Independent Interview: Taylor Hunnicutt

Welcome back to our Independent Interviews.

Today I have the honor of speaking with one of the most talented and explosive emerging artists of the last years: Taylor Hunnicutt.

Tell us about yourself: where were you born and raised, when did you begin to understand that music would be your life. Where did your career begin?

I was born and raised here in west Alabama, and moved two hours north to college for vocal performance.

I quickly learned that opera was not for me, so I dropped out and became a waitress at a blues juke joint.

From then I started sitting in with blues bands, untill I was confident enough to start my own.

The rest took off from there.

I started writing songs and decided I really wanted to try this thing in 2018. 

 

Who were your biggest influences? What music do you listen to when you are not on tour or in the studio?

I think ultimately I had a lot of different phases in what I was playing in what I listened to, so it reflects in my music.

I started off in the blues world so really pulled from that and then found myself back in the southern rock world I grew up in.

Being from Alabama, country music was inevitably going to be represented.

But to date, I think my biggest influences are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Aretha Franklin, Susan Tedeschi all the way to Hank Jr and the original Outlaws like Waylon Jennings.

I’m always listening to The Steel Woods, Blackberry Smoke, Brent Cobb and Rob Leines.

I have only seen videos unfortunately, but your live band is pure dynamite: who are the band members? Are they the same ones who accompany you in the studio?

The last project I recently released, ‘With All Due Respect’ was all recorded with the band I have now.

Which I like to call my forever band.

Touring is hard and finding people who are crazy enough to live this life on the road with you is a battle, but I’ve finally assembled the right team.

Josh McKenzie (my husband) plays guitar along side Tyler Treadwell, Ethan Perkins is on bass and Christian Sanders on the drums. 

Do you write all your songs or is it a collaboration? Which song do you write that you are most attached to?

I write a considerable amount, but I also love to bring in other Alabama songwriters and record thier songs as well.

There is a friend of mine we have write for us named Brett McDaniel and I feel like every record I ever release will have one of his on it.

I’m not necessarily attached to any, they are all in the moment feelings and I see writing and playing them as a way to relinquish control over that period of time. 

You have played around the United States, what is the place that has struck you the most and the place where you dream of playing one day.

I think this answer is pretty much the same for every musician, but Red Rocks and Grand Ole Opry are the two that are the bucket list venues for me.

We have been very fortunate to play Cain’s ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma and that venue and city are places that hold a huge part of my heart. 

Life on the road is hard, but also very fun I imagine: how do you reconcile this with your private life? Does your family support you in this adventure?

Well it’s pretty easy because I bring my private life with me.

My husband is with me every day on the road so sometimes it’s hard to separate being bandmates from being a spouse, but we have made it work beautifully.

My family has been very supportive the past few years and always lend a helping hand when I’m gone for over half the year. 

Your music, also thanks to the infamous streaming, has also arrived on this side of the ocean (also the physical one since I am a lucky owner of your wonderful debut vinyl), do you think one day of coming to Europe to play?

It’s a huge dream of mine to play in Europe, and I hope I get to explore that option soon.

Who knows, maybe it’s happening next year.

It is a golden moment for independent music and especially for your state Alabama, are there any artists you feel like recommending? Or songs that you always like to listen to?

I’m very proud of what Alabama has been showcasing recently, and honored to be a part of the movement.

Obviously The Red Clay Strays, Muscadine Bloodline, Them Dirty Roses, Ella Langley, Drayton Farley, Adam Hood & Early James are favorites of mine.

There are some newer artists like me that I think will rise up and make a huge name for themselves soon from here like Kashus Culpepper, Victoria Camp, Parker Barrow and Justin Jeansonne.

There’s plenty more I’m forgetting, but it’s going to happen soon. 

Your new EP «With All Due Respect» has just been released, do you have a new album on the horizon? Why the choice of an EP?

I have some full length projects lined up for next year that I’m really excited about.

As for the recent release, it was a collaboration between us and the Peacemaker Festival in Arkansas.

They chose us to be the emerging artist of the year and gifted us with the opportunity to record an EP in Fort Smith, which I’m incredibly grateful for. 

Thank you Taylor for this interview and thank you for the emotions that your music arouses: your voice is truly a gift from Heaven.

I wish you the success that your talent deserves and say hello to your state that is now an absolute reference for independent music.

I hope to see you soon on a European stage and I will definitely come to greet you and thank you, also for the artists you suggested and who are never enough.

Trex

Pubblicato da Trex

Sono un blogger e scrittore appassionato di musica indipendente americana. Scrivo gialli polizieschi e ho inventato il personaggio del detective texano Cody Myers.

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