R2RB Podcast - Indie Artists and Women Entrepreneurs Chronicles

Taylor Wallace - Country Singer/Songwriter

• Deb LaMotta

Share episode

Send us a text

When a guitar landed in the hands of 11-year-old Taylor Wallace, it was like a spark igniting a prairie fire. Today, that blaze is a blazing path through the Delaware indie music scene, and in our latest episode, Taylor—a singing and songwriting dynamo—sheds light on her journey.  
This episode doesn't just celebrate Taylor's budding career; we also catch a glimpse of the supportive community that's instrumental in cultivating local talent like hers. While she tips her hat to influential female powerhouses in country music, Taylor also shares the excitement of collaborating with fellow musician Trey Myers and the thrill of live performances that have evolved from her fifth-grade talent show to the grand stages where she belts out national anthems. As we discuss her plans to keep chasing the dream with a smart backup in agribusiness, we also peek into the recording process with Tommy Alderson—a testament to the unconventional paths independent artists often take. Join us to hear Taylor's story of passion, drive, and the melody of an artist's life in bloom.

Support the show

https://linktr.ee/deblamotta

Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome to the R2RB Indie Artist Podcast Series. Today I have with me Taylor Wallace, who is a singer-songwriter from Delaware. Hi Taylor, how are you? I'm good how are you? I'm good, thanks, not bad. I'm looking forward to my Friday tomorrow. So I'd like to ask two questions to get us warmed up. What's your favorite app on your phone and why? Two questions to get us warmed up. What's your favorite?

Speaker 2:

app on your phone, and why? I would say probably Snapchat, which seems like such a teenager answer to have, but it really does keep me in touch with, like all my friends, they're not very good at texting back, but Snapchat is really what they look at.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I know that's a popular one. I have a few kids of my own and I know they like the Snapchat as well. All right, so what's your favorite song to perform and why?

Speaker 2:

So my favorite song changes a lot, but right now it's You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive by Patti Loveless. I really like it because the story of the song it has that mysterious feel, but it also is completed. And then there's a B7 chord in there. That's one of my favorite chords to play, because it just has that little haunting feel and it gives it like a bluesy type of feel, almost. So yeah, that one's my favorite right now, but I'm sure it'll change in the next month or so.

Speaker 1:

And that's okay, but I like that song as well. That's great, oh my gosh. So who is Taylor Wallace?

Speaker 2:

I'm a junior in high school. I'm a reporter for our chapter's FFA. I show a goat, I show a steer this year. Last year I showed a heifer in the Delaware State Fair and I also barrel race my horse.

Speaker 1:

Do you really? That is just oh my gosh. So I was at the Delaware State Fair last year also. I volunteer at a horse rescue over in Felton and we had two of our horses there in show, so that was a lot of fun. Good for you, yeah, Do you like the?

Speaker 2:

barrel racing I do. It's one of my favorite things.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh. So the owner over at Second Chance Rants that's what she did when she was younger she barrel raced. Oh my gosh. So the owner over at Second Chance Rants, that's what she did when she was younger she barreled ratios from Wyoming. Oh my gosh. Oh yeah, it is cool. We'll have to talk more about that. So who or what inspired you to pursue your career in music?

Speaker 2:

So I don't really think it was anything or anyone. I think it was just my love for singing and music. I got a guitar for my 11th birthday and it just kept me going. Craig Stone, safer he also helped me get started with the gigging, and then it never really stopped from there.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, and you have. You have been nonstop. I have Right, oh my gosh, so well. And writing and singing and everything else, how do you balance that? School singing, gigging, you know to balance it all out in the end.

Speaker 2:

It's definitely difficult. I'm very lucky that I don't have gigs during the week so it never really touches like leaving school early, but it gets in the middle of practicing. So I have a lot of AP courses this year for being a junior. So I have a lot of AP courses this year for being a junior and some of the homework is like hours long and it keeps me from practicing or I have to skip the homework to do the practice and have to find a whole other day to do it.

Speaker 1:

Wow, yeah, so you've got a full schedule. Oh my gosh, that's a lot. Well, you know an earlier in your career, if you can do the balance now that in the long run you going to, you know you're going to win with that one Absolutely and you write your own music.

Speaker 2:

You write your own songs. Oh my gosh, so when did you start doing that? I started writing songs May of last year. I wrote my first song Home Then and I haven't really stopped since. It comes in waves, but it happens when it happens, basically.

