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Interview Time
Taylor Henderson
Since he graced the X Factor stage and captured the nations hearts with his angelic voice, catchy songs and boyish good looks, Taylor Henderson has certainly made an impact in the music industry. We chat with Taylor about his new album, his upcoming tour and what its like to be a chart topping musician all at the age of 21!
Congratulations on the release of your new single, ‘Already Gone,’ what is the inspiration behind your music?
Thank you very much! The new album Burnt Letters is such a personal album and as the release is getting closer and closer, my stomach starts to twist because the songs are so honest and about things that have happened in my life. Whoever buys the album is obviously going to hear things and realize there’s more to me then singing just catchy songs. Especially with Already Gone, it’s all about moving away and kind of growing up because I’m never at home and I’m always away from family and friends. So Already Gone is a dual between the two loves I have- the love for performing and going out touring and then the simplicity of being home.
Tell us a bit about your upcoming new album ‘Burnt Letters.’
The vibe of the album is very diverse; it’ll take you up and bring you down! You don’t get impatient with it because every song has a meaning and was written for a reason. I find that when it comes to song writing, I feel the best way and think it’s very admirable when the songs are honest. The whole album Burnt Letters is meant to feel, and it does feel, that it wants to be protected. All the songs are quite vulnerable and its meant to feel like is been pulled out of a burning building.
What was the recording process like?
I started recording probably the second I got off the X Factor Stage! I knew what I had to do, I had to come of the show and make a name for myself. It’s a hard thing to do because at the time you kind of have a title on your head that goes ‘I’m the guy from X Factor!’ Its obviously still there but I feel that over time, who knows, I can kind of shake that title and be someone as respected as someone who has never been on a talent show and has made it on their own and that’s what I’m doing, I making it on my own!
Do you have a favorite song from the album?
That’s a hard one! I mean Already Gone is the latest single, which is really nice and is about what I’m experiencing at the moment and being away from home. I was just in Sydney and now I’m here and then I have to go and do a gig in Melbourne and then I get to go home to Geelong so its pretty intense. Apart form that I really like Taking Back, its got a bit more aggression to it as opposed to my kind of lovey dovey songs.
You’re about to embark on a head lining tour around Australia, what can we expect from this tour?
Well the Burnt Letters Tour is going to be very different. We’ve had he Dawn Tour, which was kind of the beginning featuring songs from the show and everything, so this tour is all about new things. When the tour starts, it’s very much the live production of the show that will be amazing. It’s got a lot of instant energy but at the same time it’ll take you up and bring you down. It’s hard to explain you’ve just got to be there in the flesh watching the show!
Do you still keep in contact and share advice with your X factor mentor, Ronan Keating?
He tweeted me not long ago; he’s a very busy man and is sometimes hard to get hold of. Were people that have respectfully shaken hands and moved on and we do keep in touch on a friendly basis and wish each other the best.
Five years ago could you ever imagine you would have achieved all this success with two albums under your belt, a list of hit singles and a headlining tour?
You know, I couldn’t have done it without the help of having the people around me who have been there before any of this happened. It’s nice to give back to the people who have been there from the beginning such as my family and friends. They were there when literally only 7 people were at a gig trying to listen to me sing and they probably weren’t even listening anyway! It’s pretty intense now it’s so crazy. I have an amazing team at Sony, who really understand that I need to say what’s at the back on my head through this album. I just think that with the success, I don’t look at it as a job because it’s something that I love. I mean I would say since X Factor started I’ve probably been unemployed the whole time because I love what I do; it’s not really a job to me!
Thank you very much! The new album Burnt Letters is such a personal album and as the release is getting closer and closer, my stomach starts to twist because the songs are so honest and about things that have happened in my life. Whoever buys the album is obviously going to hear things and realize there’s more to me then singing just catchy songs. Especially with Already Gone, it’s all about moving away and kind of growing up because I’m never at home and I’m always away from family and friends. So Already Gone is a dual between the two loves I have- the love for performing and going out touring and then the simplicity of being home.
