Alberta-raised, Nashville-based rising star Taylor-Rae is poised to make waves once again with the release today of her EP titled Honest (Symphonic). Known for her exceptional country-pop vocals and captivating stage presence, Taylor-Rae has been making significant strides in the country music scene, solidifying her position as an artist to watch over the last few years.
You just released your EP Honest. Tell us a bit about the road that led to the creation of this EP.
I started this EP with the goal of finding where I fit into this industry and what I want my sound to be. From there it grew into a project that was hitting milestones and changing the trajectory of my career, which has been wild.
Dan Swinimer, who worked on 4/6 tracks on the EP, was an imperative piece of helping me find my lane and I feel very privileged to have been able to have him in my corner for this project. Releasing this EP has taught me so much I am really grateful for all of the people who have believed in it to this point.
How did you go about choosing the tracks that made it onto this EP?
When it came to picking songs, it was definitely a group effort. I had a lot of songs I loved and I was able to get some outside opinions from people I really trust to narrow it down. We wanted to bring the listener into all of the different sides of my sound and I think we were able to do that with these 6 tunes!
Out of the six song EP, which is your favourite?
Oo, this is a tough one. I love every song for different reasons, but when I think about a pivotal moment for me, I would have to say “If This Is Love” holds a special place. When we recorded this song, I wanted to record it in a way that felt true to myself, without thinking what the response would be from it. This song gave me validation that I could lean into exactly who I am as an artist and find success.
Tell us a bit about your musical direction.
Oh good question. I have had so many influences from different genres like Rock to Soul music and of course, Country. Learning to mold them together to make my sound has been something I’ve been working on and it’s been really cool to experiment with.
With the release of Honest have you found your lane in country music?
I would say so. I think we are always growing, but going into this next era of music, I have never felt more myself and confident in my ability to produce a product I’m proud of. The release of the songs on this EP felt like stepping stones to solidifying where I want to sit, musically, in this industry and I’m really excited about that!
Do you have more new music scheduled to come out this year?
I sure do!! We are in the studio right now working on some new music that you will be hearing very soon!
You took home a couple of awards last year. What do they mean to you?
Winning my first awards for Song of the Year and Female Artist was huge. Of Course, you go into a night like the BCCMA awards with high hopes but never expectations of winning. As an independent artist, to feel that validation from your peers is incredibly special and I’m so lucky to have had my family and band with me to soak in that moment with.
Where can your fans expect to see you live this year?
Well right now, what I can tell you is that I will be opening for the Washboard Union at Sunfest Country music festival and then we will be headed straight to Boots and Hearts! It’s teeing up to be a great summer and I will keep everyone updated with more show announcements on socials and my website!
