Chloe MooreChloe Moore spoke to Tara Kumar about creating a sense of community everywhere she plays, from bush doofs to BBC Radio 1, fusing big music with an even bigger heart, and why the best club nights should always feel a little bit like home.
There’s something distinctly communal about the world Tara Kumar creates. The Australia-born, Dublin-raised, now London-based DJ and broadcaster has built a reputation for blending big tunes with big heart, and maybe a pint of Guinness on the side.
From RTÉ 2FM to BBC Radio 1, and from bush doofs to packed pub takeovers, Kumar’s journey has been shaped by community, curiosity and a deep love of a proper banger (no such thing as a guilty pleasure here). We caught up with her to chat about radio, Kumar Klub, and why the best nights out feel a bit like home.
Let’s begin right at the start! What are your earliest memories of music growing up?
My earliest memories of music are of what my parents used to listen to: my Amma was a big Abba, George Michael, and KD Lang fan, while my Dad was jamming out to Creedence Clearwater Revival, T Rex, and Bob Marley. My parents were big music lovers, so I was exposed to a lot of music from a young age. I attempted to learn the piano when I was 5 or 6, but I didn’t take to it. The best thing about the class was that I got a cookie at the end from my teacher! But eventually I went on to learn the flute, saxophone and guitar, and those suited me a lot better.
You’ve lived around the world, from Australia to Dublin and now London. How have these different scenes influenced your musical taste and approach to DJ sets?
In my teens in Australia, I was going to parties in the bush with soundsystems in the back of utes, hanging out underage in my parents’ pub around music every night. Then, when I hit the big ol’ age of 18, I was going to the local club that was attached to the casino called The Juicy Rump, dancing to Rihanna – Only Girl in the World every weekend, haha. But that definitely shaped my love of pop music at the time. Triple J, the radio station, shaped my love of dance music. Then, when I moved to Dublin, I was exposed to even more sounds and my tastes grew and expanded, from going to The Workman’s, POD, Hangar and Izakaya.
I have a really wide, varied taste in music, and my DJ sets definitely reflect that. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, a banger is a banger, and I’ll play it if I want to!
How do you balance digging for obscure tracks with keeping a set that resonates on the dancefloor?
I love discovering music and always have, I’ve always chased that hit of falling in love with a song or artist and becoming utterly obsessed with them. That goes for new or old music; sometimes it’s even better when it’s an older song or artist because you’ll have a mammoth discography to dive headfirst into. It doesn’t feel like a chore to me because I genuinely love it.
You’ve had long-running shows on RTÉ 2FM and other platforms. How has your experience in radio influenced your approach as a DJ and curator?
I’ve always presented shows that have a diverse mix of genres and live in the new music space, so it’s been really helpful for me to discover new songs and producers that I can then insert into my DJ sets.
Kumar Klub has really bloomed into a brilliant community spot. We’d love to hear about where the idea came from and what the space means to you, both as a DJ and as the person putting these nights together.
Thank you! To hear it being known as a community spot means a lot, because that’s exactly what I set out to do. I grew up in my parents’ Irish pub and Indian restaurant, so that space was my community. That background, I think, is the reason I love to meet new people and learn about their stories and life adventures. And that is where Kumar Klub comes from; it’s inspired by the blend of music and food in my parents’ business. They had live music every night where I used to play, and my Amma was cooking up stews and curries every night of the week. I wanted to bring my background into something that can slot into different locations and different vibes, a club, a pub, a restaurant.
Kumar Klub can fit into so many different spaces. Some nights it’s a party in a pub where I’m throwing out onion bhajis, with pints in hand, or it’s a sit-down dinner with DJs soundtracking the night, or it’s a charity bingo night. My dream is for it to have my own permanent place one day… DJ, broadcaster….publican? A girl can dream.
The Kumar Klub x Guinness takeover at the Cork Jazz Festival featured DJ sets, local artists, and a vibrant crowd. Could you share your vision for the event and explain how you think it resonated with the attendees?
The vision for this takeover was to turn the back room of a pub into an intimate Kumar Klub party, and Coughlan’s was the perfect place for it. We announced it 48 hours beforehand, and the response was crazy. The queue wrapped around the block, and the room filled the second we opened the doors. I wish we could have squeezed everyone in! Thanks to Guinness, we were able to keep it free in, hand out trays of onion bhajis, and bring together a deadly lineup of DJs and artists, from Aisling to God Knows and KhakiKid. I feel so grateful for the community that keeps growing around Kumar Klub. We could probably move into bigger venues at this stage, but I really love the intimacy of the spaces we choose.
If you had to make an Irish meal deal- think drink, main, and a snack what would be your ideal combo? (Mine would personally be a pint of Guinness, a coddle, and a packet of bacon fries)
Love this question haha, I would say a bowl of stew, a pint of Guinness and a packet of O’Donnells salt & vinegar (THE BEST CRISPS EVER).
Do you have a signature dish that feels like your comfort meal after a long night of DJing?
I always have a packet of ramen in the press ready to be pimped with soy sauce, an egg, spring onions, crispy onions and white mausu smoked chilli oil. YUM.
You’ve spent time travelling in Japan. What initially drew you there, and what did the experience give you creatively?
I was lucky to be brought to Japan by Red Bull for the Red Bull BC One World Final, and I decided to extend my trip to explore solo after the Red Bull event. Unfortunately, I got really sick, so I couldn’t travel as much as I had initially planned, but I made sure to squeeze in as much as possible when I was better in about 4 days. I got so inspired while I was there, it’s such a creative place, from food to music to experiences and fashion, the taste level is elite. I definitely brought back lots of ideas I want to mix with my own!!
You’ve been part of the BBC Radio 1 world. What did that moment represent for you personally in your journey as a DJ?
Aw, it still feels crazy to walk into the studio and pull up the fader on the mic. I’m waiting for security to tackle me to the ground for sneaking in or something! BUT to back myself a bit more than I did in that last sentence, I love radio and music, and I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am now, from my years in RTE 2FM and to now in BBC Radio 1, these are spaces I could only dream of getting a chance in and I don’t take it for granted. Getting to play music and help people discover and fall in love with artists is the dream.
Finally, what’s next for you, and what should we be watching out for?
Next up, I’m throwing a St Patrick’s Day party with a new Irish pub in Hackney called The Fox. It’s a great pub, and we’ve got trad and DJs all day and pizza by Fresh Hot Pizza (we’re doing a special black pudding pizza for the day that’s in it, of course). Plus! I’m going to India for a really exciting trip that you’ll see me shouting all about on my socials very soon!
