Earlier this summer, Alexis Taylor shared her latest single and video Cool With That right HERE. Today, the country-pop singer-songwriter and rising star is cool with answering my dumb questions. Here’s what she had to say:
Introduce yourself: Name, age (feel free to lie), home base, other details you’d like to share (height, weight, identifying marks, astrology sign, your choice).
My name is Alexis Taylor, I am 25 years old and I am from the beautiful town of Huntsville, Ont.
What is your musical origin story?
As a kid, I grew up in a very musical home. Both of my parents were always singing, playing music, or taking trips to Nashville to write. So there was never any question of if I wanted to follow in their footsteps, it was just a matter of when. Music has been and will always be such a huge part of who I am! I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What do we need to know about your latest project?
My latest project is something that I have only recently started working on. I have been wanting to release an EP album for a while now, and I am finally going to make that happen! I will be recording the album in Nashville, and it will include five original songs that I have written myself. It has been tough going through all of my songs and choosing only 5 of them to include, but I am hoping it will be ready to release in early 2021! I can’t wait for everyone to hear it when it is done!
What truly sets you apart from other artists?
Something that I think sets me apart from other artists is my drive. I have not been in the music industry very long, but my desire to learn more and my intention to make things happen is very hard to find these days. I tend to do a lot of the behind the scenes work myself, while other artists would usually hire people to do those things for them. I feel like by getting more involved, I am learning so much more about the music industry and am engaging myself more than the standard artist normally would. It also allows me to be an asset to other artists as well and help them with whatever I can. Success is a mindset and that means you have to have the drive to back that up. So I will continue to set myself apart by being the driven, hard working, creative person that I know I am.
What will I learn or how will my life improve by listening to your music?
My music is very relatable, and I think there is a lot to be said about that. I write a lot about my own experiences and the experiences that my friends have had, so my songs are always real. I think people appreciate that, and feel a sense of comfort in knowing that they aren’t alone in whatever they are going through. Whether it is someone cheating on them, a new relationship that they can’t get enough of, or anything and everything in between — people want to know they aren’t on their own in feeling like that. By listening to my music, my hopes are that people will connect to it and learn that they are going to be okay because someone else went through the exact same thing and everything turned out okay.
Tell us about the the first gig you played and what you got paid.
The first real gig I played was when I moved to Nashville, and the bar was called Paradise Park. It is one of the many bars on Broadway and imitates the decor of a trailer park. It was an early-morning gig, so there weren’t very many people there at all. But I got up on stage to play a few songs to open for a friend of mine, Camille Rae, who was kind enough to believe in me even though I was brand new to town. It was the scariest yet most amazing feeling ever. Most of the bars only pay you in tips in Nashville, so I don’t think I made anything but it was worth it to experience the rush of being on stage in Nashville!
What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
In 10 years, I would love to have a publishing deal and be writing in Nashville full time. I would also really love to have released a few albums by then, and continue on expanding my career and my passion for singing and recording!
What living or dead artists would you collaborate with if you could?
If I could collaborate with anyone living or dead, I would pick my Uncle Mike, who was the beard guy in Walk Off The Earth. He was an amazing musician, but I never had the chance to ever perform or write with him. If I had the chance, I would definitely want to collaborate with him. He was always such a talented musician, and I think we would have made some really awesome music together.
What artist or style of music do you love that would surprise people?
As much as I love country music, I used to listen to a lot of punk rock/pop rock in high school. Bands like Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace and Mayday Parade were some of my favourites. Although it was a long ways from the ’90s country I grew up on, I always liked the heaviness of the guitars, the different lyrical ideas they had, and the unique melodies that were used. Every now and then, I still listen to them!
What are your favourite artists right now?
Some of my favourite artists right now would have to be my friends that I have met since moving to Nashville. Ross Coppley, AJ Kross, Adairs Run, among many others. I love being able to support the people I know, and listening to their newest projects. Nashville has some amazing talent, and I am lucky to have such incredibly gifted friends!
How about some other favourites: Authors, movies, painters, you name it.
I am a huge fan of Netflix, especially after the whole corona pandemic happened. Some of my favourite movies include anything with Matthew McConaughey in it. I just really love his acting, and he’s also not too shabby to look at. So any movie with him as an actor in it is OK in my books!
Who would you be starstruck to meet?
I don’t get very easily starstruck, as I have met quite a few country artists over the years. But I think someone who I would be starstruck to meet would be Blake Shelton. I have been a fan of his ever since he released Austin and really enjoy his music. I think he’s a great performer, and has really made a name for himself since he first began his career. So I would most definitely be nervous and not have a clue what to say if I ever met him!
What’s your favourite joke?
My favourite joke is pretty much any joke that my dad says. He has quite a few dad jokes that always make me laugh, and the funnier part is that he always laughs so hard at his own jokes. So even if the joke is super lame, I always end up laughing because he always laughs so hard.
What superpower do you want and how would you use it?
I have always wanted to have the ability to fly, so if I had to choose a superpower, it would definitely be that! Plus, I love traveling and I think it would be great to just go and fly to anywhere you want at any time. It would definitely be convenient, especially when I have shows to play!
What skills — useful or useless — do you have outside of music?
Aside from music, I love photography. I actually take quite a lot of my own pictures that are featured on my social media platforms. It is something I really enjoy doing, and something that I do whenever I have free time. If I wasn’t doing music full time, I would likely invest my time in improving my photography skills!
What do you collect?
I collect shot glasses from all of the provinces, states, and countries that I have toured in. It’s a little silly, I know, but I love being able to see all the unique shot glasses from each of the different places I have visited over the years. I keep them all in a special spot in my kitchen!
If I had a potluck, what would you bring?
I would likely bring dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth and love to bake so I would probably bring my favourite — double chocolate chip brownies. I have the best recipe for them that I have perfected over the years, so I would make sure to bring a huge batch of those for everyone to try!
What current trend or popular thing do you not understand at all?
Maybe it’s because I can’t really dance, but I don’t understand the whole TikTok dance thing. So many of my friends say they absolutely love it but I just can’t seem to understand why it’s super popular. Maybe I just need to give in already, get a TikTok account and start learning to dance!
Tell us about your pets.
I have three dogs, Steele, Hugo and Phoebe. They are all white English golden retrievers and they are all amazing. Steele is the super-moody one, Hugo is an airhead, and Phoebe is one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met. They all have their own personalities, and are so different from each other — it’s really funny. They are all great dogs, and I love them a little too much!
If you could have any other job besides music, what would it be and why?
If I wasn’t doing music, I would probably go back to school to get my master’s in psychology, or pursue a career in photography. I enjoy helping people, but I also really enjoy being creative. It would be hard to choose, but I could really see myself excelling in either career path if I wasn’t doing music.
Insert your own question here: What is your creative process like and what is your favourite part about it?
The way I write a song is different each time. Sometimes I start with the lyrics, sometimes I start with a melody, sometimes I start with a cool guitar part — it just depends. It can be tough to work on a song when I don’t feel inspired, but I have learned that sometimes you need to push past that feeling and just start writing. In the end, my favourite part of the creative process is the finished song. It is the best feeling to hear how far the song has come and how it has evolved since you first sat down with the idea.
Watch her videos above, hear more of Alexis Taylor’s music below, and keep up with her on her website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
