‘Punk is an energy - It’s doing whatever the fuck you want and owning it,’ says trailblazer UPSAHL
This is A HOT MINUTE WITH, a quick-fire interview series championing all the rising talent catapulting into fashion, art and music’s fickle stratosphere. From pinch-me moments to bad dates and even worse chat-up lines, think of it as an overindulgent conversation – like the ones you have in sticky club toilets at 4.A.M. Except these guests don’t regret the overshare…
Taylor Upsahl is the trailblazing artist taking inspiration from punk, break-ups and her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.
Courtesy of @upsahlmusic
NAME TAYLOR UPSAHL
AGE N/A
LOCATION Los Angeles, United States
STAR SIGN Sagittarius
Ry Gavin: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Taylor Upsahl: On tour.
RG: What was the inspiration behind your latest release, Melatonin?
TU: I broke up with a dude I had been with for a long time. I had a lot of anxiety and couldn’t sleep. I had so many emotions that I couldn’t even escape my problems in my dreams.
RG: If you had to be trapped in an elevator with one fashion icon, who would it be?
TU: Valentino!
RG: How does writing music help you cope?
TU: Music is basically free therapy for me. I don’t think I would be mentally okay if I didn’t write music; it’s how I process all of my feelings.
RG: What decade inspires you the most?
TU: The nineties.
RG: How would you say Melatonin fits into your overall aspirations as an artist?
TU: I feel like Melatonin is a healthy balance between emotive yet danceable song. It’s a real mixture, which represents me well.
RG: Finish the sentence: the world needs more…?
TU: Love.
RG: How would you like your music to develop?
TU: I feel like my music will continue to develop as I evolve as a person. I write songs every day, so I’ll continue to narrate my life in real time.
Credit: KOHL MURDOCK
RG: What does punk mean to you?
TU: Punk is an energy - It’s doing whatever the fuck you want and owning it.
RG: You’re stuck on a desert island with only one book and one album. What are they?
TU: On the Road by Jack Kerouac and Abbey Road by The Beatles.
RG: How does your hometown of Phoenix, Arizona come into your work?
TU: Phoenix inspires everything. I went to a performing arts school there, my first shows were there, plus my dad was in punk bands, so I spent my childhood hanging out with all these local musicians.
RG: What do you do when you’re not writing music?
TU: Hang with friends and drink tequila.
RG: One moment that changed your life?
TU: Moving to LA.
RG: Where do you feel most creative?
TU: I feel most creative when I’m in the studio, no make-up, in pyjamas, with my friends who I make music with. There are no judgements, and we’re just there to have a good ass time and write about whatever we’re feeling.
RG: What’s one eye-wateringly expensive piece of clothing that’s worth the money?
TU: Hmm, I haven’t gotten one yet.
RG: What was the first song you ever wrote?
TU: Disturbance.
RG: Working on anything exciting at the moment that you can share?
TU: My debut album!!
RG: Any last words?
TU: Catch my show in London on October 12!