This week, we bring you She Is We as our Artist of the Week. We chatted with front-woman Rachel Taylor about She Is We’s sound, her new start to the music industry and how much coffee she drinks a day.
Read on for more!
Describe your sound for our readers who haven’t heard before.
Pop rock played by a bunch of metal heads. If Imagine Dragons and the 80’s band Heart had a music baby, it’d be us.
How does it feel to have the opportunity to start over with the powerful project that is She Is We?
I don’t see it as starting over, to be honest. I believe I’m picking up where I left off with a lot more knowledge and the balls to stand up for what I feel is right. It’s a new chapter to a very interesting book.
What is the first song of yours that you would recommend to someone who hasn’t listened to you before? Why?
I would recommend listening to “Monster” because it gives a perspective on PTSD. Even if the listener doesn’t have it, they may know someone who does. It’s a song that shows where I’ve been and gives quite a detailed look into the mind of someone who’s survived trauma. I hope it can reach the ears of those who need to hear it.
Do you feel more at home on the stage or in the studio?
The stage and the road are my home. I’m in love with the studio because it’s my safe place of rest, but home is where my heart is. My heart is with my fans and bandmates.
Has the transition on the project been intimidating, liberating or a bit of both?
It’s been a blessing. I had absolutely no hope left in me. My dad is the one who kept me afloat and told me I was born for this. I’m not intimidated. I feel liberated and tend to do better when I’m pissed off.
What initially sparked an interest in music and the creativity that comes along with it?
I needed a healthy outlet. I would punch walls and get in trouble for fighting. A church friend found a guitar that was being thrown away and brought it over. I’d never played before, but I’d lock myself in my room and write. I spent my time skipping class to teach myself to write in the locker room. I got to punch that wall with lyrics and music. I finally found my identity.
If you could collaborate with one artist, producer or band, who would it be?
I would love to work with Tyler of Twenty One Pilots. He’s in a league of his own and one of the few people I believe is writing music with a mission in mind.
Is there an overall theme that you think your music holds that is signature to your writing style?
We are all vulnerable and subject to break, but that doesn’t mean we won’t recover and kick some ass on our way back to recovery. Oh, and I have a Canadian accent. You can hear it when I’m singing. I tend to pronounce things weird and my buddy Adamm finally pointed it out. Does that count? If not, the first answer should do, haha.
What’s a piece of advice you would give someone just getting started with their music?
Don’t be afraid or intimidated by the music that’s already out there. Your life and voice are like a fingerprint. What you fear about yourself and your writing, that’s exactly what will draw people to you. Be a voice to those who feel they’re alone.
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
I’d love to have an imprint label that allows me to write my butt off and sign writers and producers I believe in. I want to believe that I’ll be able to have enough success to continue traveling and telling my story in hopes of helping to inspire others to do the same.
What are your goals for 2016?
I want to take the music world and shake it up a bit. I want to give other artists a perspective of what kind of power comes with a microphone. It should be used to help others and create safe communities. I’d like to be on the road and collaborating with other artists who feel the same way about music that my team and I do.
Coffee or tea?
An IV drip of coffee please.
Sweet or salty?
Mashed potatoes over cake any day. Salty and savory. Hubba hubba.
If you could sit next to a musician (dead or alive) on an airplane, who would it be?
Kurt Cobain. We would discuss how incredibly awkward this industry is and how it’s strange that people get to read our journals about life.
Most played song on your iPod?
“Devastator” by For Today
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You go girl….I knew you would find your inner strength and share it with others, a true ANGEL 🌹🌹👍🏻👍🏻😉