Steve Taylor is a singer and multi-instrumentalist making his homecoming to Northern California after stints in Seattle and New York City. A native of Sacramento, he currently lives in the Oakland hills outside of San Francisco. Although ostensibly part of the recent wave of indie songwriters who write, sing, and play every note on their albums, his sound is truly more steeped in the sunlit tones of 1970's Laurel Canyon and the mid 60's pop and R&B of The Brill Building.
Equal parts folk, rock, and gospel, Steve Taylor's music is unlike anything you're likely to hear these days. With the harmonic sense of a young Todd Rundgren, the rootsiness of the Byrds, and the introspective lyrical style of Joni Mitchell, he spins tales of searchers at the end of their rope, seeking salvation in the open road and a winding river. Layering vintage organs, piano, analog synthesizers, and dead drums, he creates a sound that's both modern and unironically influenced by 70's AM rock.
A riveting live act, he's performed from coast to coast and internationally, including stops at The Living Room in NYC and The Hope & Anchor in London. Often accompanied by only a guitar and a Wurlitzer electric piano, he creates a deeply moving experience. The raw nature and emotion of performing live led Steve to actively seek out the source of soul music, the black music of the church. Although leery of organized religion, and often the only white person present, he was quickly welcomed as a Duane Allman inspired lead guitarist in a number of Bay Area congregations, based on his ability to lose himself in the sound. The experience left an indelible mark on his music.
On February 10th, 2008, Steve Taylor debuted his new album "Has the Size of the Road Got the Better of You?" at Cafe DuNord in San Francisco. A song cycle about being lost and found on the road of life, it was recorded sporadically over the last 3 and a half years by the likes of Aaron Prellwitz (Neil Young and Crazy Horse) and Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof), both at home and at the venerable Tiny Telephone Studio in SF. From the galloping "Metal Guru" drums of the opener "Reality" to the progrock keyboard buildup of the title track, and from the "Sea Change" palette of "Aquafish" to the gospel overtones of "River", this is timeless music that unfolds upon many listens. An almost completely solo record, he played every note on every song, except for the Philly soul revival track "Felicity" and the ABC afterschool special jam "One More for the Road", which feature his friends from New York's math rock via jazz outfit, The Benevento Russo Organ and Drums Duo.
After the arduous and inadvertently long labor process of this album, and the backlog of songs it has created, Steve will post one new song per week on myspace.com for the entire year! This will help spur on his next project, a relatively stripped down acoustic album with an intended summer release. Further plans include a tour of the U.S. and Europe to round out 2008. Stay tuned for more!
