Taylor Sackson

THE NAMM SHOW 2022 INTERVIEWS

Interview by Ken Morton Photo by Linda Emord

Singer/songwriter Taylor Sackson made her way to The NAMM Show and performed a special set at the Highwire Daze Booth on Sunday - accompanied by keyboardist Paige Williams. A powerful voice and deeply introspective lyrics were presented, featuring songs from her soon to be released You’re Not A Friend album. After the set, Highwire Daze interviewed Taylor to find out more about her vibrantly cathartic music. Read on...

We’re here with Taylor Sackson and she just did a performance at the Highwire Daze booth which was really cool! Thank you for that.

Thank you for having me.

Your welcome. So what are you looking forward to the most about the NAMM Show this year?

I’m a pretty big gear nerd, so I love just walking around and seeing what everyone’s making. I think that’s super cool. I remember a couple of years ago they introduced the Acoustasonic and I got one like months after. I just love new stuff, so I think I’ll just say the new gear, playing, and meeting new people.

Where are you from and what is your local music scene like there?

When I get asked this question, it’s hard to answer, because I’m from a lot of places. I was born in very Northern Michigan – its called the UP (Upper Peninsula) – and then I lived in Rochester, Minnesota for a long time – that’s where all my family is. But I lived in Phoenix mostly growing up – and the music scene there is pretty small but very mighty. Everybody goes to everyone’s show – they’re very supportive – so I think I carry that with me out here. We’re nothing without community. You could be the best singer in town, but who cares if you’re not a good hang. So making friends and all that sort of stuff is definitely a Phoenix thing that I brought with me out here.

Tell me about your latest single Overachiever and the inspiration behind it.

There’s a lot to say about that one. It’s pretty much about my brain. I pretty much pick on myself when I write songs, and Overachiever is very much that. I’m very much a workaholic and I’m constantly in a battle with myself trying to outdo myself. And I think it was kind of like a lesson to just “sit and chill, you’re doing a lot. Be in the moment.” So I would say that’s what Overachiever is really about.

Let’s talk about one of the songs you did today called Inertia.

Inertia is the first song I released when I left a band, so it was my first song as a soloist. I used to be in a band that toured and did the whole thing. It wasn’t the best experience for me so I left the band. I released a couple of songs under my own name and they mean a lot to me. It took me a lot to be okay with being a solo artist. So now I have an album that I wrote that we’ll be releasing, and it’s really cool to have a team helping me. You have a team when you’re in a band – it’s a whole different animal when you’re a soloist – but it’s cool because the team that you make as a soloist are people that really want to be there. They don’t have to be there – they just love you and are helping you. But with those songs – they’re my babies – I just love them. They’re about my mental health. I grew up listening to sad songs and writing sad songs. I can’t afford therapy, so that’s what I do.

And you played a song today I think was called You’re Not A Friend…

That’s going to be the title track on my new album. You’re

Not A Friend – what I say about that song is if the shoe fits, it’s probably about you. I really don’t like to go into detail about the specifics. But yeah, I’ve had a lot of people in this industry fuck me over. Like navigating who your friends are – again, community is everything and learning who your friends are is the most important thing in this business. I think I had a huge realization of what to look for in friends and in this business – and You’re Not A Friend is very much about that.

Ali your publicist told me to ask you about Alice Cooper. So what is the Aljce Cooper connection?

Alice and his family are pretty much my family at this point. They kind of raised me in music and Alice runs a charity in Phoenix that I was a part of for a while. Through that, I got to sing with him, do backups with him, play some instruments for him. He taught me more than anyone in this business and gave me some kickass advice that I think about every single day – and I love him. His daughter just did my makeup for my album art. They’re like my parents – I want them to adopt me.

What’s up next for you in the future?

I’m really hoping to get signed. I’m really hoping to go on tour. That’s my dream – I just want to tour. I’m not a TikTok artist, I’m not a recording artist, I’m not a fucking influencer – I am a live performer. That’s my thing. And so I just want to be on the road. I’ll do whatever – I don’t care who I’m playing with. I don’t care if there’s four people – if there’s one million – I just want to play. Being able to do that and pay for my apartment and therapy would be awesome...

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