Taylor Teasley
Feed the Band
Feed the Band
Taylor Teasley
Patrick L.
Have you ever stopped and thought about what the word “friend” means? I haven’t until about a month ago. If you are like me, you have adopted the general definition of what society gives that word and then applied it to your relationships. What we think friendships should be, feels so specific and exact. Yet, they are anything but that. Most times, you will find it hard to connect the dots not only for other people but also for yourself. That is the exact position I was in 2 years ago when I first met Taylor Teasley, the next artist on Feed the Band.
If opposites attract, then Taylor Teasley and I are headed towards nuclear fusion. We have left people scratching their heads at our friendship on just the surface alone. Taylor is tall, and I’m not. She’s pretty and well, let’s just say I’m a little less so. She’s a hipster from Southern California, and I am a Florida Cracker. (Taylor is going to kill me for calling her a hipster!) None of this adds up, and our differences grow exponentially if you dare to dig a little deeper. You have to go all the way to the core to understand our friendship.
At the center of everything, we are honest with each other. My relationship with Taylor has been the most open I have ever had. I reflected on this about a week ago, recalling our conversation at Belcourt Taps in Nashville. Taylor and I had a frank discussion about our lives, both past, and present. That talk continued as we tried to walk to the Bluebird Cafe. When we ran out of road, the conversation ended. I didn’t realize at the time how much was shared. However, I recall Taylor jotting some notes down in a book; I just thought she was keeping score. (Laughing). She wasn’t, though. I’m pretty sure those stories inspired some lyrics. It wasn’t until the following day that the importance of the evening before came into full focus. With confidence, I can say that Taylor knows me more than any other person on the planet.
With honesty comes understanding. Regardless of our differences, we always strive to find similarities between us. That said, Taylor is a bulldog when it comes to this. Sometimes I say something, and she feels she needs more explanation even though I think she’s beating a dead horse. But, I have learned that it’s futile not to go along with it. Taylor Teasley never wants the Cliff Notes version of anything. She always wants the story in its entirety. This used to bug me to no end, but I have learned to live with it and, at times, respect it. Her drive to know everything has even taught me a few things about myself.
After understanding comes laughter. If someone were to read our texts or listen in on a phone call without context, they might think Taylor Teasley and I are completely nuts. I know our friendship is not alone in this. However, this is the first time I have had someone who has almost the same sense of humor. Quick-witted, dry remarks aimed at the topics we are most vulnerable about is our jam. They may come across as mean to the outside, but our humor is a nod to say that we understand each other.
I haven’t talked too much about Taylor, the country artist, because she was a friend first. Taylor, the music artist, came later. Taylor Teasley is a hard nut to crack. I had to understand our friendship before knowing where she was musically.
Taylor Teasley is a deep thinker. Like I mentioned before, she wants to know everything. So, she is willing to take a deep dive into a thought, emotion, or story for a song. Typically, When she reaches a conclusion, her mind’s made up. Yet, with her songs, the meaning or emotion can change. Her first single, “Never Mine,” started as one thing, and then transformed into something else.
Taylor’s music career is just starting, and I am excited, both as her friend and someone who is involved in the industry. Things might happen slower than Taylor hopes, and that is ok. I hope she sticks to her guns and always puts quality over quantity.
Taylor Teasley "Tennessee Whiskey" Cover
I hope you get to know Taylor Teasley as I do. I think this interview will be a good start. Before we get to that, be on the lookout for the Wine Braised Roast with Roasted Garlic and Thyme Scented Mashed Potatoes she inspired and the giveaway at the end. Here is my interview with country artist Taylor Teasley!
Tell us about your road to country music.
