Country music truly shines during the summer months. There are so many artists that release their best feel-good songs that you can’t help but be in a good mood when you hear them. Add Mark Taylor’s “Buzzed on a Boat” to that list! We recently had the chance to catch up with Mark and talk with him about his new summery single, how the idea for it came about, the bigger project he will be releasing down the road, working with co-writers versus writing by himself, and much more.

Single Review of "Buzzed on a Boat"

www.marktaylorofficial.net

1. Tell us about your debut single “Buzzed on a Boat.”

This song is what I’ve always wanted to hear on the radio, this is such a fun song that makes me smile when I hear it. Especially during such a hard time that our country went through during COVID-19, country music fans needed a song to relax on vacation too! This song came as a result of my mom and my sister asking me for months to write a song for our family beach vacations. I’m so excited to share it with everyone! 

2. The summer release season is always crowded with new feel-good country songs. What do you feel are the main qualities that will make “Buzzed on a Boat” stand out amongst the pack? 

I feel that the imagery in my writing makes this song stand out in a crowded release season. I like to be very specific with phrases, words, and the way I say things in my music. In addition to the imagery, people seem to love songs with catchy titles and easy to remember melodic lines. I hope people like this one. This song is also unbelievably fun to sing live, so I can’t wait for folks to hear it as it’s intended! 

3. Did you have any reservations about releasing a summer song as your debut single? If so, what were they and what were the other songs you considered releasing instead?

No reservations at all with this one, I was actually hoping to release a summer song first anyway! This song fell into the album very late in the process… we actually had to extend the date for production because I added this song! As soon as I remembered I wrote this song, I knew it had to be the first single out. I’ve been thrilled with it so far, and people seem to be enjoying it! 

4. Speaking of other songs…you are working on a project that is due out later this year. Is it going to be an EP? Album? When is the tentative release date for it?

Yes! We have a full-length album in the works right now. I can’t share the release date just yet, but if you stay tuned to my website (www.MarkTaylorOfficial.net), my Instagram (@mark_acoustic) and Facebook (@MarkTaylorOfficialMusic), I’ll be sharing more info in the coming weeks/ months. We have a bunch of stuff coming your way shortly, so stay tuned! 

5. What can we expect to hear from the songs on the forthcoming release that “Buzzed on a Boat” doesn’t offer the listeners about who you are as an artist?

I wrote this whole record in quarantine, similar to many artists. What I think sets me apart from these other releases is that this album is country, but there are influences and references to just about every type of genre. Country, rock, pop, jazz, hard rock… I tried to encapsulate all of the music industry into this record. There are also many songs that are deep and personal on this record. Obviously there are super fun songs like “Buzzed on a Boat,” but there are some really introspective songs on this album that I can’t wait for fans to hear and hopefully enjoy! 

6. Is there a song from the project that you can’t wait for your fans to hear that we haven’t heard it? Why that song in particular? 

I can’t wait for everyone to hear the entire record, but If I had to pick one song, it would probably be a song called “I’m Down.” I posted the chorus on my Instagram page months ago and people absolutely loved it. The whole song is this really cool up tempo beat with some great guitar parts and melody throughout. Be sure to stream that one when it drops! 

7. You wrote “Buzzed on a Boat.” What inspired the song?

“Buzzed on a Boat” was an idea from my mom and my sister who, over the quarantine period, had pestered me for months about writing this song for our family vacations to southern Delaware. They had finally bothered me so much to write this song that I buckled down in about 15 minutes and wrote out the song...on a beach...without a guitar. 

About three months had passed and I found this song written in the notes app of my phone and went and played what I had written months before. Shocked as ever, I really enjoyed this song and emailed my producer immediately saying that we had to record the song. Little did I know, it would end up being the first single off of the record! 

8. Sticking with songwriting….do you prefer to write by yourself or with co-writers? And as far as co-writing goes, who are some of your favorites to write with?

I’m a firm believer in a collaborative process. I always love running ideas, songs, and melodic ideas past people I trust. This album features a few co-writers, all of them are people I have played music with for a very long time and I trust their opinion greatly. I’m a big believer in getting to know and understand people before writing or collaborating, and all of these collaborations have been with great friends and colleagues. 

9. Besides new music, you’ll also be hitting the road this summer. What are you most looking forward to with being back out there playing shows, and what can the fans expect from your live shows that just listening to your music doesn’t offer them?

Live shows are the reason I do music. I’m a firm believer that an artist is not complete until they master the performance side of the industry. When someone comes to see me perform, they will get the best performance that I can give, I can promise you that. I don’t take gigs that I can’t give 100% effort towards. They can also expect the music to be taken up a level. I only pick songs for my sets that I feel fans can connect with on a deeper level. There is nothing like the rush of performing...whether it's 5 people or 5,000 people, I give the same energy and intentionality to every note. If you want to see what this is like, come on out for a show, it’s a fun time! 

10. What is the best piece of advice that you can offer an aspiring songwriter/artist just trying to break into the music business?

Never give up! This industry is hard, if it were easy, everyone would be able to do it at a high level. Success looks different for each individual person, and that’s ok. The minute you realize that this takes a lot of work and improvement every day and as soon as you make realistic goals, this industry becomes much more navigable.

Learn more about Mark Taylor by visiting his official website at: www.marktaylorofficial.net

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