April Taylor takes her musical heritage seriously but when your great grandfather wrote songs with the world famous Carter Family, it just comes naturally. The Bristol, Tennessee native grew up surrounded by music. “All my life I have heard the stories about my great grandfather on my mother's side writing music with the Carter Family. They have always had a family bluegrass band that plays festivals, local events and every family gathering. My grandfather on my father's side of the family can play any instrument he picks up. One of my greatest childhood memories is sitting beside him as he taught me to play the guitar.” As a kid, April would spend hours listening to her father’s albums and singing along though she never took her own musical talents seriously. She was happy singing in her church and with her family, with the hopes of passing her rich musical heritage on to her own children.
However, a recording of April singing found its way to producer and president of Nashville based Plateau Music Tony Mantor. Mantor was impressed with what he heard, contacted April at her home in Bristol and signed her to the label a short time later.
He immediately began to search for songs for her first studio session, sorting through hundreds of songs submitted by some of Nashville’s hottest writers and publishing companies. Then one day Tony played April a song he had found at one of the city’s smaller publishing houses. That song was “Hero At Home” by writers Paul Harbin, Sandi and Charles Kight.
“My mother’s father was deployed to Korea and left my grandmother at home with 4 small children, “said Taylor. “She has told me so many stories of the struggles she went through while he was away. I also have a really good friend whose husband is in Iraq now. When she talks about her life, I hear the same struggles that my grandmother went through. When I first heard the song, I immediately thought of their lives.” Producer Mantor describes the song as, “A message that we all need to hear and remember; for the wives that are left behind are truly the unsung heroes. When April told me about her background, I knew it would be a natural fit for her.”
Over the next year, Taylor and Mantor worked in the studio to record “Hero At Home” and eleven more songs. But it was the message carried in the words of “Hero At Home” and the emotion brought to life by April’s voice that cried out to be heard.
“Hero At Home” was a was the first single release and the wildly successful single garnering both critical acclaim and nationwide radio airplay. Because of that success, April launched a nationwide tour in January of 2006 and during the following ten months she performed literally across the country from San Diego, CA where she performed aboard the USS Berkley docked in the San Diego Harbor to Washington, DC as the featured performer for the Pentagon’s “Night Of Heroes”.
In 2007, Taylor once again started the year on a high note with the commercial release of the CD, which she had named I Wanna Live Like That. She also began her second nationwide tour while her label released the follow up singles “All My Love”, “Just Another Hurt” and “What It Takes” to radio. The CD’s title track, “I Wanna Live Like That”, shipped to radio in January of 2008 and rose all the way to 21 on the charts.
As “I Wanna Live Like That” continued its climb up the chart, April returned to the studio with producer Tony Mantor to begin work on her sophomore project. On July 21st of this year"When You Come From Nothing", the first single from the as yet untitled CD arrived at radio. The song, written by Will Hopkins & Steve Mitchell, is a life-affirming testament of the strength of the human spirit expressed in April's unique vocal style.
Following the single's release date, April launched into a packed summer schedule. Her weekdays are divided between the studio in Nashville, where she is putting the finishing touches to the new album, and visiting radio and her weekends are committed to live performances.
"When You Come From Nothing", the latest release from the new voice of Country Music, on your radio now!
thanks for the supporting Whiskey Sour! we recently uploaded a new song called Coma! please come listen. would love to know what you think. we also have some rough demos up too. Lots more to come!
Hi April, thanks for the add. Happy to meet you in Nashville at FUEL during your show during CMA Music Festival week. My son Eric Geibel also did a live show there. I'm attaching a pict of you and Eric for your photo album. You have a great site and I enjoy your music. Hope to see you in Nashville again next year. Warm regards, your friend and fan, Bruce
I think you get a amazing future in front of you with your music, because you have a amazing, beautiful and wonderful song voice and you have real good and amazing songs:):)
Please come by and listen to Delores Hershey sing “Angel Kisses”. We would love to know what you think of it. We are co-writers on this song. Please add www.myspace.com/deloreshershey to your friends if you haven’t yet and let her know I sent you.
Just stopping in to say Hi! How are you? Pretty good here..trying to find songs so I can make a CD but having no luck...UGH! I am hoping to make it to TN so I can come to one of your shows..would love that!! Anyways, just letting ya know I was thinking of ya!
Thanks for your kind words. We really enjoyed your show. Sandie said "she sure is energetic!" Hope you can find a dependable guitar player. The guys covered well.
Hey April, whatcha doing? I was just thinking of the time at the I-hop when i put salt in your coffee!! lmao! and you told the waitress to tell me the chicken was spoiled after i ate it!! omg! and then sang the brady bunch song!! haha good times, good times!! Hope your doing good! Miss ya!!
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