Biography

Contact Info:
Taylor Rae
taylorraemusic@gmail.com

Publicist:
Martha Moore
martha@somuchmoore.com

Manager:
Michelle Robertson
charlotteavenuepictures@gmail.com


“The album is Country and Folk at its core. Much more cutting edge than retro, she's handily defining a new sweet spot.” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record Entertainment

“ …really seductive voice.”
– Danny McCloskey, The Alternate Root

“If you enjoy Norah Jones, Kim Richey or Joss Stone .. you will likely dig her. Tis quality stuff. On her ‘Mad Twenties’ album, I’m hearing wonderful segments of blues and jazz with flashes of contemporary country.. even a dash of rock & roll.” - Ian Billen, The Latest Buzz

“Soft, sweet vocals and a slick but simple production which provides the foundations for Rae's biggest asset - her detailed, descriptive lyrics!” - Zoe Hodges, Maverick

"Taylor Rae is a double threat on ‘Fixer Upper’: a singer-songwriter with a heartfelt story to tell AND a wonderful melody. Her vocals are like early Musgraves on a Brandy Clark song delivered with the delicacy of a 70's French chanteuse combined and a dollop of soulful Texas roots."
-Duncan Warwick, CMP Magazine

“Taylor is a true talent with considerable natural gifts, but for me it's her constant growth as a songwriter and performer that really impresses me. "Fixer Upper" is a thoughtfully put together piece of music and Taylor sings it beautifully as always, but the honesty and authenticity of her performance is what makes it undeniable.”
- Jamie Coffis, KPIG Radio

MAD TWENTIES

Record release date: October 1st, 2021

Songwriter: Taylor Rae
Publishing & PRO: TaylorRaeMusic (ASCAP)

About the album:

With her debut album, Mad Twenties, Taylor delivers 12 original tracks exhibiting a sophistication and maturity beyond her years. Each song offers a different perspective and mood; yet all the tracks embody her haunting and honest approach to songwriting. A largely chronological concept album, Taylor’s incisive lyrics similarly cover a broad emotional landscape, with an emphasis on a blossoming – then withering – romance charted from start to finish in stunning confessional detail. Helmed by producer William Gawley, the musical styles run the gamut from acoustic folk to Led Zeppelin-tinged rock and roadhouse blues, while also incorporating jazz and psychedelic influences.

Album highlights include the gently rolling opening cut, “Window,” which is a psychedelic ode inspired by a plant medicine ceremony experience; while the sweetly romantic first single, “Fixer Upper,” offers an optimistic view forward. The paths of touring musician and romantic partner converge in the grease-streaked blues of “Home on the Road.” Taylor’s vocal prowess for searing blues-rock is demonstrated in the electrifying “Forgiveness,” as well as in the raw, edgy and politically charged “Never Gonna Do.” Both represent a brief but compelling detour from the album’s autobiographical approach. “Taking Space,” a darkly bittersweet epilogue to the love story, closes out the collection.

THE BAND:
Dave Francis - Bass
Wayne Killius - Drums
David Flint - Guitar, Mandolin
Chris Nole- Piano, Keys

Produced by William Gawley
Engineered & Mixed by Bryce Roberts
Mastered by Sage Audio
Photos by Jeremy Ryan
Album Artwork & Design by Elliott Adams
Recorded at Omnisound Studios in Nashville, TN

1. Window (3:27)
“Window” was inspired by a psychedelic experience. It’s about seeing things from a new perspective and gaining new insights. It’s also meant to encourage people not to be so quick to judge another person’s spiritual path. What works for one person may not work for someone else. It’s nobody’s job or business to decide what the best way is to connect to yourself or source energy. I love the way this song opens up the album.

2. Home on the Road (3:38)
“Home on the Road” is about driving to California from Colorado on I-80 in a black 1979 Chevy Step-Van. My partner and I had just spent six isolated weeks in Salida, CO on a ranch writing and recording music. The late summer temperature caused the van to overheat every 20 miles on the drive back. Our money was spent and we couldn’t call anyone to fix or tow it. We just had to wait it out until the weather cooled down. I remember sitting at a rest stop in our underwear, drinking warm Heinekens and thinking to myself, ‘I’m going to write a song about this.

