Any given night in Nashville, there are at least 50 shows going on. The venues in this town are numerous, plus live music exists pretty much everywhere. So with all the cover bands included, you almost have to hunt for a place that doesn’t have someone performing. It’s a “crazy town full of neon dreams”

If you can pack, almost at capacity, a midsized bar on a rainy Thursday evening, without the push of a label, promo team, booking agency, etc… you are doing something incredibly right.

The Taylor sisters achieved nothing short of this a couple of weeks ago. Douglas Corner was the place to be on that rainy Thursday evening. You would have easily assumed it was a heavily advertised event. The beauty is that this bar wasn’t full of random people searching for nightlife, it was full instead of a community built by three sisters.

About a year and a half ago, I was chatting with a dear friend about a creative vision I had...which would later become this very blog+brand. I shared the need to share my art & passion on a public platform. But the most important thing to me was that it was organic. I never wanted to start something forced. I never wanted to compete with the mainstream publications in Country. As I shared my vision, she also shared that she was in the beginning stages of a project with her sisters...something they had talked about doing for years. A collaborative project. Three sisters who each had their own history and path in the industry, coming together to make an album.

We realized that maybe our projects aligned in the most organic way. Jocelyn & I chatted about collaborating & I got the honor of getting to know Marna & Leah. I was so impressed by how beautiful each of their souls are.

Jocelyn kept sharing her ideas & followed by the phrase...I'm just putting this into the universe...
I found this incredibly inspiring. We as women are naturally more shy to "ask for too much" or "dream too big." Well f that. The Taylor sisters dream big and make shit happen.

Some may say that you have to be in your early 20's & a 00 to obtain success as an artist. this clearly is not true, not only because of how much support these sisters received with the Kickstarter, but also because of the packed album release.

Proof is in the pudding, y'all.
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The studio that brought this project to life is one I dreamed of sitting in as a child. Appropriately named Welcome to 1979, this studio makes you feel like you walked into the past. A simpler time when music was made with instruments. Before all the fancy technology. Just the basics.

The true & raw harmonies. Bless. The best music is made when each component works together, listening & feeding off of each other. Which is exactly what happened during the recording process.
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The process fit the studio perfectly. These sisters called in all of their talented friends, many of which play & tour with large acts, & actually recorded the parts together. This rarely happens anymore. Which is a shame because that is where the true art is made. What a beautiful experience. At one point, the sisters sang into one microphone as all other instruments played. Like I said, 100% old school & amazing. ​

So the music…
The music sits in this perfect Americana area. It's got an old school twang with a fresh spin. Each sister has such soul and sass in their voice, so the style is extremely fitting. Again, the blood harmonies are irreplaceable. The blend is perfection. This sound is made effortlessly. You feel like you are listening to three sisters just casually singing together while getting ready for the day. Many of the songs they recorded are originals that they wrote together. I'm amazed that these ladies not only can make music come to life in such a special way, but they can also write the music together in the first place. Some people can't even spend holidays with their siblings...I mean being able to make art with your siblings is truly a gift.

This is what the industry has been missing. Take a listen, I promise they'll have you the minute you hear the smooth harmonies in Redneck White Trash Blues.

Pour Decisions...Ramblin Song...Midnight Rider cover. Does it get anymore Country than that?

​Check out Instagram for exclusive highlights of the recording process & the album release.

She said this as she sipped her Crema coffee {shoutout}. When Grace & I first connected, I felt like I had met this real life 1940’s cowgirl. Like she is the real Jessie from Toy Story. So when she shared the fact that her heart truly belongs in the 40’s, it made sense.

Prior to meeting, I had stalked her social media because, really, do we ever meet someone without doing that first anymore?! I became fascinated with this concept that she and her husband, Keenan Wade, had cultivated. A 1940’s style Western Swing Band. Complete with cowboy attire & yodeling. Named cleverly, The Farmer and Adele.

It only gets better.

After I shared that I would love to feature her on this series, she invited me to an event they were playing at, Wine on the Rails. Let me tell you, this is pure gold.

