“One of the most important American singer/songwriters of our time.” - No Depression

It was a UK-first for Willy Tea Taylor, when he graced our stages in Nottingham and Birmingham in Sept this year. And boy, were we not disappointed!

We caught up with him last summer to dig a bit deeper into what got the California native to where he is today:

Willy Tea Taylor - Nottingham- Sept 2021

Willie Tea Taylor - Running Horse - Sept 2021

INTERVIEW - (AUGUST 2021)

COSMIC AMERICAN: When did you first realise that a career in music was what you wanted?

WTT: I believe it was autumn of 1994, I was 18 years old and was attending a music festival in Yosemite, CA, called the Strawberry Music Festival. The first act I saw upon arrival in the afternoon was a man named Greg Brown. He absolutely made time stand still and that was the moment in my life when I told myself, you gotta learn this craft man.

COSMIC AMERICAN: What was the first song you heard that made you feel this was for you?
WTT: It was when I heard him sing a song called Spring Wind. It was everything I needed to unlock the door and walk through to my path in songwriting.

COSMIC AMERICAN: Who have been / still are your main musical influences?

WTT: I’m a bit all over the place, I’m a big fan of all my best friends in the songwriting world, Tom Vanden Avond is one of the best. TK and The Holy Know-Nothings are my jam these days, Nathan Moore, I really get inspired by my buddies, I guess.

COSMIC AMERICAN: With the advent of the likes of Spotify, and other streaming platforms, how do you feel about this?

WTT: I feel like there is a beautiful movement in this business of music to get back to the meat of it all, spinning vinyl. The streaming platforms are a very convenient way for the listener to access their favorite jams, not a very convenient way for an artist to get their dues for all the hard work. But the payoff is always spinning a record and I believe as long as vinyl is being made or some other form that captures the grace like it, this ritual will always be the payoff. I feel that us as artists do have the responsibility of setting the standard for our art and rewriting a bit of the script on how this business and platform treat our creations.

COSMIC AMERICAN: How has it been for you throughout the time of Covid (2020)?

WTT: When my travels stopped it kind of closed the door to an old way of life. I feel like a newborn babe trying to figure out what it was like. It’s all just new again and as of now I’m a bit rusty, I’ve started doing shows again and it feels really good but I feel it’s a great time to reinvent some parts of me and carry on this journey a lot more thankful this is the path I chose.

COSMIC AMERICAN: What's in the pipeline regarding new recordings / new albums?

WTT: I’ve recorded a new album called, The Great Western Hangover. Hopefully, it’s out this summer. I really love the songs and my buddies who play on it are at top shred. It’s got a little bit of every kind of song and I’m digging it!