Taylor Hughes
Feed the Band
Feed the Band
Taylor Hughes
Patrick L.
I have called Southern Fellow a family many times over. It still is true today. We have gotten quite a bit larger, probably even one of the largest true families in music. No matter how large we get the individual connection is still there. Our next artist on Feed the Band, has always felt like a younger sister to me from day one.
Taylor Hughes and I have had many conversations over the past year. During that time we have shared the ups and down of life. Our conversations normally consisted of family, music and bourbon with a dash of Kentucky thrown in. We have many differences and share no DNA, but Taylor Hughes is truly family.
A few years ago I can almost guarantee you would pretty much have to keep at least one eye on Taylor Hughes at all times to keep her out of trouble. I would say she still has a wild side, but it is now finding a place in her music. Taylor Hughes may be small, but you would never guess that by her powerful soulful voice and her outlaw attitude that comes out during a performance. The proof is in her latest single “Good Taste”. It’s proof that a little girl from Kentucky can run with the big boys. As a brother in music, this scares me and makes me happy at the same time. Taylor Hughes is ready to fight to be heard.
Let’s get to the interview! I have to say It’s always weird interviewing someone you chat with almost on a daily basis, but even I learned more about Taylor during this process. Bourbon is a big thing with her and her husband so we created a Double Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream recipe in her honor. Be sure to look out for that and also enter our giveaway at the bottom. Here is our interview with country music artist Taylor Hughes.
Tell us about your road to Nashville.
The road to Nashville has been a wild one for sure! Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a singer. Up on the big stage, performing for a huge crowd, singing my heart out. But I didn’t get started till the end of my high school career. I was an athlete in middle school and high school, playing volleyball all year long so it consumed my life…but I loved it! I injured my knee my junior year and that is when this crazy journey began. I told my parents I wanted to take guitar lessons, so they signed me up. Funny story, my guitar teacher, Paulie Felice, ended up being someone my dad used to babysit when he was a teenager! This was a clear sign that I was supposed to be taking the music route. After only a few lessons, Paulie told my parents he wanted to take me to Nashville to perform on this TV comcast called “Nashville Spotlight.” They were very confused; no way I knew how to play after a handful of guitar lessons! After explaining that I could sing, and still unsure about the whole thing, they agreed, and we were off to music city! Luckily, it went great and that is when it was finally known that this is what I wanted to do. I graduated high school, went to college for a few years but left at the beginning of my junior year in order to put 100% of my focus on music. I remember telling my dad that I was done with school and his exact words were, “okay Taylor, if you do this, you have to give it 100%. There is no plan B.” This is something I live by till this day and always will. So I played every venue I could in my hometown and surrounding cities, started writing and growing a fan base but still yearned for Nashville. I met my husband in 2015, got married in 2017 and moved to Nashville immediately. I was lucky enough to find someone willing to chase this dream with me. I’ve been in the Nashville area for almost 3 years now and I absolutely love it! I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
You’re a new edition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
Oh man, I love black but I also love royal blue…. I have to represent my hometown so let’s go with royal blue! I was born and raised in Lexington, KY. If you know anything about Kentucky, we love bourbon, horses and the BIG BLUE NATION. Football and basketball season are the best time of the year…I lean towards football though. My hometown made me who I am and it’s where my music career started. It’s also just a really pretty color!
If you could not play music, what do you think you would be doing?
If I couldn’t play music, I would probably go crazy haha! However, I do have another passion, the fitness industry. I’m a huge gym rat! I love working out, learning how the body works, cooking nutritious meals, cute workout clothes of course. I have people ask me all the time to help them with their fitness and nutrition goals. I really love seeing people transform themselves in order to live a healthy lifestyle and to reach their goals.
What is your biggest fear?
I know a lot of people probably feel this way, especially in the music industry, but failure is a big fear of mine along with regret. I would hate to wake up one day, 20-30 years from now, and think that I didn’t do everything I possible could to achieve my goals and live out my dreams. Music is my life, my passion, and what I was born to do. I would hate to waste the gifts God gave me and let down all those who have believed in me.
We are always developing recipes here at Southern Fellow; when writing music, what recipe do you use?
Honestly, there is not one recipe I stick to when writing. It depends on several things. Who am I writing with? Is this solo write? Do I have a lyric, title, melody, or chord progression idea. Each song is created in a unique way so I just go wherever the song takes me. Some songs I’ve written had a clear outline; hook, brainstorming the idea, melody, music and then the song. I’ve also had songs that I wrote literally just driving down the road, making a quick voice recording on my phone, and then putting it to music when I get home.
Connect with Taylor
What’s the most interesting thing about you that people may not know?
Hmm…this is a tough one! I lived in California for a summer and had the opportunity to work with Renegade83, a reality TV company in LA. My aunt is an executive producer for them and they do shows like “Naked and Afraid.” I was given the job to find sound bites for the episodes. If you’ve seen that show, then you know how wild it is! It was a pretty cool experience but not something I could see myself doing as a job every day.
What is my first fond memory of food?