Speaker 1:

And do you find yourself in the middle of doing something and you have words popping around in your head and you have to have to stop and write?

Speaker 2:

Yeah well, I don't normally stop. So I was actually working on one of the horse farms I work at and I had this idea to write a song about like a checklist and was like getting over the person but putting it in that to-do list type of way. And um, that one kind of just came and I was like as soon as I'm done working, I need to go figure this out. So I kind of just write my ideas down in a notes app. I have like a whole little folder and it's just song titles or it's ideas and I just keep them going until I can either move on from them because they didn't work or I use them later.

Speaker 1:

Save them for later. And do you use your phone as well? Grab that phone and jot down notes as well. Yes, thank God for phones, right? Oh my gosh. So when you wrote your first song, what inspired that one?

Speaker 2:

It was more of like moving away in the future, so I don't really have it's home and it's about, um, how I'm gonna be far away, like just in Delaware. I've been here my whole life but I want to move. 11 hours away, and when I wrote home I wanted to move all the way to Oklahoma and I knew that was going to be very far away. So it was more just like having some type of reminder that like somebody would be there for you to remind you of home, or there was someone at home that called you and kept up with you, that just kept reminding you like where you came from and who you are.

Speaker 1:

Wow, oh my gosh, who's your big supporter, who's your biggest supporter?

Speaker 2:

I have to say my parents on that one. Yeah, I have a lot of supporters, I have my best friend, I have my parents, all these people, and I don't know what I would do without them.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's great. Do you have other people in your family that are musicians?

Speaker 2:

singers. Grandfather had a quartet, um, but they don't really sing much like I do. My mom grew up singing in church, but my dad's whole side of the family does not have any musical ability oh well, he's, he's a good supporter, so that's okay, he is a great supporter.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely. Why did you choose country?

Speaker 2:

it's more because I was just raised on it. I don't really know anything else about country, but I really like the stories that the songs have in them and like the older country is where I kind of stick. I love that steel guitar and the fiddle. I love it all yeah, I love country.

Speaker 1:

Happens to be one of my favorite genres, so absolutely. Um. So you got your first guitar at age 11? Yes, and are you self-taught or did you take lessons?

Speaker 2:

I've had lessons from when I got it and still continuing.

Speaker 1:

Do you? And how about singing voice lessons? Do you do that as well?

Speaker 2:

I do have voice lessons. I did not start that until January of last year, I think, because I didn't know that I needed one. And I went to national national convention for the FFA and I was in the talent and I made it to the top 15. And it was like I my voice cracked a lot and we didn't know what was going on and one of the ladies recommended getting me a vocal coach. So we came home and we found a vocal coach, ashley Mitchell in Camden.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wow, okay. Well, you're doing something right, because you were just absolutely amazing. Thank you, welcome. So you mentioned about leaving home, going away from home. You are going off to college. Have you been looking at colleges?

Speaker 2:

We have Right now. I'm really sold on Middle Tennessee State University.

Speaker 1:

Oh good for you, oh my gosh. So what's your major going to be?

Speaker 2:

I'm not really sure on that. It's a difficult one to look at, but definitely somewhere in the music field.

Speaker 1:

When you go off to college, are you going to put your music on hold, or will you be able to do something, perform while you're going to college? I know you have a little bit of time before you leave. How do you thought about it?

Speaker 2:

So it's up in the air right now, because at the beginning of college I know it'll be a little difficult with, like trying to find my groove, especially since I won't have parents to be on my back like that and stuff. But I really hope like maybe after first semester I can kind of start figuring it out, going into Nashville or going around the town and trying to figure out where I can get in.

Speaker 1:

Cool. Oh my gosh, that sounds like a great first year of college in Nashville. Yeah, talk about immersing yourself right? Oh, that is fantastic. So who are some of your music influencers?

Speaker 2:

There's an up and comer. Her name is Emily Ann Roberts, carrie Underwood, maddie and Tay, and I think that's it Pretty much all the girls in country. I like them a lot. Miranda Lambert's one of them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you on that one as well. Well, let me ask this question If you could meet one musician, who would it be?

Speaker 2:

I think I would want to meet Emily the most. She seems so sweet and just like overall a nice person and I think she would have a lot to like, learn from and just get to know her a lot better.

Speaker 1:

Oh cool. Yeah, I think I'd like to meet her as well. Do you want to pursue your music then?

Speaker 2:

full time after college, hopefully. I know it's a tough road, but I want to be able to do it.

Speaker 1:

Do you have a plan B?

