A Fresh Interview With Taylor Jules
A fresh single release from Taylor Jules delivers quite an expansive and even cinematic sound that comes with a special brood of honesty and such vivid descriptions that you can picture things in your head at different times throughout the song but it all comes with a beautiful persona that lets her give a certain piece of herself in this track to the point where it feels like it was most likely cathartic for the artist to write and release.
"M.I.A." has such a vast undertone to it and is orchestrated incredibly well so that it creates a certain kind of atmosphere that you end up letting swim around in the air that surrounds you and that makes it easy to get washed away with the soundscape of the whole thing.
This track comes through big but it has a certain flow to it as well that makes it very graceful and lets it build in intensity at its own pace so that by the time you get to the end of the song you have that chorus running around in your head and this is the kind of track that serves as a little bit of an escape which is something I really adore about the whole song.
The track is actually about escaping in a certain way and although it has a metaphoric set of lyrics you can tell that it is indeed about getting away and being closed off from the world and a certain aspect which is something we can all relate to because we all have struggles that make us feel uneasy and at times we feel like it would just be better to escape for a little while.
The chorus of the track itself talks about flying away in a rocket ship to outer space and getting away and what she means by that is not wanting to deal with the aspects of life that are at times, very difficult and the wish to just leave it all behind for a bit is something that we all feel at times.
So, it's incredibly understandable and relatable and the way that she puts it is brilliant.
This track has a contemporary pop sort of backbone but it has a dream pop overtone and is filled with textures that mend into each other and really lets you get engulfed in everything that you're hearing.
It all comes through beautiful and so honest you can tell this comes from someplace very genuine which makes the whole song authentic.
This is a great example of an artist who is putting herself out there and in a way, wearing her heart on her sleeves, giving songs that are expressing things that she only knows how to express through her music and this is what great art is all about.
The reason for that is because although it may have been actually cathartic for her, for the listener it's totally understandable and for some people, it would let us feel like we're not alone in whatever struggle we're going through at the time.
Aside from all that, it's also a beautiful song with a massive catchiness to it and a pop overtone that becomes addictive by the end of the song.
This was such a beautifully performed track that we wanted to have a sit-down with Taylor to find out where it actually came from and what might be coming up next for the artist.
Here's what happened.
TSWS: Hey Taylor! Let's start with M.I.A.! This track had a beautifully honest and cinematic approach!! Where did this song come from?
Thank you so much! M.I.A. was inspired by the whirlwind of events happening in my life during the beginning of college. Similar to many of my other songs (both published and unpublished), M.I.A. reflects current events, stressors, and emotions occupying my mind. I was sitting in my dorm room in my first year of college wondering if I made the right choice in school, career, life, everything. I have often struggled with anxiety, and my anxiety in particular manifests in an avoidant manner; I am simply overwhelmed and must get away, and that’s how M.I.A. was born. The chorus reflects this sentiment perfectly: “can’t scale the mountains in my way / come back to Earth when it’s Saturday.”
TSWS: The song has some different approaches in there. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I have a ton of different musical influences of various genres! Vocally, I’ve been loving Jorja Smith and Yebba. Songwriting-wise, especially for a reflective track like M.I.A., I love pulling inspiration from the eloquence and poetics of Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell.
TSWS: Do you record at a big studio, or at a home set up? The quality of production is stellar!
Thank you so much! I was lucky enough to record at the amazing Dug Deep Production studio in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The owner is legendary bass player Jack Daley. Marc Swersky my producer is a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer and both Marc and Jack were an essential part of the recording team as well as our mix engineer Seth Von Paulus. I also worked with most amazing and talented musicians. We had Avi Rosen on drums, Vin Landolfi on guitar and Alan Markley on Keys.
TSWS: Are you planning any tour or live shows?
I love to do live shows around the Los Angeles area and am always booking more. I am currently looking for touring opportunities for summer!
TSWS: Who's in your headphones right now?
It’s always a million different songs and genres, but today is Penitentiary Philosophy by Erykah Badu
TSWS: What kind of things inspire you to write songs?
I am always inspired when I listen to a song I love and get upset, wishing I were the one to write it! I often find inspiration from a song or two I love and adding my own twists to it. Other times, writing songs is a way for me to put into words how I am truly feeling. Whether or not it is simply a train of thought or has some sense to it, writing down my thoughts as they flow and turning it into a song has always been my personal therapy.
TSWS: What's coming next for you? Anything in the works even now?
There are lots of song releases upcoming, many recorded in the same Asbury Park studio as M.I.A. I am always writing new material and have a few new songs I will be recording shortly!
TSWS: Can we expect a music video for this song?
I currently have a great visualizer for the song on you tube, but I hope to create an official video for M.I.A. It’s always been a dream and vision of mine to have a well-procured and edited music video, so the best is yet to come!
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
To the fans of my music, I would love to express my gratitude and love, as I could never imagine my life without your support. I appreciate you taking the time to listen and letting me share my vulnerability. Thank you for allowing me to be myself and making my dreams come true.
