Taylor Tote a Pop, Soul Singer/Songwriter on the Rise

Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief

Known for her upbeat and soulful original songs, New Jersey native Taylor Tote talks about her music, what inspired her two latest singles: "Quarter-Life Crisis" and "Never Have I Ever, " her natural draw to the spotlight, and what's next for her:

How would you describe your music?

I feel like this has always been a tricky question for me to answer because it's so not black and white. I used to think it was a negative thing, but probably around the end of 2019, I started realizing that it doesn't have to be.

Music has always been fascinating to me, I'm inspired by so many different styles and genres that I just want to try them all. I dove into some rock music in my past, but I was always inspired by the big pop stars of the '90s and early '00s growing up. I also got into EDM, toured nationally with a large soul band, and mixed that into my own music, dove into the singer-songwriter/folk realm, and even a little country. So I guess you can say my music is a bit like me in real-life, always adapting and changing with the times and going with however I'm feeling.

It's honest and deep as I wear my heart on my sleeve. But while trying to make people feel their deepest emotions, I love a song that people can just jam out and feel good to, as I'm also goofy, silly, and always seeking out a good time. I try to make my music as close to how I am as possible.

Both "Quarter-Life Crisis" and "Never Have I Ever" are telling of the 20s experience, what inspires you most from your real-life when it comes to writing songs?

Any song I write is purely based on my real-life experiences and things I've seen people around me go through. Both of these songs' concepts came to me quickly as well as the melody, production, and literally everything but the lyrics. I knew what I wanted to say but how to say it was tricky.

During the beginning of the pandemic, I was so mad at everything. I pushed away writing in general for months. How can I write anything about my experiences if I'm not experiencing anything? And especially these two songs I majorly pushed away, I think mostly because they hit so deep for me that something in me wasn't ready to channel that just yet. I finally got to a place in my life where I felt like an adult and had a clear path for my life but had to move back into my parents' house ("Quarter-Life Crisis"). I also finally felt ready to get back into the dating world and start searching for a potential serious mate when all of a sudden I was forced to be alone ("Never Have I Ever").

I knew "Never Have I Ever" was going to be an ode to my previous relationships, my past self-love journey, and finally finding comfort in living the single life. But it was hard to write about that experience when I was taken out of it against my wishes. I'm so happy that inspiration finally came around because when it did, these songs poured out of me. Every single word or scenario I sing about in them is completely true. They are truly my story and what inspires me most to write about them is because I know I'm not alone in these feelings and hopefully my listeners will realize they aren't alone either.

Who/what inspired you to pursue music?

As weird as it sounds, nothing or no one really specific inspired me to do music. For as long as I can remember, I've been singing and dancing around. I don't remember ever not doing it or not wanting to do it. It felt ingrained in me, a part of my DNA, that music was it. But it was never a thought, it was truly just nature, and I didn't ever see an alternate route as a child. It wasn't a choice in my head, it was just who I was. I put on shows for my parents, family, and our friends all of the time. I was a gymnast, cheerleader, actress, and dancer as well. Being on some sort of stage or in some sort of spotlight was natural for me, but singing and writing have always been the constants. Of course as I got older, there were artists I loved and listened to which was definitely the reason I kept going. And I seriously got so lucky with the family I have because they've been so supportive since day one. I'm sure without their support I wouldn't be nearly as far as I am now so they certainly inspired me to keep going forward with it.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with Lady Gaga one of these days! I feel like the way she presents her music is similar to mine - as in she's not really tied to one specific genre. I love her voice, her writing, her stage presence, everything about her. I'd love to write for her or work with her in any way. I feel like I would learn so much from her.

What’s next for you?

I am so excited for what's next! I always have crazy ideas that I just have to go with all of the time. I'm currently in the process eee of recording a ton of new songs in which some will be released as a collection early 2021.

It's a new style people totally will not expect from me as it's relatively new, so I'm nervous and excited and everything in between! I'm also in the process of developing something that I can't speak too much on as it's in the early stages right now, but I can't wait to hopefully share more later ee this year. I will say that it isn't music but something I think can really help creatives in the music industry. I'm really wishing for the best to come in 2021!

Keep up with Taylor Tote on Instagram @taytote, Facebook @taylortotemusic, and stream her singles "Quarter-Life Crisis" and "Never Have I Ever" wherever music is available.

Quarter-Life Crisis

Taylor Tote

Never Have I Ever

Taylor Tote