Meet Taylor Hughes | Country Artist and Songwriter

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

Hi Taylor, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve known that I wanted to be a country artist since I was a little girl. I’ve always been drawn to big voices, beautiful melodies, and the art of storytelling through song. I have always loved singing whether it was in school performances, church choir, little shows my friends and I would put on at home for our parents, or in the car singing at the top of my lungs. There is something about performing in front of a big crowd that makes me feel alive. The energy from the room, the fans singing along to my songs, being so in sync with my band, and connecting with listeners through my art; I feel like it was what I was born to do. This is a gift God has blessed me with that I will never take for granted. I intend to use this gift to the best of my ability and make those who have supported me proud.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others in my industry? This is a tough one! I think that I have a few things that set me apart, but I believe my voice is probably at the top. God has blessed me with not only a powerful voice but one that is truly unique. I’ve been in music for 11-12 years now and I have never had a fan that was able to find a specific artist to compare me to. They always say that when they hear me or a song of my on the radio, they instantly know it’s Taylor Hughes. I think that’s pretty cool. I always try my best to bring my fans the best performance that I can and I never try to copy anyone. I have something special about my voice; maybe it’s my vibrato, the storytelling aspect in my voice, the tone, or maybe it’s a combination of them all! My vocal ability and skills are something I work very hard on and train daily.

I’ve been blessed to have many highs in career so far that I’m very proud of but these accomplishments didn’t come without hard work, dedication, sacrifices and even a few tears. I’ve toured in several states, released music I believe in, I have been nominated and awarded a handful of awards over the years for different parts of my career, had song cuts on other great artists projects, and more. I am thankful for every single one of these accomplishments. I think it’s safe to say that looking back on all of these, the fact that I never gave up and I continue to fight and believe in myself is something to be truly proud of.

Getting to where I’m at today has not been easy. Like most artists, I have had to sacrifice a lot to chase this dream and I’ve had to watch loved ones sacrifice things as well which is never easy. Though the road isn’t always easy, it’s been rewarding and well worth it. I think my success and perseverance stems from the strong morals and values my parents instilled in me at a young age. They have been a great example of how to work hard, how to stay humble and thankful, and to always get back up even when you get knocked down. It’s like they say, nothing worth having comes easy. I also make sure to surround myself with like minded individuals who have similar morals and values along with a positive attitude. I think it’s important to support each other no matter what and this helps keep you going.

I’m learning something new about music and myself everyday. Every year is a season of growth and a way to learn how to keep getting better while staying true to who I am. I’m continuing to learn not to compare myself to others because we all have our own path, our own goals and our own struggles. I’m learning to enjoy the journey and trying not to focus on the end goal. It’s important to celebrate the small wins and recognize how far I’ve come in my career. I am also learning to live in the moment a little more and trying to balance work with personal life. I’m getting better day by day but I’m always working towards a better version of me.

I would love the world to know how much I love music and creating connections through my songs. I believe music is my purpose and that it brings me joy being able to write a song that my fans can connect to on a personal level. It’s a special way of expressing yourself and I’m happy to help others do that through music. I hope that my music and my performances are one of a kind, high energy, fan connecting, and create a special experience for my fans.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was coming to town and I wanted to show them the best time ever, I would have a full itinerary planned. We would start the morning off by going to my favorite coffee shop, The Fainting Goat, in Spring Hill. The employees are so kind, personable, and make tasty drinks! They know us by name and our favorite orders. You can’t go wrong with the pastries either.

We would then make our way to downtown Franklin. It is the cutest town with lots of local shops. Clothing, jewelry, restaurants, candy stores and more. There usually a special event going as well so there’s always something to do. We would do a little shopping and grab a sweet treat from my favorite bakery Triple Crown before making our way to the Factory for lunch.

The Factory has a ton of great lunch options, from Hattie B’s, Mojo Tacos, to The White Alligator which has the BEST jambalaya. We would eat some delicious food and then make our way home to get ready for the evening.

One night we would grab drinks at either Amendment 18, a fantastic speakeasy inspired bar in downtown Franklin or grab drinks at O’ Be Joyful. After drinks we would grab dinner at Culamar which is an incredible seafood inspired Italian restaurant. It’s by far one of my favorite places to eat. I highly recommend the salmon or the scallops. You can’t skip dessert, so we would then head over to their sister restaurant Culaccino’s for the tiramisu, it’s to die for! They have a great old fashioned as well and everyone loves an after dinner cocktail.

The next day we would grab coffee again, got to have your caffeine! Then grab lunch at one of the restaurants they didn’t try the day before at the Factory. Assuming it’s probably a Saturday, we would then end the evening attending a great concert at the iconic venue, The Ryman. After jamming to our favorite artist’, we would grab a hot dog from Daddy’s Dogs stand. You can’t go to downtown Nashville and not get a hot dog!

To end the weekend, we would get up to grab breakfast on Sunday morning. A great spot to grab a good southern style, hearty and delicious breakfast is at Big Bad Breakfast. They have super tasty biscuits and the portions are huge. By the time they left town, they would be stuffed! These are just a few of the many great places to stop at while in town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been so many people in my life that have helped me in my career and have believed in me from the start. From family, to friends, vocal coaches, guitar teachers, and my fans of course. It’s hard to pick just one! For this article, I’d like to give a shout out to my parents and husband.

My parents have been there from the start! From the moment I decided to take guitar lessons and make my first solo appearance in Nashville, they have supported me. They have seen every achievement, every struggle, every low and high, every laugh and every tear that this business has brought me. They have sacrificed so much time and money to help me succeed that there’s no way I could ever repay them. I am so thankful for their love and belief in me. The amount of miles traveled across the country, the 1000s of shows they’ve attended, selling merch, running sound, the list goes on and on. No matter what season my career is in at the moment, they are there to build me up and cheer me on. I might be biased but I’m pretty sure I have the BEST parents in the world.

My husband has been another staple in this crazy journey. He was the first man that I dated that believed in me and didn’t think this was just a hobby. Never asked me when I was going to get a “real job,” whatever that means! He would show up to all my shows, make sure our friends came out, helped load equipment around and cheer me on, especially when I sing his song “House of the Rising Sun!” He picked up his entire life to move us to Nashville because he knew how important my music career was to me. He is always there for support, to encourage me to be my best, to challenge me and is there to calm me when I lose my cool or stress over something. He is a sounding board when needed and I’m thankful God brought him into my life.

Website: https://www.taylorhughesmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorhughesmusic/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TayHughes_Music

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZPhD12xLCpMZRUcDDFNjpw

Other: Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0lUTE6qzOxQBCjbEKzAjOP?si=tIFMrQ3TQYWjJJEgj2odhg

Image Credits
James Hopper Photography
Hank Jr Productions
Bourbon Trail Radio
Pictorious Imagery