Tell us a bit about your upcoming new album ‘Burnt Letters.’
The vibe of the album is very diverse; it’ll take you up and bring you down! You don’t get impatient with it because every song has a meaning and was written for a reason. I find that when it comes to song writing, I feel the best way and think it’s very admirable when the songs are honest. The whole album Burnt Letters is meant to feel, and it does feel, that it wants to be protected. All the songs are quite vulnerable and its meant to feel like is been pulled out of a burning building.
What was the recording process like?
I started recording probably the second I got off the X Factor Stage! I knew what I had to do, I had to come of the show and make a name for myself. It’s a hard thing to do because at the time you kind of have a title on your head that goes ‘I’m the guy from X Factor!’ Its obviously still there but I feel that over time, who knows, I can kind of shake that title and be someone as respected as someone who has never been on a talent show and has made it on their own and that’s what I’m doing, I making it on my own!
Do you have a favorite song from the album?
That’s a hard one! I mean Already Gone is the latest single, which is really nice and is about what I’m experiencing at the moment and being away from home. I was just in Sydney and now I’m here and then I have to go and do a gig in Melbourne and then I get to go home to Geelong so its pretty intense. Apart form that I really like Taking Back, its got a bit more aggression to it as opposed to my kind of lovey dovey songs.
You’re about to embark on a head lining tour around Australia, what can we expect from this tour?
Well the Burnt Letters Tour is going to be very different. We’ve had he Dawn Tour, which was kind of the beginning featuring songs from the show and everything, so this tour is all about new things. When the tour starts, it’s very much the live production of the show that will be amazing. It’s got a lot of instant energy but at the same time it’ll take you up and bring you down. It’s hard to explain you’ve just got to be there in the flesh watching the show!
Do you still keep in contact and share advice with your X factor mentor, Ronan Keating?
He tweeted me not long ago; he’s a very busy man and is sometimes hard to get hold of. Were people that have respectfully shaken hands and moved on and we do keep in touch on a friendly basis and wish each other the best.
Five years ago could you ever imagine you would have achieved all this success with two albums under your belt, a list of hit singles and a headlining tour?
You know, I couldn’t have done it without the help of having the people around me who have been there before any of this happened. It’s nice to give back to the people who have been there from the beginning such as my family and friends. They were there when literally only 7 people were at a gig trying to listen to me sing and they probably weren’t even listening anyway! It’s pretty intense now it’s so crazy. I have an amazing team at Sony, who really understand that I need to say what’s at the back on my head through this album. I just think that with the success, I don’t look at it as a job because it’s something that I love. I mean I would say since X Factor started I’ve probably been unemployed the whole time because I love what I do; it’s not really a job to me!
Check out the full interview published in GC Magazine: http://www.gcmag.com.au/august-2014/
With the man of the moment during our interview
She’s conquered the DJ world, bringing the clubs to life with her thumping beats! Now Havana Brown is set to take on the pop industry with the release of her debut album ‘Flashing Lights.’ The album has been an instant success with killer tracks that get you dancing. Here we chat with Australia’s golden girl…
Congratulations on the release of ‘Flashing Lights’! How does it feel to finally release your highly anticipated debut album?
Thank you! It’s a relief and very exciting! It’s surreal to have an album out there. I guess you grow up dreaming of just signing to a record label, but signing to a record label as you do learn, doesn’t necessarily guarantee a release of a new album. So, to finally have an album out there it’s just a dream come true. I’ve always thought about it and dreamed about it, and I’ve always aspired to release my album. It’s amazing to be in this position right now and everyone loves it so that’s a good thing as well!
The album debuted at #6 on the Aria Charts, what was your initial reaction at its instant success?
I was really happy! I can tell by social media, which I mean is great, as you can tell if people like it or not, and the response has just been amazing. For it to debut in the top 10 in Australia, I’m ecstatic!
