Last month, when we first laid ears on Taylor Roche’s latest single OVER IT, we were immediately hooked. With the track’s release, Roche immediately established himself as a purveyor of dreamy, love-lorn pop gems.
So, fresh off dropping the single, we caught up with the artist himself to chat all about it, the evolution of his music, and what the future holds.
With an incredibly infectious new single fresh under his belt, we caught up with Christchurch-based artist Taylor Roche for a chat.
HAPPY: Hey Taylor! What are you up to at the moment?
TAYLOR: Hey! Currently frying up some eggs and blasting Post Malone’s new album at the moment hah, but was just recording a demo of an idea I came up with last night!
HAPPY: We’ve loved OVER IT! Really fun track, how is it having it out in the open air?
TAYLOR: Thanks so much for your support! It’s really exciting! I had a lot of late nights at the studio with my producer/good pal Sam Jones working on it and we’ve made sooo many demos of the track that have been sitting in my phone for like a year now, so receiving the final master and releasing it last Friday was so sick. I’ve had a lot of really good support from radio stations here in Christchurch as well as a lot of support from followers online which is super cool.
HAPPY: How does OVER IT fit into the rest of your sound? It’s quite divergent from This Love Song…
TAYLOR: OVER IT is like a statement for me, it’s basically me saying “hey, I’ve had a break from releasing music for over a year and I’m still honing in on my sound and finding new ways to create, but here’s an introduction to a new vibe that I’m really excited about.” This Love Song was very much inspired by the sound that everyone knew me for a couple of years ago, I would always perform acoustically so at first, a lot of my thought process around writing music was for acoustic instruments and more intimate venues. But this past year, I’ve found a love for performing big synth Pop songs on stage and jumping around with audiences like one big party, hence this new pop sound for me!
HAPPY: Is heartbreak a large source of inspiration for you?
TAYLOR: It’s funny; I used to think that I didn’t want to be another artist that writes songs about heartbreak, but when I write, there’s just something so universal about the theme of heartbreak and love. Love can be the most exciting and spiritual high but in contrast, heartbreak can be the most painful and devastating experience and the great thing about that is these feelings are felt by everyone, no matter where they are in the world and music is a way that people express these emotions and that to me has always been mind blowing really.
HAPPY: What is the most memorable performance you’ve ever done?
TAYLOR: I was singing with a pop band on a cruise ship in New Orleans earlier this year and on the first night I sang Purple Rain – that song gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it. Right as I was doing a high vocal solo at the end, I opened my eyes and everyone had their phones in the air with their flashlights on and this family next to me just started making it rain, hurling notes of cash at me while screaming… it was such a rockstar moment haha and that was my first American crowd so that was a really energetic and cool feeling.
HAPPY: Were there any particular artists you were listening to that inspired the sound of OVER IT?
TAYLOR: I’ve had a lot of inspiration over this past year, there’s so much good music releasing literally every week at the moment and it’s just inspired me so much, I love it. Artists in particular that have had a big influence on not just OVER IT, but also my next songs are Bazzi, Lauv, Sigrid, Zara Larsson, Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes…there’s so many, I could go on forever haha
HAPPY: When did you realise you could sing?
TAYLOR: It came with practice that’s for sure. When I was 7, I wanted to be a Backstreet Boy, I was obsessed with their song Incomplete and I would lock myself in my room and pretend I was singing with them, using a pencil as a microphone. I performed it at a school talent quest and I’m pretty sure I butchered the song but my parents signed me up for singing lessons later that year and the rest is history!
HAPPY: What do you find particularly appealing about pop music?
TAYLOR: I’ve always loved deep synthy sounds and choruses that have those catchy hooks that you can’t get out of your head when you’re lying in bed at night. I also love how pop music sounds live, because a lot of it is all created electronically in a studio and that gives artists so much opportunity to completely revamp their songs and give their fans a completely unique experience live.
HAPPY: Who is your ideal show if you could support any artist at any concert?
TAYLOR: This is super ambitious but I would love to open for someone like Shawn Mendes or Troye Sivan because those crowds are insanely energetic and passionate which is exactly the kind of audience I want to attract and perform for, plus I’m a huge fan of their music. Also I love that Troye Sivan on his NZ/Australia tour a couple of weeks ago, advertised on social media each show as a different theme for people to dress up and that’s something I would totally get behind haha.
HAPPY: What’s next for Taylor Roche?
TAYLOR: I’m shooting up to Auckland for a few weeks to get back into the studio. I’ve been writing a catalogue of music while in America so I’m going to record it all and start piecing together an EP! I will be releasing another single before then, maybe two. The demo of the next track is on my phone now and it’s honestly my favourite song I’ve written so far, so I’m really excited to finish and share that one. I’ll be heading back to America for a few months just before the New Year and will be loosely based in Orlando playing with some more musicians, so I’m really looking forward to using that time to write more, develop my performance and network over there. I’m just so deeply passionate about music and creating and I cannot wait to share more music with everyone!
OVER IT is available now. Listen above.
