Calling All Music Lovers: Why You Should Know Russell Taylor

Russell Taylor: It’s a combination of all the things we go through in life with our hearts and our soul strings. The title track sets the tone for the rest of the album.

RT: I started out as an independent artist. I have two records that has gone out independently, the first titled Somewhere In Between and the second one Confessional. The first album was very raw and I was super naïve. That record was more about me getting my footing and expressing myself through song. The second was more of a packet — it was expressive, but more polished. But this record in comparison to the first two is both, it’s raw and polished and more centered on who I am in my life right now as an artist and a sum of all the experiences I’ve had to this point in my life.

RT: The first question is “What genre do I consider myself?” I’m a soul singer by tradition, but I’m told with this new record I fit into the pop sensibility — whatever the hell that means! *laughs* What makes me special is when I first started to sing I had a voice teacher named Ruby Glover, and I’ll never forget what she told me. She said, “In art, there is no competition.” What it translates to me is you can only tell the truth about you. My art is performance, music, acting on the stage, and so forth but all I can do is tell the truth for Russell Taylor. And in that simplest form that’s what sets me apart.

RT: In January, I was out for Grammys and I was at his dinner party and Tamar [Braxton] stood up in the middle of the dinner party and played my song, “War of Hearts.” And after the dinner he was like,”Yo Russ, we need to talk about this song!” The next day he said I want to work with you and your team and let’s figure out a space for this, let’s figure out what we can do.

The VH1 “You Oughta Know” thing was one very big shot in the arm. I’ve gotten quite a few placements with “War of Hearts” with ABC’s The Fosters, Grassy High and the Black Ink Crew. I’ve been very blessed.

RT: It was huge, it was awesome. As an artist, particularly indie, I’ve been indie for so long, you work so hard on your craft. When something as large as VH1 as an entire network validates you and cosigns you, for me it was an awesome feeling because someone big got a feel for what I do and liked it. VH1 did a collection of artists and they had fans vote. I had no idea I had fans out there like this. It was both humbling and also empowering.

U: Who does Russell listen to? What were the last three songs you downloaded?

RT: The last three records I downloaded was Mali Music, Avery Sunshine and Sam Smith.

U: What’s your opinion on the state of music now?

RT: I think in America particularly I think our genres of music have a race and color assigned to it. And I think that’s a challenge, for all artists to overcome, particularly artists of color. I also think my experience as an independent artist for seven, eight years I wouldn’t trade for the world because I learned the hard lessons and hurtful lessons, but I wouldn’t trade them because I can adjust to every situation and perform in less than desirable circumstances and connect with a room. I can connect with just me and a guitar. I don’t even need a microphone. Being an indie artist you have to learn how to win a room, the truth of a song and the audience in order to get your point across.

U: If you could collaborate with any deceased artist, who would it be and what would the song sound like?

RT: Ooooohhh… Nina Simone.

U: I was expecting Whitney Houston.

RT: Really? Whitney is a beast without a doubt but the first name that popped in my head was Nina Simone. People can argue about why she performed how she did, mental illness or not, to me it was artistic genius, but the way she performed that song (“Feelings” at Montreaux Jazz Festival) was completely divine, spiritually in touch with God. I think our song would be such an emotional moment, half for me and half for the audience.

U: Aside from music, you dabbled in theater and you directed on Broadway.

RT: I started out as an actor before I got involved in music. I was a child actor in Philly, at The Children’s Repertoire Theater of Philadelphia. I moved into music and I fell in love with it. I did the lead for a production in Virginia, for Six Degrees of Separation. I was in the Virginia Shakespeare festival in Hamlet.

Once I went to New York,  I worked with a group of girls for the New School University. I directed For Colored Girls and of that show a woman asked if I would produce and direct her Broadway one woman show. It was a huge undertaking and I was unprepared but I thank God I rose to the occasion and I got something I was really proud of.

U: And you also mentor urban youth, tell us more about your efforts in the community.

RT: I work with a former NFL player Sean James who has a program called “Be In The Know.” It’s an anti-bullying campaign where we work with elementary, middle and high school students and give them tools to say no to bullying, help people who’s bullied, particularly cyber bullying. I’m very engaged with particularly young men of color being involved in the arts. I find that in years past our young men of color are encouraged to express themselves through sports but it’s a little stigma to express themselves through arts. That’s something near and dear to my heart.