Taylor Scott Band

Great sound! Thank you so much for your submission, we will definitely keep you on record for next years concert and the years to follow. Thanks! - Kara Thibault

You've been hand selected to partake in a meet and greet with your fans and perform a 1 hour set at the LHS Lounge in Denver, Colorado on October 23, 2015. - Rob Rushing, Tour Manager

They blew us away with their talent and great live performances. ~ Grady Kirkpatric
Program Director and Morning Music Host - Wyoming Public Media Statewide Network

This band is on their way up the charts! - 88.9 KRFC

I have been looking for all the right pieces for this band for a few years,” Taylor Scott explained to AXS recently. “Going out to hear and meet different players, taking recommendations from other musician friends of mine, things like that. I have had a sound developing in my head since I was about 18, and part of making that a reality is finding the right players.” Two years ago, the lineup for the Taylor Scott Band finally came together and in October, the Denver-based soul rock quartet released a six-song EP, A Closer Look, The Second Glance. Scott, along with keyboardist Jon Wirtz, shared an exclusive glimpse into the Taylor Scott Band in this Q&A.

AXS: Are you Denver natives? If not, where is everyone originally from?

Taylor Scott (vocals, guitar): I'm not a Denver native, no. I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri and grew up mostly in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I have spent a lot of my time in Colorado for years and just moved to Denver last spring.

Jon Wirtz (keys): I am from Concord, Ohio, which is about 30 minutes east of Cleveland.

AXS: What brought Taylor Scott Band together?

Taylor: I have been looking for all the right pieces for this band for a few years. Going out to hear and meet different players, taking recommendations from other musician friends of mine, things like that. I have had a sound developing in my head since I was about 18, and part of making that a reality is finding the right players. The lineup has changed a bit over the past few years, and things are solidifying now. Jon Wirtz has been with me for two years, Lem Williams [drums] for about a year and a half. Todd Edmunds [bass] is the newest addition, but I've played with him for years in Otis Taylor Band, so he was an easy and perfect fit. After getting the right players, you have to move into the next level, which is playing like a BAND, rather than just a group of cats who can play well. But that's another story…

AXS: How long has Taylor Scott Band been together? What have you learned during that time?

Jon: I've been playing with Taylor for two years, and I've learned a lot. I respect the fact that Taylor has really done his homework in terms of digging deep into the roots of blues, soul, and American music. He's not the latest Stevie Ray Vaughan wannabe (and anyone who has listened to SRV or Taylor knows that they don't even sound alike, so it's a dumb comparison), he has dug way deeper than any 20-something I know, and it shows. He's inspired me to do more homework of my own, and he's introduced me to lot of great artists I didn't know about.

Taylor: Well, like I kinda mentioned before, it's been coming together in some form for about 3 years, but I would say it's really been rolling for almost two years. I think we are learning from each other every time we play together, every time we ride in the car together, even when we're just screwing around during off time, having fun. If you know how to listen, you'll learn. That's an important part of this band, especially because of the amount of improvising we do. And it's important to take things you learn outside of music on stage with you. Ideas, happenings, stories and jokes from earlier in the day end up transferring fluidly into the music later on, and sometimes we don't even realize where it came from until much later. I've also realized how important it is not to take anything too seriously, to keep humor in the music. That doesn't necessarily mean telling jokes between songs or writing "funny" lyrics, but more keeping a sense of "you never know" in the way you play. Being willing, when the time is right, to throw in something crazy, unexpected, weird, or whatever that makes the other guys' ears perk up, makes them smile, and the audience too. That's keeping humor in the whole thing. With this group, I've learned the importance of that.

AXS: Where was your first show in Denver, and what was the experience like? Who else did you play with at the show?

Taylor: I've been playing in Colorado since I was about 15, so honestly I can't remember a specific "first" Denver show. I started out playing with a lot of blues musicians here, sitting in with the older players and things like that. A lot of those guys in that scene were really cool to me coming up, I've always appreciated that.

Jon: I'm assuming you're asking about the first Denver show with TSB, in which case I have no idea. I'd imagine it was a fun show, because I don't have any bad memories that stick out with this band.

AXS: Have any Denver musicians inspired Taylor Scott Band?

Jon: I'm inspired all the time by the scene in Denver. There is so much talent around, you can never relax, and I mean that in a good way. You always have to be practicing to keep up, because everyone is working on their craft. It makes me happy to see so many Denver artists breaking out over the past few years -The Motet, Gregory Alan Isakov, Nathaniel Rateliff, Flobots . . . this scene is blooming.

AXS: What projects are Taylor Scott Band currently working on?

Taylor: We recently released a new EP called A Closer Look, The Second Glance. We recorded it in the Great Hall of Cherokee Ranch & Castle in Sedalia, which had never been done before. That was an absolute blast and the record turned out really well. Right now we are focussed on playing live to promote that, reach more people, and further develop our sound. The things most groups are trying to do, I guess!