Well let me tell you, this girl loves to eat! I probably eat more than the average man. I have a lot of good memories involving food. My dad is a FANTASTIC cook so growing up we always had the best meals. One memory of food though that sticks out to me is when we would go on family vacations, we would rent condos with a full kitchen so we could cook rather than eating out the whole time. My dad would always make this bomb pasta salad with grilled chicken stuffed with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach….I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
If you wrote a song about food, what would it be about?
Well I’ve written a lot of songs about bourbon and whiskey…that counts right?! But honestly I’d probably write a song about cake, donuts, or ice cream. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and probably eat ice cream almost every day. I also have a slight obsession with Five Daughters Donuts…. You gotta come to Nashville and try them!
Try this inspired recipe!
What does this coming year look like for you?
I don’t know if any of us really know what this year is going to look like! What a crazy time we’re living in. In terms of music, I have some exciting things planned. I just released my debut single “Good Taste” but that’s not the only music you’ll be hearing from me (stay tuned!) I plan on traveling a lot more, playing in new cities and new states. Really working on growing my fan base. I love meeting new people and having the chance to connect through something I love and have a passion for. New merchandise is on its way too! More songwriting will definitely be happening, learning and growing as an artist as much as I can.
Tell us a few of your favorite things about your hometown.
I mentioned earlier that I’m from Kentucky…BIG BLUE NATION, HORSES AND BOURBON Y’ALL! One of my favorite things about Lexington is football season. Being from the south, it’s obviously a big deal, but my family/friends are really into it. We always throw these big tailgates with a huge grill, live music, a ton of food and of course plenty of bourbon. Saturdays are known as “Caturdays” and the BIG BLUE NATION knows how to party! There’s a great sense of community. I love the fall time in the bluegrass. All the colors, crisp fall air that was made for pumpkin patches and bonfires. Every year my husband, me and our group of friends would go to Boyd’s Orchard to pick pumpkins and do the hayrides. Did I mention basketball season is the BEST too! UK fans are crazy (in a good way) and we don’t mess around when it comes to basketball. Basically, as long as you are a part of the BBN and have a good glass of bourbon in your hand, your set.
What’s the story behind your new single “Good Taste”?
Well it all started with this line I had stuck in my head; “Blame my good taste in music, for my bad taste in men.” I just couldn’t stop thinking, “damn, there’s got to be a song in that.” I held on to the idea for a little bit until I decided on the right person to take it to. Stefanie Joyce, the co-writer and a good friend of mine, was someone I had written with on multiple occasions and I always loved the songs we created. I knew she would be the right co-writer! We both have a love and admiration for the classics, specifically the outlaws of country music, and we wanted to show tribute to them. I mean, does it really get better than Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon, etc?! With that being said, these artists were the definition of “bad boy” and I would say most of us ladies have been attracted to the bay boy at least once in our life. The song is basically a fun way of admitting that sometimes you want to date a “bad boy” because your favorite artists were that way…sometimes it’s not a good idea but you just can’t resist a “good timing guy!” This song showcases my love for classic country while keeping it modern with a little southern rock vibe.
If I gave you a million dollars, what would you buy?
Oh wow, there are so many things! I would probably pay our debts off, put some into savings, put some of it towards my music career (studio time and marketing), I would give some to my parents to thank them for all the time, money, and faith that have put into me and my career. I would also like to buy my Opa (that’s German for grandpa) a house.
What advice would you give your past self?
I feel like I tell myself this everyday but if I could give my past self any kind of advice, it would be to relax and live in the moment. I tend to be uptight and hard on myself. Not just in music, but life in general. I’m very much a people pleaser and a perfectionist. Sometimes I forget to enjoy the small things and not to take everything so seriously. I have a huge drive when it comes to my career but I have to remind myself that it should be FUN! Life doesn’t have to be all work and no play. I work hard and it’s important to kick back, relax, and reward myself occasionally. Also, that sleep and nap time are very important haha
Is there anything else you want your fans at Southern Fellow to know?
I truly appreciate all the love and support I’ve received not only from “Good Taste” but over the years. I work very hard to give my fans the best I can and I hope that is apparent in my songs, live shows, or any other kind of interaction I have with them. There’s nothing I love more than being a country artist and I pray that I’m making all the “Taylor Hughes fans” proud! I hope you’ll keep jamming to “Good Taste” and share it with everyone you know. Y’all keep following me too because there is more music to come. Here’s to 2020!
Taylor Hughes is truly family and will always have a home here at Southern Fellow. “Good Taste” Is a must have on your favorite playlist. You can get your digital hands on it with music services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube. Please give that recipe for Double Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream a try. It’s basically Taylor Hughes if she was a dessert!
Thank you for reading this interview. We have more music and recipes on the way! Please check out all the artists we have featured right here on Feed the Band here at Southern Fellow.
This Post Has 10 Comments
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I love Bourbon, icecream, Taylor Hughes and Good Taste?❤? So #Southern Fellow and #TaylorHughesMusic will be at the top of my playlist!
Thank you Paul. Welcome to the Southern Fellow family!
Taylor is very talented
Yes she is!
Love this music and #taylorhughes!
Me too. Thanks for being part of the Southern Fellow family!
Taylor sure is something special. Thanks for sharing this great interview!
Yes she is! Thanks for reading!
Awesome music, fun and her love of what she does comes through everytime I see her perform!!