Erie’s Elle Taylor is a folk singer/songwriter who performs in public regularly but still can leave people wondering who she is. Making appearances at open mics and even running one herself, the bashful artist stays musically reserved and stands firm on not giving the people too much music. But she offers just enough for the moment to ease the mind and please the ears. With her first album in the works, and the process being her first time recording in a studio, Taylor is taking a light step into the spotlight to share what she has always kept sacred from others – herself.
1. Let’s take a few steps back. Who is Elle Taylor and what is her origin?
I experienced trauma and hardship in my twenties which forced me to find outlets, and writing was always one of those outlets. I decided I wanted to put my words to music, but I didn’t know how to play an instrument so I taught myself the ukulele. I wrote about fifteen songs. From there I taught myself the guitar and wrote about fifteen more. I would play my songs at open mics and record them from an app on my phone. All of my demos are on Spotify and YouTube.
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2. How did the idea of an album actually come to fruition?
I actually went to Malito Proto’s (Erie engineer/producer) studio to record two songs that I had just written the week before (“You’re the Best Song” and “Long Con”). Proto was running a really good special and I figured, why not? While there though, I liked it so much and I liked working with Malito, so I decided to keep coming back. It spiraled into a whole album because, honestly, Malito seemed to believe in me.
3. Did you have any outside sources contribute to your work to help bring your vision full circle?
I knew I needed help, so I asked for help. So many musician friends I made along the way started offering to play electric guitar here, bass there, back up vocals, etc. I even have trombone played by Larry Wheaton on a song. I was dumbfounded that people actually wanted to help me. But, for once in my life, I accepted that I was worth help. I was worth friends. I was worth people’s time. I took the help.
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4. Is there a certain date or season that you plan on releasing your project, or are you just going with the flow of things?
This album will be released by mid to late summer. It is being mixed by Malito Proto and then mastered by Shawn Hammer. It will be released on Spotify; maybe Bandcamp if I stop being lazy and make an account, and I will have lathe vinyls made for purchase.
5. What does this album mean to you and how do you think it will affect the listeners?
This album is my heart and soul recorded. It’s real life experiences and every single word is mine. It’s my story. It’s for others. If it resonates with people, I’m happy, but not to sound selfish, it’s mainly for me. I have it now, recorded, set, my memories, my growth, my journey. It’s there and I am definitely getting vinyl made because it’s always been a dream of mine to have my artwork on a record cover and my songs on the record inside. It’s honestly a dream come true. That’s what it is.
Elle Taylor can be found on YouTube and Spotify under her name, and on Instagram as elletaylor71. Her first album, “Taken Me A While,” will be released this year.
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Charles Brown is a local hip hop artist and journalist. Contact him at [email protected].