Name: Aaron Taylor
Nationality: British
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current release: Aaron Taylor's Have A Nice Day EP is out Edenic.
Recommendations: I’m currently going through Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and enjoying that. "Soft & Tender" by November Ultra has been on repeat a lot lately.

If you enjoyed this Aaron Taylor interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

These days I listen on my commute or when doing housework.

My producer / songwriter brain is always analysing what’s happening musically and sonically. If I connect with something I feel seen.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

I was definitely naïve – mainly when it came to ideas. I had the drive but my early ideas were very terrible and in hindsight it’s clear why things didn’t happen when I wanted them to.

Experience is the best teacher.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

That feels like a long time ago, but I did write my first song at 14 so maybe the scientists are right. It’s when I really discovered my joy for songwriting and really appreciating how records are made.

Not much has changed, but I think my sonic palette is way wider now.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

I don’t mean to be deep but the best tool is honest dialogue - mainly with myself. I have to be true to what I feel and feel like I’m doing what my internal voice is asking of me, even when I feel doubts.

Time is very important to me also. I realise now that rushing work or myself is not good. Equally going too slow is damaging.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

Creating is the only way I feel alive. I always want something to feel like a hug at the end of a long day.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

I’m more about how it makes me feel. The lyrics can be simple or complex. Interesting production is cool but I try to stay away from any overly defining sound.

Sonics are important but a good song shouldn’t be dependent on a particular sound. It’s a combination of everything really.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

Rain has a musical quality to me. It’s rhythmic and interesting to listen to. I can’t think of anything that has particularly moved me though.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I don’t think I’m an extreme kind of guy! I think there’s a place for everything

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

I’m not too afraid of the obvious or the straightforward, in fact I think I prefer writing that way nowadays. There is a strange beauty in the familiar. Ideas come to me in a variety of ways. I like to take my time with songs these days.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

Still Life is my debut EP and that is dear to me because I remember the exact moment I said let’s just do this.



I committed to writing three songs in two or three days and deliberately didn’t allow myself more than three instruments per track originally. That kept it all very focused. I was really frustrated in life and just internally decided do or die.

That’s’ been the EP that still opens doors for me now and is probably why people know who I am.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

Not consciously, but as above, sometimes I set parameters to work within, whether that’s time, chords or instrumentation.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

I’m relatively chill. I don’t like to pressure myself even though I give myself a tough time.

A lot of my songs are messages to self, self-encouragement if you like.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Everything can be as creative as you want it to be. Music is my primary creative outlet and it’s where my gift is.

I wouldn’t know how to express myself to the same level in other ways. It would probably be clumsy or missing the message.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

There’s a few, but one that comes to mind is Stevie Wonder’s “You and I”.



It has a hopefulness and yearning that I relate to.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

Some of my friends are the most talented singers and writers I know, and they continue to remain unknown. I wish I knew how to fix that in a way that didn’t only require money or luck.