INTERVIEW: Sally Taylor
- Joann D. Ball
Sally Taylor is an extremely gifted singer/songwriter who is poised to rejuvenate and update a folk-rock musical genre and style that enjoyed its heyday before she was born. Musically and spiritually she is connected to that earlier singer/songwriter scene, and it's evident on her self-released debut, Tomboy Bride (Blue Elbow). Whether introspective or outward looking, Taylor's twelve songs (including a hidden track) on Tomboy Bride exude an inspired, passionate, positive spirit.
Taylor is also literally connected to Seventies folk-rock, as her musical roots include an extended family of singers and musicians. And then, of course, there are her parents. A dad who loves his work, and was so inspired by a beaming young Sally that he wrote the hit song "Your Smiling Face." (Yep, James Taylor.) And a mom, who in the 1980s occasionally featured Taylor's backing vocals on album tracks like "Coming Around Again/Itsy Bitsy Spider." For good reason, Sally Taylor is extremely proud of this very rich musical heritage. So much so, that she's chosen the Taylor family tattoo (which she herself sports) as her band's logo.
But what makes Sally Taylor a rising star is not where she's from, but where she's going. Consumable Online caught up with Sally Taylor earlier this spring, before the first show on a short West Coast tour in support of Tomboy Bride.
Taylor and band members bassist Kenny Castro, drummer Brian McRae, and lead guitarist Chris Soucy, were clearly excited about their first extended series of dates outside of their home base of Colorado. With sound guy Chris Delucchi and two close friends providing support, the Sally Taylor Band quickly loaded their equipment into the intimate San Diego, California niteclub The Casbah.
Taylor was sincerely apologetic for arriving late, but amazingly positive despite the minor things that have delayed her and the band and eliminated the possibility of a soundcheck. It soon became clear, though, that this attitude is reflective of Taylor's general take on life -- things happen, so you just make the most of it. In spite of the delay, Taylor was happy and eager to talk with Consumable about how it's possible to follow your heart and succeed.
"Tomboy Bride is my role model. She's my hero, the heroine in my life story. She's who I want to model my life after," Taylor said of the book character from which she lifted the album and song titles.
I asked her to explain further why she was inspired by the story of a very independent 19th century frontier woman making a life for herself in the Wild West.
"That character's motto is 'be scared and do it anyway,' and that's the gist of that song and that storyline. It's about dealing with new environments constantly and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations that will stimulate you, inspire you and make you grow," she detailed. "And fly, soar, if you will," she added, in reference to the airplanes flying noisily overhead en route to nearby Lindbergh Field.
Not too long ago, Sally Taylor herself packed up and left behind family and friends on the East Coast in order to start a new life in Colorado, settling finally in Boulder. So the uncharted adventures of the book's heroine hits close to home.
"Tomboy Bride is somebody who I identify with," Taylor continued, "because I have moved out to Colorado and I have forged this little niche for myself. But it's also about somebody I hope to become in the future."
It isn't clear to what extent music figured in the life of Tomboy Bride, but writing and playing music has certainly become a major part of Sally Taylor's life out West.
"The CD came about completely unintentionally," she explained. "I started out just thinking I'd put some songs down on some quality tape that would withstand the elements. I didn't have a band. I just wanted it to be acoustic and vocal, and it ended up being a lot more. And that I'm producing it and manufacturing it is really exciting to me."
And it just so happened that she found herself in the ideal place in which to do her own musical thing.
"I think that Boulder and Denver are amazing environments for musicians, because the musicians are so supportive of each other. It's really not about ego, as much as it is about helping each other create art. Everybody's really in it for the freedom of it all instead of the competitiveness, and that's really inspiring," Taylor said. "Especially since the ego thing really grosses me out," she added quickly.
Sally Taylor says she considers herself "a tadpole," content and happy to play in the calmer, safer waters of small venues and clubs at this point in her developing career. And she's extremely excited about making her way across the country with her band.
"It feels great, I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way!" she exclaimed. "I really, really enjoy the realness of it. There's seven of us in this band, and it's this tiny space because we have to put seven people and all of the instruments into the van. But these guys that I'm traveling with are just incredibly great. I love the way it feels to be on the road with these people and to be supported by these people and to be doing my own thing, singing."
In addition to performing live with her band, Taylor admited to being especially thrilled about the closeness that characterizes the small venues she has played.
"I really like being able to see audiences a lot," she explained. "I like being able to see audiences' faces, and be able to talk to people who come to the show and to talk people who buy my CD, and get feedback from those people."
And given the power of songs like the honest and revealing lead track "The Complaint," the emotion-filled, jazz influenced "The Good Bye," and the soft and sweet bossa nova flavored "When We're Together," Taylor will probably receive nothing but praises from appreciative fans after the shows.
Tomboy Bride is a rich collection of songs about life and love, of which Taylor is especially proud. And she is eager to share her songs with others because they reflect such a natural part of the human experience.
"I guess it's mood music. I get put in a mood, and then I write from that mood. The notes put words in my mouth," she explained.
The one important, reoccurring mood on the record is the joy and pleasure of independence. It is celebrated on the tender title track, recorded at a live show and featuring only Taylor and her acoustic guitar. And it surfaces again on the bright, bouncy confessional song entitled simply, "Happy Now."
Among all of these gems, though, it is "Sign of Rain" which stands out as the best song. With carefully chosen words and wonderfully textured instrumentation, the song tells a simple story which unfolds on her beloved Martha's Vineyard. Taylor paints such a vivid picture of local characters going about their way under overcast skies, that one can actually see the scenes and feel the coming storm of which she sings. And chances are pretty good that the Jamey mentioned in the song is a certain JT who considers "Sign of Rain" his favorite song, and who contributed his distinct guitar sound to the hidden track "Unsung Dance" that closes the CD.
And Sally Taylor's favorite track on her impressive debut? "Definitely "Tomboy Bride," she confessed with a big smile.
That's no surprise, given the parallels between her own life and that of her role model and the frontier spirit that they both embody. After all, to borrow the title of song by a certain Carly Simon, both stories are "the stuff that dreams are made of."
The Sally Taylor Band is now undertaking an extensive U.S, summer tour that will hit major Eastern cities before returning to the West Coast in late June. For tour dates and details about the band's activities, including Sally Taylor's online tour diary entries, check her website at http://www.sallytaylor.com
