Encountering God, Empowering People, Engaging our City.

Whether found on-stage behind a Rhodes piano performing inspiring soulful material, or coaxing electrifying lead riffs over funk grooves from her stunning white keytar, soulful vocalist Taylor Jackson has an astonishing breadth of musicality.

With a large and diverse vocal range, she is as at home performing intimate atmospheric ballads
and fluid soulful adlibs as she is slipping into theraw power of a Soul diva. Her performances are
always inspirational, entertaining and energising.

A composer and performer of music since the age of 6, and with a classical conservatoire composition degree from the Royal Northern College of Music under her belt, Taylor has also composed music for television and film and arranged strings and instrumental parts for several albums.

Taylor has spent the last ten years performing and writing with various artists. From studio sessions on keys and vocals for artists including hiphop act Homecut (playlisted on radio 1), alternative singer songwriter Hannah Atkins and Drum and bass
producer BCee to touring and providingvocals for acclaimed uk hiphop band Homecut at venues including Glastonbury, Koko in Camden, ‘Soundwave Festival’ Croatia, Greenbelt and supporting headliners such as Cinematic Orchestra and Corrine Bailey Rae.

In March 2013, Taylor released her long-awaited first solo EP ‘Roots’, a British acoustic soul EP which she both
wrote and arranged.  Her original music has so far been aired on BBC Radio Manchester and other Northern radio stations as well as live performances at events and venues including Glastonbury festival, Proud in Camden, Manchester’s Matt n Phreds, Heptonstall Festival, Salford Music Festival and Monteflavio Festival, Rome.

With a simple line up of vocals, keys, Cajon and bass, and a collection of head-nodding grooves positively dripping with
soul-filled harmonies, the 'Roots' EP succinctly summarises someof the struggles and triumphs of life. It is in the lyrical content that some of Taylors key influences such as Marvin Gaye and Joni Mitchell can be seen as she chooses to focus on politics and modern day ethics handling difficult topics deftly.

The song 'Northern Soul' with it's uplifting message aptly describes the pressures women face to conform to ideals and explores some of the joys and sorrows of northern uk living, Title track 'Roots' uncovers what it means to 'live strong' in
a modern day context of knock-backs and failures and over the delectable funk groove of 'Just to Pay', Taylor examines some of the fallouts of the credit crunch and pay-day loan culture ending with a powerfull playout on it's timeless message 'I'm not gonna sell the future just to pay for today'.

Unusually for a female singer-songwriter there is only one love-song amidst these 4 tracks, 'Downstream' but it's heavenly summery feel and it's popularity on social media and Soundcloud show that Taylor has a firm musical grasp on the classic love song too.

The EP has already received over 6000 plays online and this and the social media response and rapidly expanding growing fan base are an indicator that for this gifted Northern Soul, her time to shine has come

Currently Taylor is working on a debut full album with North Manchester Producers Matt Steele (Jersey Street, Brand New Heavies)
 and Joel Atkins (Flights, Ad-apt, Benjamin V) who both also worked on the EP. The album boasts urban grooves and synths mixed
with luscious orchestral string arrangements and vocal sections. Think Rotary Connection meets Joni Mitchell,
Laura Mvula meets Omar - it's set to be a classic, and Taylor is a definite artist to watch out for in 2014.


Welcome to the weekly podcast from Ivy Church. Taken from our Sunday service we hope you are inspired and challenged. To learn more about Ivy Church visit ivychurch.org

guitarist, songwriter, producer
not necessarily in that order

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