Scarlett Taylor – Crystal Poles

By starrymag | May 16, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I would describe my sound as dark alternative pop. It blends dark and soulful cues from the sounds of the early 90’s Soul, Goth, Darkwave, Hip Hop and Alternative Rock. A lot of the lyrical compositions start as poetry, an intense emotion, or a story. I like my music to be as true and raw as possible.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I grew up listening to a wide variety of music so a lot of artists have helped influence my work. I remember spending a lot of time listening to Sia’s album Breathe Me growing up. Her emotive lyrics and the rawness of her voice really inspired me. I started listening to a lot of jazz in high school and grew a liking to Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse. At the moment, I really enjoy listening to Cigarettes After Sex, Banks and Lana Del Rey to name a few.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Left Him At the Party.”

A) “Life Of The Party” is a very important song to me – particularly one I love performing live. It’s a song about how others can (wrongly) see you in comparison to who you really are. You can be seen as the “life of the party,” someone who is confidently under the spotlight; the happiness of the room. However, inside you are truly lonely and empty; perhaps even suffering. This is very personal to me, as I am very often a cheerful person on the outside, despite sometimes feeling depleting sadness underneath it all. Looks can be deceiving. You never know what someone is struggling with inside, no matter how happy or successful they may appear.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans will connect to?

A) I find “Life Of The Party” to be very relatable. I think many people are afraid to show themselves for who they really are due to others judgments. Fear of seeming depressed or “weird” can turn some people off. A great example of this is on today’s social media. We post the most exciting and happy moments of our lives in hopes of seeming like we have it all together, that we’re “normal.” Perhaps you’re even the “life of the party.” We want to be seen as this ideal form of perfection. The idea of look at me! I have it all together, I have the perfect family, I have a perfect state of mind, I’m very well off financially, I’m the best-looking, look at my significant other and so on and so forth. A constant cycle of comparisons. However, how do we really know that any of this is, indeed, factual? This person you see as happy, rich and successful could be a complete facade. In reality, they could be depressed, struggling financially, have relationship problems, have major family issues, etc. The truth is we don’t truly know what anyone’s life is like except our own. Be kind, always.

 

Q) Can fans expect a video to go alongside this track?

A) At the moment, I am currently promoting Crystal Poles as well as working on my sixth album. No plans have been made for videos…yet.

 

Q) Most of the songs on Crystal Poles are explicit. Would you consider releasing clean versions for your fans?

A) I have my songs explicit for a reason; I love rawness. I don’t try to cover up my emotions or how I was feeling at the time, and if that means swearing – so be it. My listeners know this. The only time I clean up a version of a song is for the radio.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

A) I typically will write whenever I feel emotional, which is often! Call me old school, but I really like handwriting so I will take out my notebook versus my phone or a computer. Hell, I’ve written on napkins in my glove compartment before. My producer and I typically collaborate with our lyrics/ideas to create songs. I either write to beats my producer creates while we’re both in the studio or I will write on my own and create my vocal composition when we come up with a chord progression.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

A) I don’t produce, but I am often in the studio when my producer is creating sounds/beats. I know what sounds I like and we often go through different pads/synths before one really stands out to us and we’re like, “Oooo! This is the one.” We typically enjoy the same kind of sounds and progressions so creating is a really fun experience.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Scarlett Taylor performance?

A) I have performed shows just singing with a backing track, as well as shows with a full band. However, my new set-up will be a full table of equipment, such as synthesizers and pedals. Since Crystal Poles, I wanted my show to be more electronic-based. For a couple of my shows I am also featuring an electronic violinist. I want my shows to be fun, yet still bring that raw and edgy vibe that always come with a Scarlett Taylor show. I actually have a couple shows coming up…find them at https://scarletttaylor.com/tour

 

Q) What songs off your Crystal Poles EP are you looking forward to performing live?

A) So far, I’ve performed almost every song off of my new EP. However, I particularly enjoy performing “Crystal Poles” and “Lakehouse.” I would eventually love to perform “Left Him At The Party.”

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

A) I hope my listeners can see better into the life of a musician and how it’s not always as it seems. Especially being an indie artist with no major label backing, it’s definitely a grind. You have to work for what you want. Success doesn’t just come to you. Crystal Poles shows the negative effects of the money and fame that can come from succeeding, specifically in Los Angeles/Hollywood. It’s not always as glamorous as some people make it out to be. I wanted my listeners to see the evil side of fame (My character of White Shade) and the pure side that can see through the lies and greed (Scarlett Taylor).

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

A) I really enjoyed playing Whisky A Go Go as it is a pretty legendary venue that most everyone in LA knows. The history there is insane and being able to perform on the same stage as The Doors and Alice Cooper was an experience that would be hard to forget. I also loved my couple times performing at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis as it was a very well-known venue in my home state of Minnesota.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I always thought it would be amazing to collaborate with Amy Winehouse. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do that…In this life at least. I think collaborating with Radiohead, Rhye or Sia would be insanely cool.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’m currently listening to a lot of Tame Impala and Banks. Tame Impala never fails to make me feel good, and Banks inspires me creatively.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media is really important in connecting with my listeners. It’s also an amazing tool for networking. I love being able to talk to my listeners, even if it is purely through the internet. It helps me learn who likes my music and what my target audience is, which is super important to know as an independent artist. It’s also awesome to be able to see statistics through social media such as the age range, gender and even down to what country your listeners are from. I’ve had a couple listeners who messaged me to tell me I saved their life. It is a feeling unlike anything in this world and it reminds me every day why I do music, but also who I sing and write music for. They are all really, really fucking cool people, honestly.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) *Insert generic Grammy speech here* Just kidding. But seriously, thank you to each and every one of you who listens, has listened, or will eventually listen to my music. It is a complete honor to be able to share my story with you. You are why I continue to create, perform, and get up and be able to do what I love everyday. I hope I can touch the minds and souls of everyone on this planet someday. I can and I will heal the world with my music.