- Hello Taylor, can you tell us all a little bit about yourself before you became a country musician? I guess I was pretty much born into music! My dad had a band while I was growing up, and I remember jumping on stage to sing with at a very young age. My life has revolved around music for as long as I can remember! I have performed on my own most of my life. I grew up in a small south Texas town on the coast (Portland, Texas), and am a proud Texas Aggie graduate (class of 2016!). I have spent most of my life in and on the water, and I love to fish almost as much as I love to play music. I traveled a lot with my family growing up, so I definitely have a love for traveling as well. After living in Nashville for over 4 years, I decided to make the move back to my home state of Texas. I’ve always loved the Texas music scene, and felt like it had been calling my name!
- How did you get into country music and how did you decide you wanted a career in it? As I said previously, my dad was a musician and that’s what truly pushed me into my music career. Both of his parents, my grandparents, played music and occasionally wrote songs. They didn’t pursue music as a career, but a hobby. My dad on the other hand, pushed music a little harder. He was in the same band since he was young and has the most incredible voice and ear for music. He never pushed me to play music, but I couldn’t help but want to do what he did. I was so drawn to it! With only a little help from my dad, I taught myself to play the guitar. He encouraged me to play gigs on my own, and before I knew it, I was playing all over south Texas! I started writing early, too, and decided I was going to venture to Nashville for a while to learn and grow as a person and as a musician/artist. A music career has always been my dream, I just cannot imagine my life without music!
- Who are some of your musical icons? Well of course, my dad, but I’m also inspired by the musicians I grew up listening to. My dad is a lover of country music, and my mom is more of rock and alternative music fan. So I was inspired by them both! Some of the artists I grew up listening to that have always inspired me are: Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Pat Green, Matchbox Twenty, Keith Whitley, and Jo Dee Messina to only name a few. The list goes on and on! Since I really started my career, my biggest and current inspirations are Lee Ann Womack, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Randy Rogers, and Patty Loveless. There’s honestly so many – especially like some of my friends that I’ve met in Nashville who inspire me in so many ways!
- What is the background story behind your brand new single “Bigger Than Texas?” Bigger Than Texas is an extremely vulnerable song I wrote about a heartbreak I experienced in early 2020. I had used the phrase, “I love you Bigger Than Texas” like the phrase, “I love you to the moon and back” in that relationship because we were both from Texas. We hit a rough patch, and had a short breakup. I was heartbroken to say the least, and it was a tough situation for both of us to be in. I was out at a bar in Nashville one night, and a mutual friend of ours said, “you know he’s thinking about moving back to Texas?”, and when I heard that my heart sank. I thought, ok, if he leaves, it’s definitely over. I went home that night, picked up my guitar, and started the chorus of this song in tears. I wanted to write something that he would know was about him if he heard it. I called my favorite co-writer and best friend, Karleigh Schmidt, and told her I had something. I asked her to finish it with me, and we had the song in a couple of hours. Sure enough, the first time I played it out, someone posted a video to their Instagram story, and he heard it. When we began to mend the relationship he said, “I still love you Bigger Than Texas, too”.
- How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words? . Honest, heartfelt, unique, fun, TEXAN!
- What is your recording process like when creating and making new music? I spent a lot of time this go round focusing on writing before rushing out an album. It was really hard to narrow down my favorites for this record, but I loved having so many to choose from. I collaborated with my producer, James Cook, multiple times before jumping in, and bounced ideas back and forth with one of my co writers, Karleigh. I had a very solid idea of what I wanted before we got started. Once in the studio, you feel what’s right, and sometimes it takes you in a different direction than originally intended. The recording process is a time to really get creative, and it is SO much fun.
- What are a few of your favorite venues to play at? I’d have to say my favorite is Brewster Street Icehouse in Corpus Christi, TX. I was lucky enough to perform there when I first started chasing this dream, thanks to my dad. It’s an awesome venue and one of the best in STX! I also really love playing at the music venues on Demonbreun street in Nashville. Its a different experience than playing for listeners. When you’re playing at a local area in Nashville, you’re playing for other musicians, industry professionals and other songwriters. Its really cool to build relationships after gigs at these venues and watch your friends grow in music, too. I love playing at venues near my hometown the most, because that hometown support always blows me away!
- What is one of your favorite quotes? “If it were easy, everyone would
- Is there anything else you would like to share? Thank you so much for including me in this!I truly appreciate it!
dixiedeeblog.com 