So, where do I begin..? Growing up, my parents influenced me with many different genres, and country was one of them, especially since my dad grew up in Georgia. From starting piano lessons at a young age to teaching myself guitar when I was a teenager…I personally explored a lot of music on my own too. I always gravitated to the heart-wrenching sad songs, no matter what genre it was. I started off learning Colbie Caillat songs on guitar and gradually branched out to other artists like Chris Stapleton, Joss Stone, and many more. In college, I started playing some local gigs with just me and my guitar but never had a specific genre, I just tried to make songs my own to the best of my ability. Being in the LA area, I would see a lot of pop artists here and always wondered why my voice couldn’t do what theirs did..well, I slowly started to learn that it was okay that my voice didn’t fit into the pop genre. Fast forward a few years with trying different styles and techniques, I realized it all came back to my roots. Just plain, raw, storytelling country music…well, with a little soulful bluesy sound. Then 2020 happened and that is where my country music journey truly took off. Prior to April of 2020, I didn’t have much social media, but I learned quickly that it was the way to go. After meeting so many amazing people in the country music scene, I was hooked. I was inspired. So, I started running toward my dream, and never looked back.
What advice would you give the Taylor Teasley of two years ago if you could time travel?
Honestly, I would tell myself to not be afraid of chasing after my dreams. Like Cody Johnson, an artist I really enjoy listening to states in his song ‘Til You Can’t, “If you got a dream, chase it. ‘Cause a dream won’t chase you back”..that is a pure fact.
What are 3 important things in your life and why are they important?
The 3 most important things in my life are family, good health, and music. Without these essentials, I don’t know what would be the case. My family has always been there for me and supported all things I have been passionate about in my life. From modeling to playing sports to choosing music as my career path. They have shown me so much love and taught me what the meaning of life truly is. Good health has always been important to me especially since I do have asthma. I have always enjoyed learning about nutrition and staying active. With music, I think it truly brings people together. Back in April of 2020, I made my Instagram public and went live for the first time, and continued it weekly. It was like having my own segment online for an hour and I called it, “Music Heals” because I feel that music has an impact and a way to bring people happiness in many ways.
If you came with a warning label, what would yours say?
BEWARE OF HONESTY. In life, I think trust comes from honesty, honesty comes from being true, and being true is being yourself.
Connect with Taylor
We are always developing recipes here at Southern Fellow; when writing music, what recipe do you use?
So it all depends on my mood or situations that have happened. Each day is totally different. Some days I feel like writing a raw, vulnerable tune so I sit down with my guitar and whatever rolls off my tongue I give it a go! But if I’m in the mood to write a summer anthem, I usually have to ask myself, what are some relatable things people do during the summer. Especially during cowrites (which I’m obsessed with doing) when there are three or more minds thinking at the same time and it’s mind-blowing what we can come up with or inspire each other with. From there, once we have a storyline, verse, chorus, I will usually lay down a demo track and some artists decide right then and there that they want to record and release it or we may pitch it to other artists.
What fuels your creative process?
So many things… From my personal life, my friends, other artists, nature… I find myself in my most creative process late at night when I’m writing down titles, song ideas, or anything that comes to mind. Poetry has always been something I look to when songwriting. Growing up I read a lot of poetry and wrote some as well but little did I know that maybe they were songs. Shakespeare always inspired me as well and to this day I still read some of his work.
What is your first fond memory of food?
That is a hard question because I have always been passionate about food. I cannot think of a specific moment, but I can look back on my life and remember that pasta was always a favorite of mine. I remember my mom telling me that when I was a baby I used to love the pasta in a jar for babies… Now, I don’t know if that sounds too appetizing but I was crazy about it. Growing up I would always ask my mom when she would make pasta for dinner because I would love it when she made it. You’d think for the amount of pasta I would eat and how often I want to make it now myself, that I was Italian..but as far as I know, I don’t think I have any Italian blood running through my veins.
If you could spend a week with yours truly, what would we do?
COOK. Experimenting in the kitchen with different spices and recipes is one of my favorite hobbies. Buffalo wings, pasta, pot roast, tacos..you name it! Now, you may find it strange that I put pickles on my salads but give it a try!
Tell us about your new single “Never Mine”.
