With his single “Drive”, acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor meets the stark division and polarisation of our current moment with a personal plea for the sort of kindness, connection, and compassion found in Mother Nature’s unconditional love. Taylor released “Drive”yesterday, August 12th, on all major platforms. For more information, please visit Taylor’s Linktr.ee or any of the artist links below.
Propelled by Taylor’s gentle but insistent acoustic guitar strum, and highlighted by Jimmy Bowskill’s expert fiddle and pedal steel accents, “Drive” is as musically engaging as it is lyrically compelling. Taylor’s interplay in the chorus between “ride,” “write,” and “right” is sharp, and the song would sound perfect in a playlist alongside any from Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, Tracy Chapman’s debut LP., and Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in July.
“Drive” features Taylor’s U.K. touring band: Michele Stodart on bass, Raevennan Husbandes on guitar, and Sian Monaghan on drums. Engineering and mixing were handled by longtime collaborator Saam Hashemi, who also played organ and percussion on the song.
Throughout “Drive”, Taylor references the healing thought leaders and heroes who’ve inspired him on his own journey, including Martin Luther King Jr. (and his “I Have a Dream” speech); the poet Maya Angelou (who wrote “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”); and the Seneca prophet Handsome Lake (who established a “good message” moral code to help the Haudenosaunee people survive post-colonial disruption).
“The song was inspired by the times in which we’re living,” says Taylor. “It’s a strange time. I think people are stressed, confused, hurt, and it feels as if those emotions are being taken out on each other. I want to keep spreading the good word.” Taylor chose the title “Drive” as a reminder to himself, and others, to keep pushing forward. It’s a force that motivates creators, thinkers, and everyday people to continue working toward something bigger than themselves. Even – or especially – when it’s not easy.
As Taylor sings:
Life’s not easy for you
And it’s not easy for me
Yet nature’s love gives us everything unconditionally
