Singer, songwriter and producer Tailor has made his mark as a rising artist with a well-crafted discography of solo releases and collaborations alongside the likes of MØ, Cosmo’s Midnight, Satin jackets and Peking Duk.

We caught up with Tailor to have a chat about his exciting new alternative electronic direction as an artist, new single ‘Don’t Look Back’, recent collaborations with Satin Jackets and Slumberjack, and future release plans.

Hi Tailor, thanks for taking the time to talk to Music is 4 Lovers. Can you tell us a bit about your hometown?

Hey there! Thanks for having me. Well I live in London but I’m from Birmingham which although is the second biggest UK city has a v different feel, like all UK cities. London is an exciting place to be as there’s so much happening but Brum will always have a soft spot. It will always be where I’m ‘from’.. not least coz parents and friends are still there but there’s something about the people generally and the accent which I hope I haven’t completely lost.

The last year has been hugely challenging, hopefully now with some light at the end of the tunnel. How have things been for you over the last 12 months and what are your hopes for the year ahead?

It’s been so challenging for so many people and still is.. For me personally it was a shift but a lot of good has come out of it in a musical sense. I write songs for other artists too so not being able to do sessions in the same way was different, but I’ve spent a lot of time on my own with music and really been working out what I can do myself and what I’m good at. It’s led me to the music that I’m about to release now and over the next few months.. I don’t think these releases would be happening if not for that time. 

You have a new single, ‘Don’t Look Back’ coming in March, which you are self releasing. Can you tell us a little about the record and why you’ve chosen to self release rather than sign with a label?

I made this record by re-sampling one of my other songs and the whole feel came about when I was feeling particularly confused by everything but also hopeful that things would get better. I wanted to create something ethereal but upbeat and usher in a new vibe of music I’m creating at the moment. The vocal is kinda like a mantra moving me from where I was at, to where I’m going. I decided to self-release because I wanted to try retaining complete control.. as I found myself explaining through others where I was at on previous releases which may have been because I wasn’t completely sure myself, but I am now.

Your previous productions have seen you work in a number of collaborations, please tell us about some of the artists you’ve worked with to date?

I love collaborating and being able to move between worlds and genres but retain the same feel.. mainly through my voice. I’m not really too specific about the stuff I work on, just whatever I like or am feeling at the time. I’ve done a few collaborations recently, one with Satin Jackets in Germany, another with Slumberjack in Australia and have a few more in the works coming up. 

Despite not being able to be in the room with artists this last year, I’ve still been able to collaborate virtually with artists all over the world. Virtual might lose a bit of the magic for some but I think it’s kinda allowed me to hone in on the things I do well each time. Maybe that won’t always work but it does for me right now.. I ‘ve always got around 3-5 different songs on the go at the same time though which can be confusing!

What are the artists or albums that have inspired you most from childhood to the present day?

My inspirations change all the time along with my tastes.. but stuff that’s inspiring me right now is a lot of alternative/dance music, which is quite broad but artists like Four Tet, Caribou, Logic 1000, Jamie XX, Cri. 

From childhood it would be artists like New order, George Michael, Talk Talk.. 80’s/90’s is where it’s at for me. 

Outside of writing and producing music, what keeps you busy and makes you happy?

I love walking.. with my partner, my dog, mates.. I feel like the conversation is so different to when you’re sitting down. Don’t get me wrong I miss pubs being open and having a pint but there’s something to be said for walking and talking. It also means you get to see a lot of London.. which has looked very different this last year.

After the release of ‘Don’t Look Back’ what do you have planned?

I plan to continue self-releasing a series of singles over the next few months.. I also have a few more collaborations coming up too so watch this space! 

Tailor ‘Don’t Look Back’ drops on 26th March 2021.