Conversations with Taylor Tuke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Tuke.

Hi Taylor, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Well, I grew up in Colorado and started playing piano when I was five or six years old. Throughout school, I switched from piano to saxophone to bass guitar and singing, eventually coming back to the piano and discovering acoustic guitar as a songwriting tool. Drums are by far my weakest ability and I always have respect for drummers (and first chair violinists).

In high school, I played in a rock band called the Stellar Atlas and we toured and opened for a bunch of great bands in the Denver scene. We eventually became Capt. Earth and did a bunch of collaborations with dance crews and drove to LA to play on KEXP radio. We had some serious momentum going but drifted apart and started new projects.

I eventually moved to LA and worked with some amazing Grammy award-winning artists and found a few invaluable mentors both in music and in life. After two and a half years, I wanted another chance and moved back to Colorado. I got way into film music and softer acoustic songwriting but produced a few short albums under my own name. Mostly rock music with some pop influences. This led to some pretty epic touring as well.

Busking became a regular activity for a while, and it taught me a lot about interacting with people and the artistry required to get the “vibe” right. I learned to balance constant face-to-face rejection and soul-moving appreciation from people.

When I moved to Nashville, I discovered a songwriter safe haven where there are so many of us but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. It seems much more inclusive and collaborative than anywhere I’ve lived so far in my life and I am grateful for how much I have learned in a relatively short time.

On my list of current goals I have:

1) Meet a hero
2) Record a Nashville album
3) Earn one million streams
4) Play at the Ryman
5) Play at the Bluebird

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s never exactly a ‘smooth’ road but it sure is a beautiful one. I don’t know why it seemed like such an attractive path to follow because it gets extremely difficult sometimes. I try to remind myself that there are people out in the world facing much more severe circumstances.

It is a blessing to be a full-time artist, especially in an age that makes it increasingly challenging to stand out and succeed in the midst of so much talent. I’ve learned to be inspired by the amazing people in my life though, instead of feeling jealous of what somebody else is up to. As we know, the grass is always greener and everybody is going through a battle of their own.

The challenges are almost always mental and internal so I usually resort to activities like running and going to the gym to focus on the physical. It’s a balance of mental, physical, and spiritual and I find it essential to make sure all three are in good working order.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Over the years I have changed and gone through phases but the one primary through-line is singing for me, and that’s probably what I am most well-known for.

It’s kinda funny, nobody has ever said the words “you are a great guitar player” to me so I figured it was the voice and the songwriting bringing people back. Actually, one time, I met this guy at an open mic who played the Saw (literally a hack saw played with a violin bow) and he said something like “great singer, not much of a guitar player” and I just looked at him in disbelief thinking “and you’re playing a Saw??”

To be honest I am really proud of being able to write, perform, arrange, produce, record, and mix all of my own material. Learning how to do each thing has saved me so much freaking money and it really allows me to shape the outcome and trajectory of the songs. It just takes a lot longer and is about 5x more work.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
My perspective on the future of the INDUSTRY isn’t always an optimistic one but I think independent artists now have the ability to succeed based on their own work ethic and willpower instead of some guy in a shady suit offering a big record deal as the only option.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylortuke.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylortuke/?hl=en
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1VHoMbxQZhorassPFrBYU2
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/taylortuke