Julian Taylor is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter with a truly independent success story. He has been honing his special blend of timeless roots rock since the 1990s, steadily growing followers while weaving his way into the fabric of Canada's indie music culture and sound. His 2020 album The Ridge earned him 2 Juno Award nominations (Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album of the Year), a Canadian Folk Music Award, five Native American Music Award nominations, and a Polaris Music Prize nomination.
In this interview, Julian talks about embracing uncomfortable subjects on his compelling new album Beyond the Reservoir, and why that made him nervous. He shares gritty stories from his adolescence and sweet memories of cherished elders, while emphasizing the importance of family, nature, and speaking truth about history. Julian also tells Jane about working with producer and friend Saam Hashemi, his friendship with the late Jay Bennett (previously of Wilco), and his eclectic collection of 45s.
All the song segments you hear during the interview are from Beyond the Reservoir.
MUSIC BUDDY SESSION: "It's Not Enough"
Written by Julian Taylor
Performed by Julian Taylor, Tim Vesely, and Jane Gowan. Listen at 57:37
Learn more about Julian at juliantaylormusic.ca
Music Buddy is brought to you by Morning Run Productions.
Our team is: Jane Gowan (host, producer, editor, and audio engineer) and Tim Vesely (Producer of the Music Buddy Sessions, audio engineer, and occasional co-host).
The show's theme song, "Human Stuff," is written by Jane Gowan and Tim Vesely, and performed by Jane and Tim, with additional vocals by Steve Wright and Connie Kostiuk.
Contact the show: jane@musicbuddy.ca
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Jane's indie pop band: therealshade.com