Talking To...Sean Taylor
#NK You're getting plenty of live work off the back of the album, but whilst it's had some airplay, perhaps not as much as it should, is that partly a reflection of radio?
#ST Bob Harris has played it, it's been on Radio 3 and Radio 6, Paul Jones has mentioned it. I don't know. All I can do is make the music I want to make and see how people respond. If it was music that was difficult, I could understand why people don't get it, but it isn't, it's music that's accessible.
You know as well as I do that once you start getting into the industry, it's a never ending saga of confusion that I don't want to lose myself in because it's go nothing to do with the music or being creative or being a songwriter. I'm very protective of what I do, the minute you start wondering why something hasn't happened you become subordinate to it. I never intend to do that. A lot of my heroes are like that they didn't get radio play and people still came to gigs and bought records because of the music.
Some of them just did it to the extreme and did what they wanted, it didn't matter if the radio shows weren't there because people still found out about them. I love the fact that people like Van Morrison were their own person and I sort of hope that's where I'm coming from.
Airplay is nice and I have had some great responses, but it isn't everything. I've had good written reviews, it's not everything.
#NK You seem to have been picked up on more of the internet and community radio shows, where playlists don't matter as much and the shows are run by enthusiasts.
#ST Yes and I think it's great, there are a bunch of independent stations and sites that love music and can play it just because they like it. There's no stuff that they have to play, the person presenting the show is choosing the music. I don't know the politics of mainstream radio and I don't want to but there is almost an innocence with independent radio shows, the scope to do sessions because they want someone in the studio that's also passionate about music.
Once you've got that be it a performer, presenter, reviewer, you're going to get the right things out of music. I really do think it can be that simple, music and art is an end in it's self and you can enjoy looking at a painting as much as the painter enjoyed painting it. It's not like pop idol, it's enough just to hear a great record and not have a gameshow at the end of it.
#NK As we mentioned earlier, you've done a lot of festivals this Summer and you also spend a lot of time gigging as well, getting you to new audiences, is that part of the reasoning behind the re-release of "Walk With Me"?
#ST There's a number of things behind it. I'm going to be going out to the States to record a new album in October, I've come a long way with regards to live gigs and getting heard. Playing that real range of festivals and the need to make sure that there's something for people. There's distribution through Proper now so it's easier for people to be able to get it.
I remember thinking how much it meant to me when I recorded it, it's one of the most autobiographical albums I've done, a lot of the things on there have happened. There's a lot of my life in that album. I try not to write like that, but it happened.
#NK And it keeps you in the public eye whist you're off recording the new album. Why are you off to the States to record it? Are you looking to do some dates as well?
#ST It's just for the recording. It's taken me twenty seven years to get there and I've got a lot of heroes that have come from there. I'm really keen to work with the producer that I've chosen. Since recording the last album, I've listened to so much music, different types of blues, going back to old blues and world music. I've been listening to a lot of soul from '67 to '73 that era. There was one album by Eliza Gylickson, called "Paradise Hotel" and I really loved everything about that album, it's just a brilliant record.
The guy who produced it, Mark Allman, I got in contact with him as it was one of the best things I heard. The music was fantastic, but from a sound point of view it was pretty much faultless.
#NK Is it going to be more of a band album?
#ST I really don't know yet. I never planned "Walk With Me" that way. I've been spending the last few months getting the foundations right, just the foundations. You get to know the songs very well and then when you get in the studio, you go with it.
With Trevor(Hutchinson) in Dublin, I planned all sorts of things with the songs. Some of them happened, but a lot of them didn't because when we got there it didn't quite work out that way We brought people in. When you bring in the likes of BJ Cole and Michael Buckley, songs go to a place you could never envisage, because when they hear a song for the first time they are free and have freedom to play and when you give people like that the opportunity they make great music and that's really exciting for me.
There will be other musicians, but I don't know who or what line up, it will just happen when I'm there.
I'm doing a big tour before I go, London, Scotland, lots of places. I played Celtic Connections at the start of the year and got a lot out of that. It's been a great year.
#NK On that positive note, thanks very much.
photo credit:
Neil King