean It.”
“‘Smile Like You Mean It’ isn't my favorite song on Hot Fuss,” Tauchar tells PAPER. “I think it's 'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.' But it's the song that creates the most visceral images in my mind of that time in my life. My dad would play the CD in his car, and this was one of the songs we listened to the most.”
The singer also tells us that growing up in the Mormon church (something she has in common with Killers frontman Brandon Flowers) also brings back memories and experiences, some of which she had to “unlearn.”
“It still left enough deeply instilled shame and inaccurate narratives about the world,” she says. “I've always had this weird obsession with the Killers' interwoven background of religion and spirituality with [their hometown of Vegas], desire and glamorous indie rock 'n' roll. I think the two go hand in hand.”
Sin City and what it represents for dreamers and religious seekers was also a point of reference and inspiration for Tauchar. “Vegas is a place where people go to be someone they'd be ashamed of anywhere else, and then they go home and go to church,” she says. “But the desire for something bigger, a higher purpose, is what drives all of it. Growing up Mormon, while being queer and just generally at odds with everything I heard, had me questioning what the true higher power was. Is it just connecting with your fellow man and creating a collective consciousness with each other?”
Though introspection can often lead to more questions than answers, looking back and inward has given Taucher (and us) something to look forward to. Below, check out her throwback video featuring her personal photos from the year The Killers released Hot Fuss (like her early performance of a Lizzie McGuire track at a talent show) and her thoughts and plans for 2024 and beyond.
How has the last year been for you, creatively and personally?
2024 challenged me in ways that I couldn't have predicted. On paper, it was a great year. I released my debut album, started a production company with my best friend and got to tour and travel a lot. But it's also been one of the most ungrounded years of my life and it has forced me to really look inward and establish myself intrinsically, regardless of where I am or who I'm with. Having the opportunity to do anything or go anywhere, be anyone, is both freeing and also terrifying. It makes you reflect on why your beliefs about yourself and the world are the way they are and what you want to carry with you as you move forward.
A lot of my friends and people I've spoken to this year have had similar experiences, a sort of internal reckoning. Maybe it's compounded with the ongoing wars and the election serving as a reminder that your community is the only thing that will keep you safe, and the fact that we're all addicted to dopamine. And in the positive sense, the wave of optimism and Brat Summer honestly was an excuse for us to show all sides of ourselves, including the sides that may be messy or cringe. Regardless, it's all made me think about where I come from a lot more, and what I want to be. The lyrics "Dreams aren't what they used to be/ Some things slide by so carelessly" ring true and I'm trying not to let things slide by. I'm trying to be present for all of it.
What was the inspiration behind your "Smile Like You Mean It" Video?
A few years ago, my parents digitized all of the camcorder footage from when I was growing up. My dad used to film everything. There are a lot of random moments captured from my childhood that I suddenly remember as I watch the videos. It made me feel less guilty about filming so much of my life now. I actually think it's great.
But with all the reflecting I've done this year and in trying to create a safe space for my inner child to be alive and well, I thought it would be fun to incorporate videos from the year the song came out alongside videos from this year. A juxtaposition of that version of me with this truly pivotal year in my life. It also made me realize how I really haven't changed very much. Throughout the video, you do see the timeline of me with long hair in a Hilary Duff shirt, then switching to an Avril Lavigne shirt and cutting my hair. Turns out 2004 was pretty pivotal too.
What are you excited to share with your fans next year and beyond?
I actually have so much coming up that I'm excited to share. My side project with my best friend, Desperate Hauswives, is putting out a new EP in January and our first single called "BOYJOY" is our anthem for 2025. It comes out New Year's Day with a video we shot in Berlin. It's literally just about having fun and accepting yourself. I have so much fun with that project because I'm less precious. For Talker, I'm about to put out some stripped-down versions of a few songs from my album, and I have my biggest tour announcement ever coming in just a couple of weeks, so I'm really, really excited for what's ahead. And honestly, I'm just excited to be feeling in more of a creative headspace again after getting a bit burnt out with album promo. I'm sure that the unlearning and unwinding and uncertainty will never end, but neither will the creativity and the connection and the new experiences.
Photography courtesy of Talker
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