An Interview With Taylor Campbell Band
- BuzzSlayers
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
A new single release from Taylor Campbell Band delivers a warm sense of inspiration and a unique, classic description of life itself as a working man trying to build a better future for the kids of his own, and it's a sentiment that so many of us can relate to that it's impossible to turn away from this track.
Part of the reason this works so well is because of his lyrical approach. It's so descriptive and storytelling that it pulls you right in. Yes, there is the sentiment and message behind it that is incredibly connective to a lot of grown men and even women, but it's the way that he puts it that articulates everything lyrically that really reaches out and grabs you, so that you can actually paint a picture as the song unfolds.
This is part of the beauty of songs like this. It's got heavy-handed messaging that delivers a bit of hope and inspiration while still paying attention to the other attributes of life that get thrown at you and how hard you have to work. The working man or woman sacrifices for their family a lot of the time.
It's about being able to give that better life to your young ones and also paying attention to the beauty that does surround you while you're doing your thing.
The song pays attention to all these different angles and still delivers that beautiful and heavy-handed message in a way that has heart. This song is almost like the epitome of the working man's anthem.
The guitar work across this track is wonderfully woven. Everything has passion and sort of soul to it. There is what sounds like pedal steel or lap steel flowing through the song and giving it that classic southern-kissed tonality.
This instrument also adds a certain flow to everything and gives you something to chew on between some of the verses and choruses.
The performance of the guitars and lap steel is absolutely outstanding. Every element of this song complements the next. The instruments complement each other, the song moves forward in such a natural way, the message gets delivered beautifully and powerfully, and you still get that outstanding storytelling attribute that you end up hanging on to, because the song has character.
If there was only one way to describe this track, aside from the fact that it's a lush country single, one word would be character. I think the persona is what you end up holding on to.
You can hear plenty of classic rock influence in here as well, plenty of Americana, of course, and the balance between Country and classic rock is pretty seamless.
This song is a very particular way of putting you in the moment with it.
The track is called "Big Machines", and if I haven't given too much away, you should go listen to the song so that you can really get a good grasp of everything I'm talking about.
The entire song addictive warm tonality to it that just feels incredibly inviting.
That singing really pushes the envelope and adds this sort of extra heart and soul to everything, and it's not just because of the lyrics, but also because of the way it is performed.
Swirls around you and pulls you into this welcoming country atmosphere as it tells the story and delivers all this amazing tonality through its robust and sort of delicate instrumentation and performances.
This is the kind of song that you feel like came from someplace authentic. It feels like it was certainly pulled from life itself, and perhaps that's why everything comes through with the kind of heart that it does.
This song is about as homeland as it gets.
Now, as far as I'm told, this track is sort of a sneak peek of a full record that's supposed to be released a little bit later this year, and if there are more tracks like this on it, I certainly can't wait to hear it.
For now, this song will certainly keep me at bay, but I know that this is going to be a record where there are pieces of Taylor in it strung throughout in the form of stories and descriptions.
After I heard this single and learned about the upcoming record, I knew I wanted to have a sit-down with Taylor to find out more about where this single came from, the upcoming album release, and more.
So, while you listen to this track, have a read through of our interview with Taylor Campbell below.
Do not forget where you heard this first.
Let's talk about "Big Machine"! This song had a robust but somewhat classic Country appeal to it! The guitars were so good! Where did this track come from?
This song really came about quickly, I was thinking a lot about talks with my family members through the years about the company towns, unions, factories and the corporate greed that's shaped our country and the times we're in, and the song really just came out. It's all based on real stories and talks from my younger days.
I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Through the years I've used music to work through whatever I was going through, and I've been through a lot, so I've got a pretty big library of influences. I guess if I'm being honest there's a pretty wild mix of influences on this record such as Guy Clark, John Prine, Turnpike Troubadours, Tom Petty, Marty Robbins, Randy Newman, Robin Trower, and Marshall Tucker Band of course. I'd like to think they all go through the blender in my brain and come out as my own unique sonic smoothie, but that's really up to the listener to decide. I'm always curious what folks hear in our music and I'm often surprised by their answers.
Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
We recorded at Edit Point Studios here in San Antonio, which is a really cool studio with a lot of history since '87. We recorded it with Brant Sankey, who did our last record as well. Everything we do is independent, we're all working guys so we're very thankful to have access to a studio and a great producer like Brant gives us the ability to make a great sounding record without any label support.
Will this single be part of your upcoming album release? When is that set for?
Yeah, it's the first track on our second record, Never Quite Enough out on March 6th. The name of the record came from Big Machines as well so it's kind of the anthem of the record.
How did this all start for you as a band?
Rene and I had been in a couple bands together, and in 2019 or so we started jamming together for all these songs I've been writing throughout the years. He called up Tom, and it didn't take long to start playing shows and writing a lot. We recorded the first record in 2023 and put it out in 2024. Soon after that record Cody joined us and I finally had the band I'd always wanted. Now we're about to release our second full-length record and we're all really proud of what we've done.
Are you performing live right now?
We are! We're going to have our record release show on March 6th at The Lonesome Rose, which is the best honky-tonk in San Antonio, and our very own home-base. We've got a bunch of other cool shows lined up this spring around the hill-country and Houston and we're looking forward to getting out to more new places we haven't been!
Now that this is out, what's next for you?
Well, we're really looking to get on some more of the festival and rodeos Texas has to offer. Some of my favorite artists are also up in Oklahoma and Colorado, so we're really just looking to get in front of more folks. If you're reading this, shoot us a message, ask us to come to your city!
Who's in your headphones right now?
Man, one minute it's Turnpike's Price of Admission, and the Next it's Thin Lizzy. Our good friend Jacob Kyle just put out a record called Lonesome Valley, so I've been jamming that, and the next song will be J.J. Cale or The Deslondes. It pretty much alternates between the latest alt-country and the best of the 70's southern rock deep cuts.
What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
I'd say expect a ride. It's important to me for a record to have a balance of variety and flow, and I feel like we achieved that with this record. Every song gives you something different, but it all makes sense together. There's some light, and heavy-hearted songs, some southern-rockers and western-swingers. You know, it's a little country, it's a little rock n' roll, it's a ride.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
Thanks. We're just so grateful to everyone who's helped us get here and continue to support us. Most of our fans are just working folks like us, so it means a lot when they buy one of our records or get us a beer, especially with the times being what they are. You know, everytime we make new fans and new folks follow us, it just opens so many doors and we're so grateful. We literally couldn't do it without our fans. We're thankful to be here, and we can't wait for everyone to hear the new record and to see everyone at the shows!
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