3. Fixer Upper (4:40)
“Fixer Upper” is my favorite song. It's the story of how my partner (at the time) and I had fallen in love. We had been making music together for about a year; recording albums and trying to get my band launched in the Los Angeles scene. I used the term “Fixer Upper” for myself because at that time I was very broken. And for him in the sense that he was an extremely handy person, always drawn to run down cars, houses and things. Recording this song was very cathartic for me. What once was a song soaked in love and nostalgia turned into a melancholy memoir of our relationship.

4. Sink or Swim (2:47)
This song was written at the beginning of 2019 when my partner and I were going through a bit of a lull in our relationship. After four years of being together, it was starting to feel like loving him was a choice I had to make daily when things were hard. We got to a point where we had to decide to really commit to each other and I remember going back and forth on that for a while - it was “sink or swim” for us. We ended up deciding to move forward with the relationship and then a year later we sank. The song reminisces on a time where love was effortless. I love how the Beatles influences came through on the recording of this track. The nostalgic sounds of the 60s match the lyrical content perfectly.

5. Letting You Go (3:21)
“Letting You Go” was written in 2018 at a pivotal time in my self development. I was learning how to set boundaries and break some unhealthy people-pleasing habits. This particular song is about a friendship I had to let go of after years of feeling less than. I was constantly doing everything I could to make sure their emotions were taken care of, in turn leaving myself and my needs in the dust. I am happy to say I am friends with this person again and we are able to maintain a really balanced dynamic now. The producer, Will, and I took on the influences of strong female blues musicians for the recording of this one. We told the band to go for a Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Grace Potter feel. They totally nailed it. This is one of my favorite tracks.

6. Never Gonna Do (3:45)
This is an oldie. I was recording in LA with my band when this one came to me. It was 2014 and I remember being in the vocal booth waiting around for the engineer to get drum tones and I started playing this guitar riff over and over. I was just starting to get into politics and social economic issues at the time and had this overwhelming realization that the people making the decisions were heavily influenced by money and self interest. Politicians will say almost anything to get themselves into a position of power - on both sides. Even if their intentions start out as pure and true, they have no choice but to play the game and as a citizen it oftentimes they lose sight of the real goal. The song also touches on the mental health crisis in this country. “They,” meaning the government, benefit from people being sick - physically and mentally.

7. 5:25 (3:14)
This song went through many different sets of lyrics. It took me about three months to write. I started right after moving to Austin in 2019. I landed on the concept of re-discovering your inner child. I was 25 and starting to feel jaded. It was becoming harder to access that childlike joy when playing, writing or recording music. I was feeling discouraged about where I was at in my career and scared that my time was running out to follow my dream. The song title “5:25” refers to the time of day in the first verse, “It’s 5:25 now, and my train hasn’t come,” and in the bridge at the end I repeat “I’m trying to find 5 in 25” - meaning age five in age twenty-five. I love the Bossa Nova groove the band and I found on this one. It feels bittersweet.

8. Just Be (5:01)
“Just Be” was written in 2016 just after taking my first solo trip to Nashville. I was inspired by the stark contrast between Nashville and LA. The energy and pace of life felt more sustainable in Nashville. I wanted to write about the importance of taking the time to accept each moment presently instead of constantly jumping from one thing to the next. In LA, it is easy to get caught up in the “next best thing” mentality and I feel like in Nashville, and now Austin, the culture allows for more opportunity to find happiness in the small achievements and simple moments. We wanted to bring that laid back vibe to the recording so we did this whole thing in one take - no overdubs. It's a fun, dirty bar blues jam. Everything is live and real.

