Taylor Phelan recently released his new EP 1 of 2 and just released his EP, 2 of 2 earlier this month
Phelan was raised within a tight-knit musical family in his home state of Texas and began to play guitar and write his own songs at 16, cutting his teeth at coffee shops. He started his professional career as the founder and frontman for the Chicago-based alternative band, The Canes. In 2014, Phelan was a favorite contestant on the seventh season of NBC’s hit reality series, The Voice, an experience that revealed his tremendous talent as a solo artist. In 2015, shortly after signing with the indie label, Native Nine Records, Phelan gravitated back to his southern roots and teamed up with Nashville-based producer Joshua D. Niles to work on his first collection of solo material. Check out 2 of 2 below!
We managed to catch up with Phelan as he talked about his latest EP and more!
How has the initial response been of 2 of 2 been so far?
It’s been really positive. We’ve gotten some solid radio support for “Long Way Down” and the audiences is growing consistently.
Can you tell something about the EP no one else knows?
While the song “Talk” sounds like a love song, it was actually inspired by a comic strip about a dog.
What’s your favourite track from the release?
I think “By Your Side” is the most underrated track from 2 of 2 but I think “Long Way Down” is still my favorite.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I’d love to collaborate with Ryan Tedder. I think he does an incredible job of writing hyper pop songs that remain authentic to him.
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
I hang out with my wife and kids a lot. We got to the zoo, take a bunch of road trips and hang with friends. We’re pretty involved at our church and with a few nonprofits.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I saw N’Sync in 1998. I was 10 years old and thought I’d for sure be in a boy band one day. Fortunately, there’s still some time.
What you into music in the first place?
I was always drawn to art and music. When I was young, I’d sing and dance. I was into R&B as a kid. It wasn’t until I was 14 or so that I started realizing that it was something I could try to pursue as something more than a dream.
What’s the alternative scene like in Texas?
I’ve never quite found a clique to fit in with. But I live in this weird space between indie rock and mainstream pop – too indie for the overproduced pop artists and too mainstream for the super indie folks. There’s a huge “Texas Music” scene that is it’s own genre itself. From what I hear, the alternative scene is changing in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Austin obviously has it’s own thing going on as the “Live Music Capitol of the World.”
How has being on The Voice changed you as an artist?
I learned so much from my time on the show. Mainly about the business and how a production of that magnitude operates. The lights, the band, the cameras, etc. The show gave me a new quality standard and put my goal of performing at that level into focus.