Kim Taylor (musician)

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Kim Taylor
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Photo by David Strasser
Background information
Born (1973-12-20) December 20, 1973 (age 50)
Miami, Florida
Origin Cincinnati, Ohio
Genres Folk, folk-influenced, singer-songwriter
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, actress
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active2002–present
LabelsDon't Darling Me
Website kim-taylor.net

Kim Taylor is an American independent singer-songwriter who plays primarily folk and folk-rock music.

Contents

To date, Taylor has released five full-length studio albums, toured with notable international artists, and embarked on an acting career which has garnered positive attention from critics and bloggers. Her first full-length film, I Used To Be Darker, premiered at the Sundance Festival in January 2013.

Biography

Music career

Originally from Florida, Taylor played instruments in school bands and sang in church as a child. She began performing professionally at age 18. "I have always done music in some fashion," Taylor said. "I played piano as a kid and played flute in the marching band at Murray Middle School." In 1996, she relocated to Cincinnati to pursue an English degree, and entered the local music scene of the city. [1]

After garnering positive word-of-mouth and promising reviews and radio play for her earliest releases, So Black, So Bright (2002) and Extended Play (2004), Taylor began work on what would become I Feel Like a Fading Light (2006). She also self-released a live album, Live at the Miramar (2002), around the release of her debut "So Black, So Bright".

I Feel Like A Fading Light was recorded in New York City alongside Jimi Zhivago, former guitarist for the roots music purveyors Ollabelle. The music was performed almost entirely by Taylor and Zhivago, except for drums (which were provided by Mars Volta's Blake Fleming, Devon Ashley of The Lemonheads and Those Young Lions, and local musician Josh Seurkamp). [2] The album was released digitally, as well as on CD (however, they were only sold at shows). It was released on vinyl in December 2008. [3] The album was at one point dubbed an "Album of the Week" on NPR's World Cafe (via WXPN/NPR Music). [4]

After touring in support of the record, Taylor began work on a set of songs that would become the EP, The Greatest Story (2008). She recorded the EP with producer Mike Deneen (known for his work with Fountains of Wayne, Howie Day, and Aimee Mann) "That project is part of a bigger picture that I'll finish and release as a full length." Taylor told Paste magazine after being named "Best of What's Next" in 2009. [5]

Taylor continued playing shows and festivals such as NYC's CMJ Music Marathon and returned to Austin's SXSW Music, [6] [7] [8] this time promoting the EP. She toured extensively with Over the Rhine, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Ron Sexsmith, [9] as well as with her friend, Lexington cellist Ben Sollee. Taylor and Sollee had done occasional shows together since 2007, but this tour found them playing both solo material, and accompanying one another during each other's sets. [10]

In 2010, Taylor released Little Miracle. Written and recorded in just three days, [11] it too was recorded with Jimi Zhivago. However, this time, all instruments were played by Taylor and Zhivago: "I always write on both piano and guitar. Piano was my first instrument. The new project is just me and my friend Jimi Zhivago (out of NYC and plays with the band Ollabelle.) We play everything on it: guitars, piano, organs, percussion, etc." [12]

In 2013, Taylor worked again with Jimi Zhivago to release "Love's A Dog." [13]

"Songs of Instruction"—Taylor's 5th full-length record and first co-production—was released on February 22, 2019. [14]

Music in film and television

Taylor's songs have been included in such shows as Smallville , [15] [16] Justified , [17] [18] Eli Stone , [19] [20] One Tree Hill , [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] Ghost Whisperer , [28] Flashpoint , [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] Army Wives , [34] Hawthorne , [35] [36] The Unit , All My Children , and Days of Our Lives . [1] [37] [38]

Taylor's songs "No More War" and "A Good Man" can also be found on the soundtrack for the 2005 film, My Brother's War . [39]

In 2009, Taylor signed a nonexclusive licensing agreement with MTV so that the network could use her songs on some of their hit shows. [1] Additionally, she struck a deal with Revlon in 2010, for her song "Little Miracle" to be used in an ad campaign. [37]

In 2019, "The Hard Way" from Taylor's "Songs of Instruction" was used in the Chinese thriller film SheepWithout A Shepherd directed by Sam Quah.

In 2020, "The Hard Way" was used in the Chinese web series "Detective Chinatown."

Film

Taylor starred in director Matthew Porterfield's independent film, I Used to Be Darker , about a pregnant Northern Irish runaway who seeks refuge with family in Baltimore, MD, only to find her aunt on the verge of divorce. Taylor plays the aunt (who like Taylor, is a singer-songwriter named Kim). [40] [41] The film premiered in January 2013, at the Sundance Film Festival. [42] It then gave its international film premiere at the Berlinale in Berlin, Germany in February 2013. [43] To accompany the launch of the film, Taylor also performed at Sundance's ASCAP Cafe in January 2013. [44]

The film was funded by use of the pledge-platform Kickstarter [45] and began filming in August 2011. [46] [47]

The film was ranked as one of IndieWire's "Most Anticipated Indie Films of 2012" [48] and is #27 on IONCINEMA's "Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2012" [49] list. Post-premier, the film received positive reviews from such publications as The New Yorker [50] and Time Out Chicago. [51]

Personal life

Taylor was born in Miami, Florida. [52] Her father grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and her mother in Lakeland, Florida. Taylor's father was a PATCO air-traffic controller and is now president of the re-formed union. She is an only child.

Taylor is married and has one son. [1] [37]

For several years, Taylor also owned a much-loved coffee shop, Pleasant Perk, in Cincinnati. [53] [54] "The shop serves a lot of purposes for me," she says. "It quickly relieves the tension when I come back from playing music." [55]

Discography

Albums

Singles and EPs

Soundtracks

Awards and accolades

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Stuart Native Kim Taylor's Music Gets Exposure on TV". TCPalm. May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ↑ "StackPath".
  3. ↑ "Kim Taylor Tells the Greatest Story". Cincinnati City Beat . Retrieved September 6, 2006.
  4. ↑ "Kim Taylor". NPR . Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Best of What's Next 2009: Kim Taylor". Paste . Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ "The Who Sell Out?". Cincinnati Magazine. May 2005. Retrieved May 1, 2005.
  7. ↑ "Kim Taylor Playing at SXSW". Filthy Lucre. February 27, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Kim Taylor". SXSW . Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Kim Taylor // Little Miracle". The Buzz About. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Kim Taylor Tells the Greatest Story". Cincinnati City Beat . Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Record Review: Kim Taylor". Performer Magazine. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Kim Taylor Returns Home Friday". Cincinnati City Beat . Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Good 'Dog'". Cincinnati City Beat . Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Cincinnati's Kim Taylor Channels Love, Loss, Faith and Years of Teachable Moments Into 'Songs of Instruction'". Cincinnati Citybeat . Retrieved February 27, 2019.
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  26. ↑ "Music from One Tree Hill: Season Seven". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Kim Taylor- Baby I Need You". YouTube. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
  28. ↑ "Music from Ghost Whisperer: Season Five". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
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  31. ↑ "Music from Flashpoint: Season Four". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Music from Flashpoint: Season Two". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Music from Flashpoint: Season Two". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  34. ↑ "Music from Army Wives: Season Four". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Music from Hawthorne: Season One". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  36. ↑ "Music from Hawthorne: Season One". TuneFind. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  37. 1 2 3 "Kim Taylor: Miracle Worker". Cincinnati City Beat. October 13, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Music by Kim Taylor". TuneFind. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
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