Speaker 2:

The plan B will be something in the agricultural field, so I want to do agribusiness as a minor and that can put me as an ag teacher anywhere in that ag field would be perfect for me too.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, that's fantastic. Have you had any obstacles that you've had to overcome or get through for being a young performer?

Speaker 2:

So thankfully so far I haven't had many or really at all. It's really great being in Delaware where there's a small group and they're also friendly and also welcoming and wanting you to learn. But I know that moving to Nashville it won't be that easy and I've just got to be ready for whatever's going to come my way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that'll definitely give you you know a broader aspect of the field altogether. And you're right about Delaware. I've said that as well. The Delaware indie artists are such great supporters of each other and you know, if you know one indie artist in Delaware, you know them all, because then as you connect, you connect to them right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Do you remember the first time you performed live for an audience?

Speaker 2:

I do. It was at my fifth grade talent show, like right after I got the guitar and started vocal lessons or not vocal lessons guitar lessons. I started with the song Fly by Maddie and Tay. It was the only song I knew. I had it memorized and everything, and I remember feeling so excited and so nervous all at the same time. There was probably like 100 people in the crowd, but it was still like it was fun First time I ever did it and it was just so nerve wracking.

Speaker 1:

Do you still get nervous when you're doing, when you're getting up in front of people?

Speaker 2:

It depends on what it is so like with gigs. I normally don't with the songwriters round. I did because that was the first time I had ever done something like that. When I sing the national anthem, I get very nervous because that's such an important song, Right. But, when gigs anymore, it's kind of just like, oh, that's your job, that's what you do, so my body has just gotten used to it.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's great, that's really great. And just going back to the house concert is when I saw you live for the first time with Saul Knopf and Jim Rezac. What was that like for you? It?

Speaker 2:

was very nerve wracking. Like I said, it was the first time I'd ever done something like that and I had no idea how that works, so I didn't know. I only had three songs. I only have four now. At the time I was like I don't really have enough songs of my own. What's going to go on? I'm not very good at talking with all these crowds. What do I do? And it's just like going into it. I was so nervous and coming out I don't think it could have went any better.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh. And, as I said, I was there and Saul and Jim are just really, really down to earth, really nice, nice guys. And you're right, you were nervous in the beginning and I, like a true indie artist, they just kind of calmed you down and brought you in and you just went with the flow and you were a hit that night. Thank you, you're welcome. Are you hoping to do another one like that?

Speaker 2:

It would be really cool. Saul found me on Facebook from it, so and now I'm doing guitar lessons with him, so maybe, maybe he'll find another one to get me in, but I think it'd be really cool to do it again.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely. So I have been here in Delaware for two and a half years, but I've been coming here for many, many years, so house concert wasn't a thing that I knew about. Really. I'm from Connecticut until I moved down here and started speaking to indie artists and they were mentioning house concerts and it's like what's this house concert? You know we sit on the front porch and they say, yeah, basically. And once I found out, it was like that's such a cool idea to do what you did at the Ice House Wellness and Community Center and to have you know, to be able to do so intimate and you really get to know the performers on a different level. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you at another house concert. Yeah, it'd be so much fun. So I have to, before I forget, tell us about. I want to know how you feel about Saturday. I know this is going to air after Saturday, but you are going to be at Harvest Ridge this Saturday with Trey Wallace. Trey Myers, trey Myers, you're.

Speaker 2:

Wallace yes, my dad's name is also Trey, so it gets a little confusing sometimes.

Speaker 1:

He's like oh my gosh. So what's that like for you? Have you performed there before?

Speaker 2:

I have performed there before, but not for this big of an event, so I'm really excited. I'm not nervous yet. I don't really think I will be, hopefully not. I'm double excited because Trey and I just wrote a new song and this is the first time we're going to be playing it live, so I'm really excited for people to hear that one too.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's great. I had heard Trey two years ago at the Peach Festival in Wyoming. He's fantastic. So have you been friends? Yeah, have you been friends a long time, probably two years.

Speaker 2:

Actually, craig is the one that brought us together. We had played. I don't know what it was. I think it was like a political campaign thing that we got asked to play at. I don't know, I didn't stay for anything but to sing. That was the first time I met him and then I think Craig asked him to play with us another time, another fundraising event, and we kind of just started to pair up from then on.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wow, oh yeah. I mean that's going to be a big day, that's a big draw for them over at Harvest Ridge is because it's the food truck competition, right?