Alright y’all, this is one of the best kept secrets in Nashville. A restored classic 1950’s-era train, 1940’s-1950’s style music, and wine tasting come together for a fun day trip. The train departs from the Tennessee Central Railway Museum & is cohosted by Muddy Roots Music. Passengers dress up in period clothing & travel back to the 50’s, while literally traveling to a beautiful vineyard & winery in Baxter, TN. If this doesn’t fit “on the outskirts of ordinary,” I don’t know what does.

Like how cool is this?! Move over Broadway, Nashville has so much more to offer.

The day started with us loading into the train at 8am. My husband & I rode with the band, & I’ll let you in on an industry secret, explaining “I’m with the band” never gets old. We rode through the most beautiful countryside while Grace, Keenan, Ivalee, & Jared warmed up. We had a classic newspaper delivered to us & tasted wine as we rode. Once the train arrived to Del Monaco Winery, we enjoyed lunch & more wine by the vineyard.

After enjoying the ambiance for a couple of hours, we reboarded the train & the real fun began. The band traveling from train car to train car, a total of around 20, playing classic favorites & new originals for the guests. A complete vintage band with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, & fiddle. So much talent to not only keep their balance in the aisles as we traveled on the the winding track, but also played with such expertise. Yodeling, yipping, singing, and playing. The passengers were so excited & engaged, which was amazing considering how much wine had been served. I love seeing true engagement during a show; that’s when you know music is serving its purpose well.

Grace is not only an exceptional human & musician, but she also knows the coolest places off the beaten path. I was impressed with the train ride...& then she introduced me to Dee’s & I’m in love. Dee’s is a dive bar in Madison, about 30 minutes from downtown. It is everything my rural Missouri heart needed here in Nashville. A good ole fashioned smoky dive bar with a makeshift stage. Deer head on the wall, disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Located behind an Adult Superstore, with parking in the ditch. Absolute perfection. The OG style of writer’s rounds.
The most talented musicians have many different styles, Grace is no exception to this. She does the 1940’s cowgirl so effortlessly & then switches to classic country style with modern flair, featuring a steel guitar so naturally. Loved seeing her do originals solo, while occasionally bringing up a cowriter to sing with her. Incredibly impressed as thi was here first time doing the originals publicly.

Even when she isn’t playing in The Farmer and Adele, Grace carries herself as a classy cowgirl. She is the true definition of an independent female who also enjoys working alongside men. When we met over coffee, she brought up an excellent point...cowgirls were the original feminists. They were partners to their cowboys & there was a deep mutual respect. BLESS.
Could you imagine if the music industry re-adopted that mindset? This is the WHY for this series. Grace, you are an inspiration! I know we are new friends, but I am so proud to have you in my tribe. Thankful for your presence in the industry.

Check out 16th Ave Fringe highlights for an insider’s view of these events. Make sure to also check out links below, this feature contains all sorts of goodies!
xoxo,
​Faith
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When I first had the idea for this feature, I was vacuuming my living room. I stoppped abruptly to write it down...thinking, well it would be good to launch this in the next six months. Here I am, 1 month later, launching it. I could lie & say that I totally did this myself, but the truth is much cooler. Every time I told someone about my goals with this feature, not only did I get more excited, but so did every single person I told. My tribe, new & old, have supported & shaped this feature. I owe the momentum to my people, & I am incredibly grateful.

Here is the WHY for this feature:
¥Women fronted bands are not played on the radio as much a men fronted
¥Women fronted bands are not booked as much at festivals at men fronted
¥Sexism not only lives in our society, it lives in the entertainment industry

We can sit around & bitch about it, or we can be the change. I wanted to be the change. So, I decided to celebrate all the badass women out there, defying the odds. Raising hell & having fun. Because there are plenty.

Here is WHAT this feature will be:
A monthly feature of a woman/woman fronted band in the industry. Exclusives, interviews, stories, etc.

We are going them hell on heels.
xoxo,
Faith