This e-mail does not exist in our database, please insert the e-mail you used to register.
Taylor Beadle-Williams is a singer-songwriter hailing from Sydney, Australia. The former lead singer of Sydney originals funk/jazz/soul/pop band, JUNK, and electro-pop band, Caution Forces, Taylor has also performed at most of Sydney's leading music venues (Factory Theatre, Camelot Lounge, Metro Theatre, Oxford Art Factory etc) singing an array of styles over her 10+ year career. However, despite her solid performance foundation, Taylor was too shy to perform her own songs in public and, with the encouragement and help of her accompanist, Mark Williams, Emergenza was Taylor’s very first opportunity to perform her own original material...
And then she won Emergenza Australia in Dec 2017, significantly boosting her confidence in her own work!
Therefore, 2018 is the year that Taylor finally began showcasing her own work, in her own style, influenced by the varied, eclectic music she's listened to all her life. Although she and Mark will be performing soulful, ‘stripped back’ acoustic versions of Taylor’s songs at the Taubertal Festival 2018, Taylor describes her music as ‘electro-soul.’ Taylor is currently completing more music in the studio with the hope of independently releasing her long-awaited EP and performing for more audiences in Australia and globally! Already, Taylor has dived head-first by debuting her first single, SPARK OFF THE NEW YEAR, in Jan 2018, which soared into the Australian Top 50 iTunes Alternative chart, alongside Vance Joy and Tonight Alive. Being beyond excited to visit Europe for the first time, let alone perform in Europe, Taylor will bring a fresh and heartfelt sound to today's pop genre and there will only be one path moving forward, and that is up!
1) You have participated in the Emergenza Festival Edition 2017/2018. What made you decide to take part in it?
When I received an email from an Emergenza rep asking me if I was interested in participating in the Festival, a light switched in my head and I knew this might be an awesome chance for me to finally kick my arse into gear and perform my own songs that no one, except my folks, had heard before. But I had nothing prepared, not one single thing, and my round was in two weeks, but I knew I had to give it a go anyway!
2) As you approach the world final, what is your state of mind?
Incredibly excited! In my mind I think, ‘Man, it would be awesome to win the whole thing,’ but the other part of me is thinking, ‘Man, I get to travel to Germany, and play my own material at a massive music festival - I’ve already won!’
3) What is your best memory from your Emergenza experience?
The moment I found out that I had made it to the semi-finals! I really mean it when I say that the first heat of Emergenza was the VERY first time I performed my own songs in front of an audience, besides my parents. I didn’t even bring a lot of people in comparison to the other bands! So, when my name was called out saying that I had been voted through to the semi-finals, my accompanist, Mark Williams, and I were so shocked and pleasantly surprised. It meant that people in the audience, besides my friends and family, had a positive reaction to my songs! What an awesome feeling!
4) What's behind your band's name? Any specific meaning?
I am a solo artist, despite having an accompanist, so it is just my name, Taylor Beadle-Williams. I’m thinking of shortening my name down to just one word, as does Bjork, Madonna, Banks, Sevdaliza etc but I have no idea what my ‘stage name’ could be yet. Let me know if you have any ideas!
5) If you had to choose a famous song that represents your band...which one would it be?
Oh that is hard. If you mean a song that portrays the music I am about, then a number of songs come to mind: ‘Stranger in Moscow’ by MJ, ’Human’ by Sevdaliza, ‘Jóga’ by Björk, ‘Glory Box’ by Portishead, ‘Wicked Games’ by Chris Isaak etc etc etc. If I had to choose just one album, then The Alter by Banks would sufficiently represent where I am as an artist right now.
If you mean a song that represents me as an artist, then, and this is a very pop-orientated song, but it’s ‘Keep On Singing My Song’ by Christina Aguilera because of it’s message.
6) Can you tell us a funny story or anecdote about your experience on stage? And one which happened in backstage or during the preparation of a show?
When it was my time to perform on stage at the semi-finals, I was so enthusiastic to start that I ran up on stage and immediately introduced myself and spoke some banter to the audience. Meanwhile, Simon Dubois (an Emergenza Director) was behind me on stage too, patiently waiting for me to stop talking and shuffle me out of the way so that he could introduce me, which was as rehearsed. It was a bit of an embarrassing moment for me, but I just apologetically laughed and moved to the side so Simon could re-introduce me.
A story from backstage would be that every time a band would perform before or after me, my accompanist and I would just look at each other, laugh, then sigh. We always found it funny how we were often sandwiched between very big, popular, heavy metal bands, whereas, here we were, just a little acoustic duo, performing pop/soul ditties. We would just laugh at the contrast. But never at the time did we imagine that I’d win the whole thing!!
7) How would you describe your music ?
If you listen to my studio tracks, they would be electro soul. However, the ‘stripped’ back, acoustic versions, seen at
Emergenza, are purely soul pop.
8) Before you go on stage, do you have a ritual or a good luck charm that goes everywhere with you?
Yes! Actually, I vlogged about my ritual on my Youtube channel: Taylor Beadle-Williams Official:
https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-RG2JxK33I
There are 5 ways I prep before a gig:
1. Do not drink alcohol the night before - otherwise I get a dry mouth at the gig the next day.
2. Do some sort of exercise the morning of the gig - to warm up my body and mind.
3. I try to eat at least 3 hours before a gig - so it has time to digest and I don’t belch the whole way through the show!
4. Warm up voice 1-2 hours before the gig.
5. I don’t chat much for an hour before the gig - so my voice doesn’t get exhausted by the time I’m on stage.
9) What is your dream gig?
Without a doubt, I have two dream gigs: Coachella/Glastonbury and/or the Grammy Awards!
10) What can audiences expect from one of your live performances?
Pure soul. Songs about heartbreak. Drama.
11) If you could invite a band or an artist at your party, dead or alive, who would it be?
The ’King of Pop’, Michael Jackson. Always and forever my musical hero.
12) What are your short to medium term plans after the international final?
Finishing my EP and launching it. Also, if I could get airplay on radio, that would be amazing! ANNNDD, of course, touring Europe would be incredible.
13) What inspires you when you are composing (musical inspirations or others)?
Heartbreak - and that comes in all forms. Whether its due to a break up or issues in this world, I write a lot due to break ups and reflecting.
14) What question did I forget?
Um.... ‘Taylor, how do I become as cool as you?’ (laughs)
If you’ve made it to the finals, then you have worked your butt off to get here, so therefore the other bands in the finals deserve to win too. In saying that, if I won, I would deserve it because I am very different from who usually enters the finals.
I will not have a full live band behind me, I do not have a huge following (yet) and therefore I will be working damn hard on that stage to prove that I belong at this festival too, no matter how different my set will be from the rest.
Social media links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorbeadlewilliamsofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorbeadlewilliams/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/taybighair/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dOWMdlow8V7FB8ECI4Z71?si=DZx9bF64SSeQHXfD95dLfg