You started out as a DJ but have now become Australia’s princess of pop; did you always intend to pursue a singing career?
Well I was making music before I was DJing, but I guess when I started DJing I adopted that as my career and I didn’t really think I would go back into making music. But after a few years of DJing, I got a bit, you know, ants in the pants! I wanted to push the boundaries and try something different and something that would be fresh. I wanted to record music but also sing it and make it and perform it, which is a little different from other DJ’s.
What is the vibe of the album ‘Flashing Lights’; does it reflect aspects of your personality?
Yeah, absolutely! There are different aspects… There’s the party girl! There’s the cheeky girl! There is a serious side, there’s a couple of songs in there that I consider my ballads but there not really ballads! I’m never going to be the kind of girl that’s going to have the full ballad like Celine Dion type song! I’ve never loved that type of music; it’s not really me. But there are different aspects on the album and it has the vibes of the clubs because obviously I live in the clubs! It’s definitely got the pop element with the melody and lyrics because I love pop music too!
Tell us a bit about the recording process?
Well it’s all different. The way I like to write is by having some sort of production or track already made up. It’s got a vibe and it’s got a mood, it always helps with writing and the concept and where you’re going with the track. For me production is very important because I like to be able to play it in the clubs and I want it to be thumping! I want sounds that resonate with what’s happening right now in the clubs. So that’s always very important, so we start with that and then write on top of it and create a melody. I do like to create a melody first and then write to it.
What is your favorite song from the album?
That’s too difficult! I connect with every single song on there obviously because I wouldn’t have it on there otherwise! Everyday it’s a different song for me because it depends on my mood. But you know I love ‘Ba Bing,’ I love ‘Warrior’, I love ‘No Tomorrow’, I swear ‘Any1’ gets me in a good mood, its got a good vibe to it! Really, I cant chose one because everyday is different for me.
Your latest single ‘Warrior’ is a killer dance track and has been extremely popular, what’s the inspiration behind your music?
Well you know what, the production is based on the Melbourne shuffle. So you know that big massive drop? Its Melbourne sounds. It’s created from Melbourne where I’m from. And it’s actually called the Melbourne shuffle so the sounds are inspired by my hometown. But you know with the lyrics, its just about every situation that I’ve experienced to be where I’m at right now. I’ve had some success and I feel like I’ve conquered some people that would doubt me or try to bring me down, or even obstacles that I’ve been able to overcome and still achieve my dreams regardless of what everyone is trying to do around me.
You’ve toured with some big names in the music business, from the likes of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Pitbull, did they give you any advice for recording your own album?
No not advice on recording the album. I think spending a lot of time with Pitbull, you see how he works. He has a studio set up in his hotel room and he is always on tour and he’s always writing and working on music constantly! He will stay up all night partying and then wake up in the morning and start working on music. So for me, I get to watch these people and see how they work. In this day and age, especially the digital world, you have a lot more freedom to put out lots of content at your own pace. You can put out an album, then an EP and then just keep rolling out singles every month if you wanted to. You know, it’s about always trying new things, always going for it and seeing if it works out. I think it’s all in the numbers; the more that you work, the more chances you have of creating great music.
Any plans to tour?
I’m always on tour! I’m playing tonight, then in Sydney tomorrow, it’s a bit more on the DJ side of things but I’m always touring! As far as a personal concert, I really want to do that but I wouldn’t be able DJ for six months and I would miss it so much. Obviously if your touring you cant do side shows, so it would really take me out of DJing for six months and its really about deciding if I want to do that or not.
So what’s next for Havana Brown?
Well as soon as I finish my DJ tour in Australia right now, I go back to LA and I’ve got studio time set up and I keep touring in America. During the week I’m in the studio with amazing, amazing producers so I’m really excited!
Check out the full interview published first in GC Magazine: http://www.gcmag.com.au/march-2014/