9. Something Familiar (3:03)
I wrote “Something Familiar” in 2016. It was the first song that took me out of my blues, southern-rock style and into more of a jazz influenced sound. It’s about experiencing an instant connection with a stranger. Sometimes when I meet someone for the first time, or even see them from afar, a light goes off as if I know them from somewhere else - it isn’t always romantic. I believe certain souls can travel through many lives together. When you come across someone, even if just for a brief moment, it can feel almost like deja-vu. The piano played on the recording of this song is my favorite on the whole album.

10. Forgiveness (3:47)
“Forgiveness” is the oldest song on the record. I wrote it when I was 19 years old. It’s about a brief but extremely toxic relationship that I was in. It opened my eyes to some ugly truths around alcoholism and manipulation. Each fight we had he would find a way to twist the story so that he became the victim. I was always the one that ended up apologizing, hence the line, “there’s no room in my bed for your forgiveness.” There is a lot of young, immature angst behind this song so we decided to channel that in the studio. Led Zeppelin was our big influence on this track. It’s kind of funny now, and maybe a slap in the face, but this dude had the shittiest Zoso tattoo on his shoulder and was also heavy into blues rock guitar playing. It all came full circle.

11. Wait and See (5:09)
This is the newest song on the album - written in October of 2020. It was a full surrender to the path my life had taken. As much as I wanted to be healed and ready to move on into a new relationship, I was still completely emotionally unavailable. I would get excited at the prospect of new love but then realize that I still had a lot of work to do on my own before I could let anyone else in. It’s a song about being tired and weary but hopeful. This time in my life was a lesson in patience and seeking validation in my own self love practices.

12. Taking Space (2:56)
I decided to close the album with a live, raw acoustic performance to bring the whole record back to my roots. This song still breaks my heart when I hear it. I wrote this in the lowest low of my life - August 2020. I had just officially stepped out of a six year relationship that was headed toward engagement. As if that wasn’t enough to send me spiraling, I had been unemployed for months and the pandemic itself was still terrifying. It was the first time I had ever been truly alone and things were starting to become overwhelmingly clear to me - “I feel awake after years of sleeping in.” It was time for me to do the inner work. I had to focus all of my attention on looking at my traumas and demons straight in the face. Sitting here today with the album release right around the corner, I feel immense gratitude for that time. I have cultivated so much self awareness that I feel ready to take on whatever this next chapter has to offer. It is amazing what a difference one year of self love and self actualization will make.


About Taylor:

Powered by insightful, poetic and deeply personal lyrics, Taylor Rae’s music is propelled by a voice that, while wholly unique, could best be described as a sizzling folk, jazz and blues hybrid of Norah Jones and Grace Potter. The singer calls her musical style soul and roll: “It's not really soul music; it’s not really rock ‘n’ roll. It's a blend of all the roots genres that come from the earliest days of American music,” she explains.
Born in Santa Cruz and raised in the nearby mountain town of Ben Lomond, Taylor Rae Vencill’s eclectic musical journey took her first from California’s Central Coast to Los Angeles. Then, in 2018, she relocated to Austin, which, like her birthplace, offered the space and freedom to be true to herself both as an artist and an individual. Throughout her career she has remained nomadic, traveling countless miles to grace a plethora of stages from iconic Santa Cruz venues Moe’s Alley, Kuumbwa Jazz and the Catalyst, to Hollywood’s prestigious Hotel Cafe and the second stage at legendary Austin nightspot Stubb’s. Taylor has shared the stage with a variety of artists including Brandy Clark, The Stone Foxes, Kristian Bush and Reggae musician Mike Love. In 2017, Taylor won Santa Cruz NEXTies Award for Musician of the Year.
The natural surroundings of her youth have provided limitless inspiration for Taylor’s craft, as have myriad musical influences ranging from Bonnie Raitt and Carole King, to Simon & Garfunkel and Steely Dan, as well as more modern female artists like Jewel, and Sheryl Crow. With that, Taylor found her own musical voice early. She wrote her first song at age 8, taught herself guitar at 12, and played her first paid gig by age 15.