A Decade in Indy's Music Scene: Conversation with Tara Sue Stapleton | Local Music Shapes Culture

Hello! This week on Local Music Shapes Culture, I sit down with Tara Sue Stapleton. Tara has been heavily engaged in the music scene of Indianapolis for over a decade, about as long as her band Sonora has been around. She discussed her additional music projects throughout the years, including a grindcore project she is starting that has its first show booked this spring. Tara and I discuss her experience playing tours with her band Sonora, and her journey performing at out-of-town shows. We dive into her personal process for booking tours and explore her recent decision to hire a booking agent who helped reduce the labor-intensive aspects of organizing a multi-city tour. Tara shares both the challenges and successes she's encountered while building Sonora's presence beyond Indianapolis.We also discuss her experience being autistic and the challenges she faced growing up with autism. Tara shares how the music scene has played a crucial role in helping her accept herself and embrace being neurodivergent, providing a space where she feels accepted and has found community that makes it easy for her to accept her differences.Topics Discussed:00:00 - Intro to Tara and her bands Sonora and new grindcore project01:36 - Tara's new band and guitar tunings04:37 - Noise project "Bimbo Witch" during pandemic and virtual shows09:39 - Band dynamics and importance of organization12:39 - Evolution of Indianapolis music scene over a decade16:53 - Sonora's sound evolution from shoegaze to post-hardcore20:54 - Experience with hiring a booking agent23:36 - Tour stories across the Midwest28:15 - Autism diagnosis and finding acceptance in music34:08 - Autism, identity and the DIY music communityConnect with Tara on Instagram:Tara | SonoraWatch more Local Music Shapes Culture: YouTube | SubstackListen now on Spotify | Apple MusicFollow me on Instagram | TikTok | Bluesky💬 What would you like to see more of in future episodes? Let me know in the comments!Local Music Shapes Culture is a reader-supported publication celebrates life in local music scenes, insights and resources on building community, and rock. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alisonchristoff.substack.com