Bree Taylor is an award winning singer/songwriter who recently released her new single, “Cry”. We got to chat with her about her music, her podcast, and more!
Photo Credit: Devyn Hill
upfrontNY: When did you know you wanted to pursue music?
Bree Taylor: Well I was born to music in the delivery room so I think being an artist was always something that I was meant to do. I grew up always wanting to be a musician but I didn’t think I had the talent or ability until one of my aunts heard me singing one day at the cottage when I was about eight years old and she told my parents that I had talent and they should put me in vocal lessons. That day changed my mindset from I don’t think I’m good enough to maybe I can really do this, maybe I am good enough. From that moment forward my mind was firmly rooted in wanting a career in music. I grew up with a passion for wanting to be a songwriter and artist and help people with my music the way artists did for me during my childhood.
upfrontNY: What type of music did you listen to growing up and who inspired you as a musician?
Bree Taylor: I listened to a variety of different musicians/bands growing up. My parents always surrounded us with music and between both of them I grew up with a diverse interest in music. I listened to a lot of classic rock, punk, pop and country mainly – artists like Shania Twain, Amanda Marshall, Elton John, P!nk, The Eagles, Faith Hill, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Blink 182, Sum 41…the list goes on. I was very inspired by the lyrics and messages behind songs so whatever spoke to me and of course was backed by great music I loved and listened to. I think every artist/band inspired me in some way but the few that really made a difference in my life musically were: Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, Shania Twain and Amanda Marshall.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your new single “Cry” and the inspiration behind it?
Bree Taylor: YES! I am SO excited to finally release this song. I wanted to release a song that showed my emotional side following my last two releases that were more upbeat and showing my fun, outgoing side. I have been very open about my journey with mental health and my passion for supporting mental health awareness and initiatives. I connected with this song because it sends the message that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. That showing your vulnerabilities isn’t a weakness – it’s a strength. Breaking down and crying sometimes is healthy and it is a human reaction that is normal.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your single “Turn In Up”?
Bree Taylor: “Turn It Up” was my first single release transitioning into a more pop-country sound this past summer and it is SUCH a fun song. It is a song that is upbeat and filled with energy and is all about being unapologetically YOU which was a perfect debut for me into the country scene because that is very authentically who I am and what I bring to the table that stands out in the country music industry. I am outspoken, outgoing yet reserved/introverted, I am finally in a place in my life where I truly love myself and am not afraid to be me.
upfrontNY: You filmed a music video for Drive in California, what was the best part of that filming process?
Bree Taylor: I did! I LOVE California when we wrote the song I visualized the video for it and always saw it being in California so it was an amazing opportunity to be able to do exactly that and bring my vision to life. My favourite part was being able to drive a mustang convertible for the first time – I had dreamt of that moment since I was a little girl. I had always dreamed of living in Los Angeles and driving a convertible down the coast so it was a little bit of a dream come true to be able to do that and in my music video for my song “Drive”.
upfrontNY: What do you enjoy most about being on stage and performing and do you have a favorite song to perform?
Bree Taylor: What I love most about being on stage and performing is being able to let out all my feelings and emotions and just escape into the music and the audience. I truly thrive off the energy of the crowd and when a crowd is really engaged and having a good time it feeds my energy up there and makes for a much better more engaging show that’s for sure. Performing is where I get to stand out and tell my stories in my music and allow fans to enjoy them in a different way than on the recording. My favourite song lately has been “Turn It Up” because it’s so high energy and gets people moving but I also have an unreleased song called “Original” that I perform at some of my shows with full band and it is SO much fun and another upbeat, energetic song.
upfrontNY: What is your dream venue, city, or country to perform?
Bree Taylor: My dream venue is tough because being from Toronto, my dream was to always perform at the Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena and Budweiser Stage which are our three biggest and most popular venues in the city. If we open this up to city/country then I would have to say I would love to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. I’ve been there a few times now and it is such a beautiful venue with so much history and it would be a privilege to perform there.
upfrontNY: You have a podcast Unapologetically Bree, can you tell us about it and what is the best part of having a podcast?
Bree Taylor: I do! It is a podcast about being Unapologetically yourself – speaking your mind and having a safe space to be you. I started it because I was really starting to speak up and share my opinions and I saw how when I did that people really responded well and engaged with me more and it got a dialogue going which was so positive and encouraging. I wanted to have a podcast to be able to speak my own mind but also to have people on to speak theirs on topics about dating, sex, relationships, mental health and positive living. I wanted to use my voice to share my story and reach people in a different way than through my music and a podcast was a great way to do that and connect with fans more. I have been inconsistent with it the past few months because things have been so busy with music and juggling all my side businesses that I run to make an income but it is something I love and still very much want to work on and grow.
upfrontNY: If you could have anyone as a guest on your podcast, who would it be?
Bree Taylor: I would love to have P!nk on my podcast if I could choose ANYONE. She is SO badass and I have always been a huge fan of her for not only her music but her confidence and unapologetic attitude. I think she would have a lot of wisdom to share when it comes to being yourself, loving yourself, working hard and anti-bullying so it would be a great episode that I think a lot of people would benefit from hearing. It would be such a privilege to meet her and have the chance to talk to her on my podcast.
upfrontNY: I noticed you have a tattoo of the word Believe, can you tell us what that word and tattoo means to you?
Bree Taylor: It was actually my first tattoo that I got when I was about 18 years old. As I have mentioned, I suffered with a lot of self-confidence issues and mental health growing up and I was bullied at school to feel like I wasn’t good enough and couldn’t be a singer. I wanted to get the word Believe tattooed on my wrist and facing me because I wanted to be able to look down and remind myself everyday to Believe in myself no matter what and not to listen to everyone telling me I wasn’t good enough. It was an important tattoo for me because I was coming out of a very depressed state and it gave me strength and a light in a time where things were very dark so it has a lot of meaning to me. I have since started a half-sleeve on that arm to cover up my self-harm scars from those teen years so all my tattoos have some kind of meaning to me 🙂 I have since also added “love yourself” on there because that is another important message that I need reminding of on a daily basis.
upfrontNY: You support many important causes, how important has it been for you to give back?
Bree Taylor: It is extremely important for me to give back. I went through a lot growing up with being bullied in school and battling depression, anxiety and body image issues and I wish that I had more access to help and education to better understand what I was going through. The reason that it is important for me to give back is because I want to make a difference not only through my music but in being able to share my story/experiences and the platform that I have been given to make to help change people’s lives in whatever way I can.
upfrontNY: What is next for you in 2020?
Bree Taylor: I am working on finishing up my new album, booking more shows to perform, planning new releases, writing new music and planning to do more traveling in 2020. I also have big plans for my charity that I have wanted to start for a long time and to do more work with mental health and anti-bullying charities/causes.
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