Brit Taylor
Interview conducted on January 27, 2021
By Dan Locke
Top photo Brit Taylor (credit: David McClister)
Brit Taylor and her luscious alto burst onto the scene in early summer with her release of “Waking Up Ain’t Easy,” which had success on Spotify’s Indigo and Pulse of Americana playlists, a video premiere on DittyTV, critical acclaim from outlets including American Songwriter (“emerging Americana artist with the luscious alto tone”), Music Row (“liquid alto singing voice, with bright, ‘teardrop’ accents’ “), and Billboard (steel guitar-drenched, laid back”) and airplay on Lightning 100.
You were from KY. What is your upbringing?
I loved growing up in East Kentucky. I grew up on the side of a mountain in the woods. Eastern Kentucky has a rich country music heritage that still thrives today, so I was able to get involved playing and singing music at an early age.
You started performing at the age of 7. What was your first performance like?
I was a nervous wreck. I was a super shy kid. I was really quiet. But I loved to sing so much. I also was always super serious too, even as a seven-year-old. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I wanted to be great.
How did you discover music?
My dad and I use to listen to oldies — artists like Sam Cook, Dion and Elvis. Later, my Papaw introduced me to Bluegrass music. That is where I learned about Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs, who also had crossed over to Country. That’s when I fell in love with Country Music.
How did you start to write music?
It just happened one day. I was 13 and it was like a song just fell out of the sky and landed on me. I wrote it so quickly, and I wasn’t even trying. I guess I had listened to country music so much that the structure of a song had become second nature to me. Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus and finished! Sometimes it still happens that way, but it’s definitely more of a craft now. I still use what falls out of the sky, but I mold it and work with it more these days.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I was telling my vocal coach I had in high school how I was going to move to Nashville as soon as I graduated, and he asked me how I was going to pack a piano around town. He told me I wouldn’t make it unless I learned to play guitar. I said, “Well I guess I’m going to have to learn to play the guitar then!” My mom took me to a guitar store that day and said she had $150 to spend. I think the one I wanted was $250 or something like that. It was a horrible sounding guitar but it was sunburst color and that’s all I cared about. I didn’t know anything about guitars and neither did my mom. I told the cashier I would sing him any song he wanted if he’d let me have that guitar for $150. So, he played Land Slide by Stevie Knicks while I sang, and I went home with that guitar that day and started teaching myself how to play.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
Right now, I’m loving on my B25 Gibson. 1967. But I do have a Martin D28 that I am pretty obsessed with.
What makes a good songwriter?
Someone who’s open-minded, honest and not afraid to lay it all out on the line.
Why did you decide to create your our label – Cut A Shine Records?
Well, there was no one offering me a record deal at the time so I gave myself one! It was super empowering, and I have had a lot of fun with it.
How is “Real Me” a semi-autobiographical album?
It’s definitely autobiographical but not in a storytelling type of way. I don’t give away too many details of my personal life but instead, I did my best to convey all the different types of emotions I was feeling at the time.
How was it to hear NPR World Café talk about you?
It was pretty crazy. I had written down in my journal all the things that I hoped would happen after I released music. Hearing Ann Powers talk about my song on World Café’ was definitely on my list of hopes and goals.
Is NPR Tiny Desk Concert next?
I sure hope so! We’ll see!
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