So “Never Mine” was my debut single that I released back in November 2021. It was one of the first songs I wrote that year and I wrote it with a good friend of mine Liam Coleman (who is an amazing artist and songwriter. So, originally I had this idea for a while to write a song about someone you were once interested in and you thought something might come of it, but never did. I think many of us have been in a situation like that. So I started to reminisce on my past (as a songwriter does) and I wondered why that thought was even crossing my mind in the first place.. 4 years later. So I stayed up till 2 in the morning processing this thought and wrote an entire chorus for it (which is the one you hear now on the recording). I kept the original thought but added more to it as to why this person was crossing my mind since they were never mine. The next day I called my friend Liam and asked him if he wanted to finish this song with me and he was for it! So we hopped on a zoom co-write and gave it a go… And now “Never Mine” is available now on all streaming platforms.
Try this inspired recipe!
We have been friends for almost two years. I still have no idea what you see in me. What do you look for in a friend?
Simple… I look for honesty, loyalty, and character. I think those three things go a long way and are the perfect recipe for a true friendship, like ours.
What do the next two years look like for you?
The next two years are something I look forward to. I hope the world becomes more healthy soon and new music is released. I plan to make Nashville a more permanent residence and make connections throughout the community. I would love to have a publishing deal writing songs for other artists, as well as myself. I have so many goals and ambitions that it makes me so excited to work at them and accomplish as much as I can.
What’s the hardest mistake you had to learn from and what knowledge did you gain from it?
Mistakes are easy to make, and as long as you learn from them, I think that’s all that matters. Something I learned from that I’m sure many people struggle with, is trusting your gut intuition… or as some would say, what your heart and mind are telling you. There have been situations where I knew my gut was telling me one thing and I should’ve listened to it, but I didn’t. So now, I make sure I approach each situation and trust what I’m feeling. Everything happens for a reason.
When are you the happiest?
I’m at my happiest in many different situations, even if it’s the simplest thing. I enjoy spending time with my family, but I also enjoy my alone time with a good cup of pour-over coffee and catching up on a show or reading a book. A few other things that make me happy are going to the golf range with my dad and brother on an early weekend morning, experimenting in the kitchen, writing music (always), being in nature, going on a hike, traveling, working out, zoom/facetime with my friends that live in other states. I could go on because there are a lot of things that make me happy in life and I always try to make every situation the best that it can be. Simple is key for me.
If you could write with anyone, living or who has passed on, who would that person be?
One of the hardest questions because there are so many people I would love to write with… So I’m going to give you a few. Starting with Ashley McBryde. I really relate to her style of writing and storytelling. The list is very long but definitely Luke Combs, Dolly Parton, Mitchell Tenpenny, Ernest, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Cody Johnson… The list goes on.
Is there anything else you want your family at Southern Fellow to know?
Absolutely! More music will be released this year in 2022 and I want to write as many songs as possible. Make sure to check out my website (TaylorTeasley.com) for any news and updates regarding my music, new merch, collaborations, and upcoming show dates! Lastly, I want to thank Patrick at Southern Fellow for being one of the best people I know. His kindness and presence in my life is a gift and I’m so honored to call him a friend of mine. Thank you for all of your support. Keep being you, because we all have a story to tell..sounds like a song that should be cooked up.
That is my friend and country artist, Taylor Teasley. I know this was a long one, and thanks for hanging in there. This has been the most challenging interview I’ve ever written. Taylor is one of the most important people in my life. Hopefully, you are willing to give her a listen. You can find “Never Mine” on your favorite music platform including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and YouTube. While you are listening, check out the recipe for Wine Braised Roast with Roasted Garlic and Thyme Scented Mashed Potatoes she inspired and enter the giveaway.
Thank you for reading we have a ton of new interviews, recipes, new music, and concerts on the way!
This Post Has One Comment
Pretty dag gum AWESOME Interview, Both of you, such awesome talents you both possess and thank you both for this Interview and insight of both of you.
Some may just see the Artist side of the Interview, but I see both the Artist and the Interviewer, again awesome you two and thank you both.
Best Regards
Keepin It Country