Taylor Henderson

Taylor Henderson is gearing up for one hell of a year. Since the release of his number one album Burnt Letters in 2013, the Geelong born and bred musician has been working on his next plan of attack. When I spoke to him, he was preparing to head off on a writing trip to the UK and America between stints in Sydney and Melbourne.
“You kind of go into a writing frenzy,” Taylor says laughing.
“I’m sort of travelling the world right now trying to get this sound together and I think it’s just time to bring out some new music.”
At just 21 years old, Taylor has had a whirlwind couple of years. After several number one singles and two successful albums – that earned him a dedicated fan base – he has well and truly established himself as an Australian up and comer. Perhaps a surprising turn of events for someone who claims that he was always interested in music but “never thought I’d be the front man on stage”.
However, surely such a quick rise to fame would have its downfalls. “There are times when you’re definitely not completely enjoying it,” he says, pointing to constant travelling and being away from family and friends as one of the hardest things he has to deal with.
He continues, “But I think the best thing about it is that it makes it a challenge and that’s what drives you.”
With just a couple of months to go until his Australian tour, where he’ll be hitting up regional towns such as Geelong and Warrnambool, it’s clear that Taylor is itching to get his new music out there. Although he says his new sound is “hard to describe”. Taylor explains that he’s going for more of a stripped back vibe, which he thinks his fans will connect with when they hear his new single upon its release during the tour.
But if there’s one thing fans can count on, it’s that Taylor won’t be straying too far from who people have come to know him as. Speaking of the writing process, he says it’s important for him to personally understand what the song is about.
“If you write about something that you can’t relate to, then it’s not going to come across well when you’re performing it live,” he says.
“That’s the most important thing; when I’m a part of it, that’s when I know it’s believable.”
Taylor’s decision to play an acoustic show in Geelong on his upcoming tour is the result of the enthusiasm his fans have shown towards that side of his music.
“I love performing with my band… But I can feel it in the audience that they really do appreciate the element of a guy and his guitar just singing,” he says.
Taylor says his April tour is a send off to his album Burnt Letters, as his next tour will be dedicated to songs from his new album.
“Of course I’m going to sing these songs again… But for anyone who has bought Burnt Letters, this is kind of the last time for a while you’re going to hear the live rendition of it,” he says.
As he prepares for meetings with industry heavyweights all around the world, it’s not hard to imagine that Taylor Henderson could become more than just an Australian favourite in 2015.
When&Where: Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnamboool – April 19, Courthouse Youth ARTS, Geelong – April 21 & National Theatre, Melbourne – April 24
By Kara Ready