Meet Mark Taylor | Country Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
First, I’d like to say thanks so much for having me today. The music industry is really tough. People don’t realize how 10 years can be considered an overnight success, and that’s often a big challenge to overcome. They call Nashville a 10-year town because it legitimately takes 10 years to meet everybody, write the songs you need to write, and to make the connections that need to be made. There’s no rushing that process, even the folks who claimed to be an overnight success usually have some sort of activity happening behind the scenes that the average person does not know about.

That’s probably the most challenging thing that people are often unaware of, is just how much legwork has to go in behind the scenes releasing a song, playing a show, and getting a career off the ground.

The other thing that people are not often aware of, is just how expensive it is to put on a show. By the time you put a band on stage, pay for a driver, rent a truck with the trailer, and you have all the equipment that you need ready to go, it will often cost thousands upon thousands of dollars before the show has even happened. As much fun as it is to get up there and do my favorite job in the world, there is quite an extreme cost that’s associated with it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Mark Taylor is not your typical country artist. What sets me apart from everybody else is the songs that I write, and the time it takes to craft them. We are currently in an environment in the music industry where we’re instructed to put out singles every few weeks to gain traction. While this may work for some, I’ve really taken the old school approach of really dialing in each song and making sure that each song is exactly what I want to say. I’m interested in quality over quantity. I want these songs to outlive me. I’m so proud of the hard work that my team puts in every day, I have a wonderful team of folks that has my back through thick and thin.

This summer, we’re sharing festival bills with folks like Lainey Wilson, Gary Allen, Nico Moon, and so many more. Getting to open up for these wonderful acts is such a joy every time we get to do it. I love getting to these venues and having people know my songs and sing them back to me. It never gets old.

Professionally, I’ve been doing this a long time. Every little bump in the road, high and low, has led me to where I am today. There have been so many doors slammed in my face that have led to open windows across the room that I didn’t even see. But I wouldn’t trade it for the anything. The most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is don’t let the highs get too high or the lows get too low, it’s really easy to look around and see what everybody else is doing and think, why am I not on that tour, why don’t I have the big song on Spotify right now, and why didn’t I get that opportunity? But when a young act focuses on developing their craft and writing the best songs they absolutely can, that’s when things really take off. The 10 year overnight success is attainable in that way: hard work, dedication to your craft, great songs, touring, and trusting your gut.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Nashville is booming right now with so much to do! You can catch a Titans game, a Nashville Predators hockey game, or even a Nashville SC soccer game and still be five minutes from the best music you’ve ever heard ever. Some of my personal favorite spots are Santa‘s Pub, Bartaco, Little Hats Market, and Neighbors of Germantown. I would also highly suggest coming during the spring and summer when the Nashville Sounds are playing. It’s a really fun minor-league baseball team that you’ll often find me at on a weeknight.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to my dad. My Dad was the first one that really told me when I was a kid that I could make money doing music. He had always played in rock bands when I was growing up. He was the first person that ever encouraged me to go out and try to make money doing this.

I remember he lent me his PA system for my first show when I was 13 years old, and I never looked back. It takes somebody like that to tell you that you can do something, especially when you’re a young person. If it wasn’t for that encouragement, there’s no shot I’d be doing any of this today. Even today we still get to play on stage together all the time, sometimes he’ll jump up with us, sometimes we’ll play the iconic Bluebird Café together, and sometimes we’ll just be jamming in the living room. But I wouldn’t trade that for the world.

Website: https://www.MarkTaylorCountry.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marktaylorcountry/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MARKTAYLORnash

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkTaylorCountry

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marktaylorcountry

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marktaylorcountry