Meet Taylor Smith

We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a professional musician. I come from a musical family, people in my family have toured professionally at a high level. Being around that as a kid made it feel like more of a calling than a choice.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, nestled amid the serene foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Taylor has spent the past decade touring extensively alongside his childhood friend Garrett August, co-founding the rock band Vintage Pistol. Their coast-to-coast journeys forged Taylor’s musical prowess and shaped his understanding of the craft.

Taylor Smith —a raw, introspective singer-songwriter, ready to unveil a deeply personal narrative. His music has transformed into a heartfelt storytelling style that delivers woeful candor. This newfound freedom weaves into his music, capturing the hues of sobriety, the echoes of heartache, and the weight of loss with unfiltered sincerity.

This pivotal transition—from the vibrant energy of Vintage Pistol to the poignant vulnerability of a solo artist—marks a significant chapter in Taylor’s musical odyssey. His music now serves as a sanctuary, inviting listeners to join in an intimate exploration of shared emotions and the human spirit.

Taylor stays busy, playing 200+ shows a year, and consistently releasing new music. Give him a listen!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

In the music business, I feel that it is very important to be observant. I learned everything from proper terminology to how to carry myself on and off the stage by paying attention to my peers whom I respect. It’s important to ask questions rather than pretending to know what you’re doing as folks who’ve been around will know how green you are relatively quickly. Write 100 bad songs in order to write a good one, always be writing. Being observant helps in this capacity as well.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

This one is easy.. “I Never Met A Story I Didn’t Like” by Todd Snider is a book that I’ve continuously gone back to over the years. Not for step by step instruction, but for an overall view of the world, and how we spend our time here. I like to say that when I found this book, I found myself. Todd was true artist, he was brilliant, and we’re lucky enough to have some of his knowledge in writing and in song. May he rest in peace.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Casie Bradford
Taylor Todd

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