Jon: We're busy promoting the new EP, but Taylor writes constantly so we always have an eye towards the future. We're trying to tighten up and dial our sound a little more in order to reach that "next level."

AXS: What else is Taylor Scott Band involved in locally, either as individuals or as a group?

Taylor: No day jobs in this group, we're all full timers. We all play with other projects, some more than others. I've been playing lead guitar in Otis Taylor Band for a few years, so for awhile I was touring extensively with that, mostly in Europe. I also have my trio project, which is a pseudo-acoustic version of my music that focusses more intimately on the songwriter side of things. I'm 22, and not too interested in going down the "having a family" road any time soon. There are a few squirrels who visit my backyard sometimes, and the neighbors' cat comes by and seems pretty cool. That's good for me right now. I don't have much time for other activities, music is my number one focus and that doesn't really let up.

Jon: Music is our full-time job, each one of us, and I think it shows. On a personal level, I am a newlywed (13 months), and I volunteer a little bit with a local long-term care facility, playing piano for the patients monthly. I also volunteer a little bit with Hospice, which is a great organization in so many ways. I write music for my own project called "Space Orphan," which is more of a funk-groove-jazz sorta thing. At the moment I'm working on my next 3rd record, on which Taylor recorded.

AXS: Does Taylor Scott Band have a goal in mind for the sound the band produces? Are there certain influences or themes the band tries to inject into its own music?

Taylor: The goal is to make honest, soulful music that moves people. No pretending, no cutting corners. My influences range widely and different pieces of that range sort of show up in different spots, depending on what the song calls for. Where we're coming from is the world of soul music, funk, blues, jazz, and rock & roll. These are the main ingredients, but between us all, there's also influence from gospel, americana, world music, hip-hop, all sorts of genres and flavors. All the influences are always there, we can't turn them off. There are times when certain ones peek their heads out a little more, depending on how we are feeling at the moment and what the song needs. That's the sound of this band, to me. I told each of the guys when I brought them in: as long as it's got soul and substance, anything goes.

Jon: I can only answer for myself, but I feel like we're all on the same page in trying to express a sound that is honest to who we are as artists, accessible to a listening audience, and gives an accurate (hopefully) interpretation of what Taylor has in mind for each song. At the end of the day, we want to sound incredible. Not "good," not "great," we want to sound "incredible," so we're always striving for that.

AXS: For someone who has never seen or heard Taylor Scott Band, what would you tell them to entice them to watch your set?

Jon: It's tough to be persuasive because I'm in the band, but I genuinely feel that this is truly awesome music. Obviously I'm biased, but I've been playing piano for 28 years, 25 of those years performing for live audiences. I'm willing to be honest with myself when the band or the music isn't hip. That said, I really believe that this is great music, and I am very thankful to be in a band with four killer musicians who share the same vision. It's music worth hearing, created by people who have worked their whole life at their craft. Especially in this age of YouTube sensations and basement-producers.

Taylor: It's music from the heart, that's all there is to it. It's honest, there's no pretending. Whether we're playing the most mellow, pretty song we've got or rocking, balls to the wall, we're putting it all out there. What we're playing, it's coming from deep down. People connect to that, ya know? People can feel it.

AXS: What would your ideal live show look like? Where would it take place? Any particular time of year? Would a specific band/musician share the bill with or open for Taylor Scott Band?

Jon: A beautiful summer evening, headlining a sold-out Red Rocks show. The sooner the better.

AXS: What shows are you looking forward to over the next few months?

Taylor: Our next sort of "self promoted" performance is a show at Syntax Physic Opera on South Broadway, Jan. 16. We are going to really put a on a special show with a special set of music. It's a cool venue, that's going to be a fun show. I tend to miss a lot of the big name groups that come through town because I'm traveling a lot. But I guarantee I'll be at Red Rocks next summer whenever Tedeschi Trucks Band plays, that's for sure. ALWAYS looking forward to that one.

Jon: I'm looking forward to Phish announcing their summer tour and hopefully being able to catch them. I was also really hoping to catch Brian Blade Fellowship at Dazzle in Denver, but I don't think I'll be able to make it. As far as shows that I'm playing, I look forward to every time I get to play with these guys, whether it's publicly or in a rehearsal.

AXS: What do you enjoy most about Denver’s music scene, and why?

Taylor: What I'm inspired by is the vibrancy of the scene as far as musicians go. Things are so diverse here, we've got a jazz scene, indie rock, blues, hip-hop, there are certainly a lot of jam band and funk type things going on, it's a nice variety. I like bands and artists who you can tell really believe in what they're doing. It's nice to see that on a local level.

Jon: I love that it's a community. At its best, it is a scene filled with talented and open-minded musicians who respect and enjoy good music, regardless of genre. I love that the same people who can enjoy a killer funk/rock show can also get down and appreciate the most swinging jazz as well. People's tastes are all over the map, and I think that is key to not only being a well-rounded and informed musician, but a well-rounded person in life. It can all be beautiful if you're willing. - AXS