"All my life I always felt like no one knew I was there or cared that I was there. Well, who ever would have thought that I'd be front and center stage. When I finally figured it out, it's like I found my place in life where I was no longer afraid, where I belonged."
Taylor James
Who's that Girl? Well, in a nutshell, she's Girl Guitar Rockin' Pop!
If that doesn't answer all your questions, read on. . .
What drives you?
In the beginning it was mastering my instrument, my guitar and my voice. Then it was entertaining the audience. Now it's more about connecting with my audience, my fans with my own personal message… My truth…My story.
Where are you from?
I was born in North Bay Ontario. I went to high school there, did my first gigs there, but I was raised in a little town 8 miles South of North Bay called Callander.
How did you get started? Did you always want to be a musician?
It all started with the ukulele in Grade Six. I was the star player in my class and one year I got my very own ukulele for Christmas. Then the following year my Dad got me a guitar. I loved it. All I cared about was playing guitar. My Mom taught me my first 3 chords with "You Are My Sunshine" and there was no stopping me after that. I'd watch people play, come home, and figure it out. I was a natural.
What about your singing?
I was more of a guitar player than a singer in the beginning. I loved my guitar. It was the one thing that never let me down. I remember getting really angry when a man once told me my strength was in singing and that I would never be a great guitar player. The nerve! (If he could see me now!) Eventually I guess I gave in. Too many people kept telling me I could sing.
When did you start thinking of music as a career option?
When I finally accepted that I could sing, I decided to just go for it. I got myself a gig at a local restaurant, which led to other restaurants, then wedding ceremonies and private parties. (It was really different having the bride walk up the isle to Carole King instead of the standard wedding march.) Word got around. It was turning into a real business. Eventually I knew if I wanted to go further with my career, I’d have to leave North Bay and move to a bigger city where things were happening.
I suppose Toronto would have been the natural place to move but while attending the CCMA in 1990 I met so many great people from Vancouver I decided that was where I wanted to go. Plus, I heard it didn't snow there. NO SNOW! Oh, what a wonderful thought . . . Once I got to Vancouver I went to jam sessions and just kept on singing. It didn't take long before musicians were approaching me to join their bands. Within a few months I was fronting my first band and on the road we went . . .
Where did you go? What was it like on the road?
I started out touring Western Canada which brought me into contact with some amazing Canadian talent like Ronnie Hawkins, Michelle Wright and Prairie Oyster. I’ll never forget jamming Joni Mitchell tunes with Ronnie Hawkins till five in the morning. Michelle’s band was always so supportive when we ran into each other on the road. Opening for Prairie Oyster at the Mill Bay festival was a trip.
Have you been overseas?
Yeah. I toured the Netherlands opening for Rudd Hermans. I was quite the celebrity – even though they’d never heard my music before. Just being Canadian was enough! The people were fantastic – they were so open to the music, so hungry for it. I took that energy back home and started writing songs for the first time.
It must take tremendous courage to write a song and sing it for strangers. How do you get past it?
I don’t know. Do you have any tips? Just kidding! That’s a tough one because I feel like I’m just starting to get past it. Writing songs, for me, is a way of trying to learn about who I am – to understand myself.
In listening to my own favorite artists, I’ve learned that the combination of melody and lyrics can open your heart and help you to feel and experience things in a healing way. Music has to be the most non-invasive therapy around – I love that you can have your own private experience with a song and yet in doing so realize that in fact, you are not alone. I want to be a part of that catharsis for other people. I am always amazed and grateful when people come up to me after a show and thank me for a song that has touched their hearts. What better medium is there for reaching so many people so powerfully at one time and offer the chance to change a life?
What is the best part of your job?
The music. Making music is bigger than life. When I’m singing and playing, it’s the only thing I do that makes me feel like I am totally one hundred percent present. It’s the time when I feel the most hope, it’s the time when I feel the most valued, it’s the time I express my self completely. I love that through music my band and I can communicate without words, saying so much with the groove and the feel. It’s the best when everybody is feeling the same thing – you don’t know what it is you’re feeling, but it all feels good! Making music is like making magic – while it’s happening, there is nowhere in the world you’d rather be.
The audience is a huge part of it. When you have a crowd that’s feeding off every word, every note, it allows you to let your guard down and give them all you’ve got. Being a part of that energy is amazing.
What else do you love about being a musician?
There is no way I would have had the experiences I’ve had without being a musician. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been – I’ve grown so much as a result. I love the fans. I love touring. I love writing. I love all the laughs – when I’m hanging with the band, it‘s like we’re all back in high school. The situations we get into, the experiences we have, they’re like family.
It must be amazing to have people really love your music. How do you deal with it?
It never ceases to amaze me, the impact you can have on people through music. It just shows you that we need to feel more and think less. The days that I’m really tired and I feel like I don’t have what it takes to go onstage, knowing those faces are going to be there smiling back at me and that they’re trusting me to take them away for a little while is enough to get me moving. I feel a responsibility to them – but once I’m out there and I’m with them, it’s not a responsibility, it’s an honour.
And now they can take you home with them…
Excuse me? Oh . . . the record. It’s called “Can I Try You On,” and I’m releasing it early next year. You can have a sneak preview on the music page of the site . . . I’m really excited about it, so much unfamiliar ground, so many new challenges. The process of recording and getting the album ready for release has been as much of a journey as the inspirations for the songs themselves. I’ve learned so much, not just about the business but also about myself.
Can you tell us about the songs? How did you decide which ones to record, and why?
Some of them have been with me for years, and some were written just before we went into the studio. Each of the songs represents a defining moment in my life, a time where I had to learn something new. In a way, recording these songs is a way of honouring those experiences and letting them go so that I can move forward.
What’s next?
Getting those songs out there. Expanding my audience, touring, meeting more people and having more experiences to write about for the next album!
There are a million things to do when you are an independent artist, but the most important thing I try to keep in mind when I think about what’s next is honesty. Living my truth not everyone else’s. A clear vision of what I want and where I want to be. Staying focused. And most of all - KEEPING IT FUN!
What’s your advice to any aspiring artists and musicians out there?
Discover what your instrument is. Voice? Guitar? Piano? Where is your talent? What is your passion? What is your strength? Where is your heart in music? What feels the best? What’s the most natural for you? Once you’ve figured that out, and don’t worry - it may change, but just work with what’s right for you today and start getting good at it. All it will take is you doing it. If you need lessons, start taking them. If you’re not loving it think twice and figure out why you’re not. Try to trust yourself when it comes to choosing. You will know what’s right for you. Find some role models to learn from - your favorite singer or band. Play, play, play! Sing, sing, sing!!! Please don’t ever forget to laugh. You have to know when to laugh! Most important! You just have to believe that the world is a good place and is full of opportunity. Don’t be afraid to dream!