Tara Priya was born in San Francisco to a Persian mother, the niece of poet Sohrab Sepehri, and an Indian father.

[3] Tara Priya attended The Harker School in San Jose prior to Columbia University in New York City.

[6] She started off by singing hooks on rap demos in underground hip-hop studios in exchange for recording time for her own R&B/soul music.

[21] She then moved to London to work with British music producer Steve Booker on her 2014 album, Shot in the Dark, which was released in Asia by P-Vine Records and published by the Avex Group.

[26] In November 2016, The Independent premiered new music from Tara Priya, noting the singer "has been tipped for big things" and comparing her "sensual trip hop and soul" sound to fellow Londoner Sinéad Harnett.