Meet Robin Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Taylor.

Robin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started with acting in elementary school, then got a modeling agent at 11 and was doing local modeling. I did the talent shows in elementary school every year and loved performing. My parents always played oldies and classics around the house, especially around the holidays. I started voice lessons when I was 13 and did the talent shows at summer camp every summer as well.

When I was 17, I saved up money for months and found a producer in New York City, Mike ‘G’ Guerriero (writer/producer of Danielle Bollinger’s Billboard hit “Kiss the Sky”) to help me record a demo. I worked with him on my first song “Kiss Me,” uploaded it to YouTube in 2008 and it got thousands of plays. That same year I saved up more money to work with producer Jim Ebert at Cue Recording Studio’s Red Room in Falls Church, VA. We did two songs that had more of a pop/rock feel. I left Virginia to go to Five Towns College after that and studied music theory and music business. It was there that I also studied with various voice teachers and learned to sing classically in 8 different languages. Learning music theory really helped me become a better singer and I learned better vocal care as well. I also loved studying music business because I always had an interest in business in general, but to study the business of music was awesome.

While going to school in New York, I would perform all over the city, such as The Delancey, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The Village Lantern, and more. I regularly went to the weekly open mics at Bowery Poetry Club, that was my favorite spot. I also met this producer, Eq McFly, who recorded with me all the time. I would just write over so many beats and record songs and then perform them in the city. Sometimes with lasers, sometimes with a piano, sometimes with body jewelry I made myself. He had never worked with a female pop artist, only rappers before me, and I’ve been a fan of hip hop since I was 13, so we started working on poppy records over hip hop beats. That’s where I really honed my sound. I had visited Los Angeles for the ASCAP Expo in 2012 and fell in love with California.

The next year I drove cross country, camped along the way, and camped in LA until I found a place to live. I worked as a background actress in TV shows and movies and got featured a few times. But music is my real love and passion. A few years ago, my friend Ralphy and I got together and decided to put on our own events called La Femme Pop, all-female artist line up. For the past two years, we’ve been putting on these La Femme Pop events together, along with Marygold, another amazing female pop artist. About a year and a half ago, I began live streaming on an app called Live.me and started growing a fan base for my music through that. It was at that time I started going by Robin Taylor, my first and middle name. I used to go by my first and last name Robin Cook but people on the app thought I was a male DJ lol.

So I started going by Robin Taylor, I would come home every night after work and just sing for hours. I started live streaming studio sessions and live shows, as well as in real life stuff. Since live streaming I’ve been releasing singles for the past year, doing shows, and networking with other dope artists and creatives in LA. I really feel like I’ve found a group of people who are so genuine and talented and supportive of each other. I love seeing people in my friend’s group doing awesome things, we really are starting a movement out here. I also finally feel so good and confident in who I am as an artist and a person, and I can’t wait to keep releasing music and doing shows. With each one, it just gets bigger and better.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think my biggest struggle has been self-confidence. Because art is subjective, people around you will tell you how you need to sound, how you should sing, how you should perform, what you should do, etc. It can be overwhelming if you don’t stick to your vision and know who you really are. I’ve actually always been pretty good at evaluating myself and knowing what my strengths and weaknesses are. But I think as a white female working with hip hop producers, people look at me and think my music is going to be Taylor Swift style, they don’t expect an edgier sound coming from me. I’ve had to develop super strong self-confidence in dealing with people either telling me what I should do or throwing shade in some way.

Another struggle I think is that I don’t come from a family with a lot of money, they don’t know anyone in the industry, I’ve been supporting myself since I was 18, and partially since I was 16 really. So it’s been balancing having to work to support myself while also making time to write, record, perform, and take in other art. I feel like it’s been a really long road for me, I’ve been releasing records since I was 17, honing my sound, doing shows, networking, etc. and it feels like just now everything’s starting to really come together. But if you love something and you have a passion for it, you just do it, no questions asked. Of course, we all want to be successful in what we love but if you love it, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is, you just do it because you love it.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’ve always been known for my singing and my voice. I didn’t actually start songwriting until I was 19 in college. The dean of the school heard my demo, introduced me to Melvin Glazer (Etta James, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley), who ended up being my songwriting mentor all through school. He had never worked with any students before. I had to really work on improving my songwriting, my melodies were horrible at first. I would drive around for hours playing beats and just freestyling melodies trying to get better at it. That and harmonies, I used to be so bad at harmonies. I just sang over songs in the car by myself until I found sounds that sounded good. I think what sets me apart is that I am versatile. I have r&b style songs, sad pop songs, upbeat pop songs, hip hop songs, a little bit of rap. I just love music. If I feel something, I go for it. I love having an edgy side too, I’ve always been a little edgy. I don’t like being placed in a box, and I hate predictability. I can be a little sassy but I have a really good heart and I think my music shows that.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love best about Los Angeles is the diversity. There’s the valley which is more neighborhood-y, then you have downtown which is more city-like, then there’s Hollywood and West Hollywood which are not too city-like but fun for a night out, then you have the artsy Venice beach, then the more fancy Santa Monica. It really is so diverse. What I like least about LA is the traffic. I hate waiting, I’m super impatient, and I hate slow drivers. Also crazy drivers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamrobintaylor.com
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Camo pants images, smoking photo, black and white portrait @shotbycash Pink performance shot @hunterspov Beast single art @foreverlouie

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