BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
NASHVILLE – Knott County-native Brit Taylor is set to release her sophomore album “Kentucky Blue,” produced by Sturgill Simpson and Dave Ferguson, on Feb. 3.
Taylor’s debut album “Real Me” was like the restoration of an old car, subtle and melancholy, complete with tape over the engine light and a fresh coat of polish. “Kentucky Blue” on the other hand finds Taylor cruising down the highway, radio blaring with the ragtop down.
While Taylor stays true to her authentic songwriting roots, portraying a complex tapestry of emotion, the band cranks it up a notch, providing an upbeat backing track to Taylor’s bittersweet lyrics and melody. The album is one part classic country and one part east Kentucky stomp.
The record will be available everywhere music is streamed or sold Feb. 3 and is a collaboration between Taylor’s own record label Cut a Shine and Thirty Tigers, the independent music distribution company used by artists like Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall and Lupe Fiasco.
“I have known Ferg for years,” explained Taylor, referring to producer Dave Ferguson. “He’s always been good about introducing me to people, inviting me out to shows, sharing connections.”
Taylor’s first time meeting the record’s other producer, Jackson, Kentucky-native and world-renowned alternative country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson, was after a show in Nashville. Ferguson invited Taylor to watch Simpson and Tyler Childers play at the Grand Ole Opry.
After the show, Ferguson introduced Taylor to Simpson and they immediately hit it off, just not about music.
“I don’t even think Sturgill knew I sang after that,” said Taylor. “I was just some stranger hanging out backstage. I knew Miles [Miller] and Ferg, so he just thought I knew them and was there hanging out. He didn’t know I was a singer and, Lord, I wouldn’t want to tell him. I can only imagine how many people are like, ‘I’m a singer. I write songs.’”
Instead, the pair found themselves discussing an entirely different art form, karate.
“I left that night thinking, ‘Well, Sturgill has no idea that I sing or write, but he knows I’m a black belt,” Taylor chuckled.
Cut to 2021, Taylor was meeting regularly with producers and making plans to record her album but struggled to find the right person for the job.
“It just didn’t feel right,” said Taylor. “I didn’t feel like anybody understood what I really wanted to do.”
Knowing her old pal Ferguson was a veteran country music producer, Taylor reached out to see if he would be interested in giving it a shot.
“He texted me back immediately and said, ‘How about me and Sturgill do it?’” Taylor recounted. “My heart fell to my feet.”
Though Taylor was cautious to get her hopes up, within 30 minutes of Taylor agreeing to Ferguson’s suggestion, he and Simpson had booked Nashville’s historic Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa to cut her album.
“They asked me to send them 25 songs,” Taylor said. “I sent them closer to 30. We weeded through them together and picked the ones that resonated best with all of us. It’s an old-school way of doing things, but it’s the only way I ever want to make records – where the best songs win.
“They have such a fun dynamic,” Taylor described what it was like working with her production team. “They have a great friendship and a funny friendship, so that’s fun to watch, but it’s also fun to watch them be creative together.”
Taylor described Simpson’s approach to producing, focusing on what the artist wants to make, not what the audience or the producer wants to hear.
“I don’t know how many times Sturgill said, ‘Well this is your record. What do you think? What do you want? What order of the songs do you want?’
“To have two great producers behind me and also encouraging me to have a big part in the creative decisions was just really cool,” said Taylor. “I’ve been in a lot of situations where that’s just not the case. For that to be the case in this situation with two people that have done what they’ve done in this industry—I’m really grateful for that.”
With a production team like Ferg and Sturge, it’s no surprise that Taylor’s new record features an all-star lineup of musicians, singers and songwriters. From Marla Cannon-Goodman on background vocals to Stuart Duncan and Russ Pahl on the fiddle and pedal steel, this album is jam-packed with country music royalty and talent.
Catch “Kentucky Blue” in all its upbeat melancholy glory, streaming and sold everywhere, especially your local record shop, Feb. 3. Catch the album release show at the Burl in Lexington Feb. 10.
Follow Taylor on social media and visit her website at brittaylormusic.com to keep up-to-date with her latest releases and tour dates.