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, and that's two days, but you're just going to be there on Saturday, correct? Oh wow. Well, that's going to be a good one for you, absolutely. So what kind of music do you listen to? Do you listen to all country, or do you go to different genres? All country, nothing else. The nice thing about being down here in Delaware versus Connecticut, I have a lot more country stations I can listen to. Let's see. So where do you see yourself with your music career in five years? That's going to be more or less after college.

Speaker 2:

Hopefully still playing. I don't really know what I would do without it. I don't know Definitely in Nashville. I haven't really looked at it a whole lot. It's kind of just like one step at a time, you know.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

But definitely still playing. That's what I want to be doing. If I can get somewhere with it, then that'd be awesome, but you never know what could happen.

Speaker 1:

That's right. That's right, but you sound like you are definitely determined and you have a great career, I think, in front of you. So what advice would you give another young singer, songwriter, starting out?

Speaker 2:

Write all your song ideas down, even if you think they're silly. Be willing to take all the new opportunities that are given to you. Never give up. Never stop learning. Like I said, it'll get hard, but the more opportunities you take, the better you'll learn and the better you'll get.

Speaker 1:

It'll get hard, but the more opportunities you take, the better you'll learn and the better you'll get. So what do you do? Just maybe one more piece of advice when you are feeling nervous, is there anything in particular that you do to help yourself, concentrate or calm yourself down from being so nervous?

Speaker 2:

I take a breath, but normally what calms me down is just the music itself, like I just kind of get into it and it all goes away.

Speaker 1:

What's been your favorite performance to date or where's your favorite place to? That's two questions. What's your favorite venue that you like to play at?

Speaker 2:

So my favorite venue I have ever played at I don't I haven't played at it any more than the one time was the Lucas Oil Field for the National FFA Convention. So how they do.

Speaker 2:

it is you go through a preliminary round and I think I was taken from 30 and you get cut into 15. So the 30 start on just some random stage in one of the like rooms of the convention center. The top 15 is the semifinals and you get to go and play on the Lucas oil field in the Lucas Oil stadium and that was like the coolest thing ever and I wish I could have made it to the top three because I feel like that would have been just such a cool experience. But I'm going back, hopefully again this year, to make it to the top three.

Speaker 1:

And where are they? Where is that at Indianapolis? Oh, indianapolis, wow, okay, are you all booked for the summer or how do you do your bookings? You are booked for the summer.

Speaker 2:

Yep, my mom does my bookings actually.

Speaker 1:

Good answer, because that's what I wanted to know. Who does your booking? Because that's a lot, yes, between bookings and school and AP classes, and well, good for you. I mean you really you have a lot going on for for being a young performer yeah yeah, and you and you have the passion for it. That that I can see. Um, so this isn't going to probably air till after may, uh, 22nd. What do you have booked?

Speaker 2:

a couple of things you have booked after that date so I play at easy speak in milford on june 1st. I'm there again July 6th. I open up for the Amish Outlaws at Gus's Crab Shack. On August 18th I technically I open up. I play Olivia Reynolds breaks and she opens up for them.

Speaker 1:

I just have to say about Amish Outlaws I really like them though. They're great and opening up for them?

Speaker 2:

Yes, they are.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I might have to look, look into that one. So why don't you let everybody know where they? Can find you and book you.

Speaker 2:

So they can find me and book me on my Facebook and Instagram at Taylor Wallace Musician, and then you can just like find me and listen to me on Tay's Music.

Speaker 1:

22 on TikTok and do you have any music recorded yet?

Speaker 2:

Not yet we're working on recording my song. Oh cool, what's that process been like? It's a long process, but it's a really fun one. Do you go into a studio to do the recording? So I actually go into Tommy Alderson's house in his living room and we record it from there.

Speaker 1:

Oh cool, oh wow, I'm looking forward to that. Do you have any idea when that will be ready for release? I do not. Okay, you have to keep me updated on that. Okay, thank you. You're welcome so we can share. So is there anything else you'd like to share that I haven't touched on or asked about?

Speaker 2:

I do not, but I really want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and asking me to come on here. It's been a lot of fun.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, thank you. Yes, like I said, I've been following you and I'm so glad that we finally got connected, because you certainly do have a very busy schedule, but you have a beautiful voice, a great personality and, yeah, you are definitely taking off with this career. So kudos to you. Taylor Wallace, thank you so much for being here with me and we will chat again. We'll.

People on this episode

Contributor

Debra LaMotta

Host