“How Many Times” is the first single release from her long-awaited album Spirits In The Water (release date September 11, 2020).
Continuing on with her unmistakable ‘Prairie Blues’ sound that she demonstrated on her previous album Born Free, Dione Taylor’s music is a mixture of Roots, Blues and Americana.
Dione shares her inspiration for the first single “How Many Times”.
“My faith in humanity and its ability to show equality and unconditional love towards every human being on earth is being challenged right now. We all deserve the freedom and the right to be our best and most authentic selves regardless of race, religion, creed, sex or gender. When our freedoms and rights aren’t met, in spite of seemingly endless admonitions and honest prayers, we feel more than frustration and anger. We feel helpless and hopeless. But, we still believe and dream of a better world.”
“This song is dedicated to all of us who continue to protest peacefully for equal rights and justice even when our prayers remain unanswered.” A key creative collaborator on “How Many Times” and the forthcoming album Spirits In The Water is Joel Schwartz, who produced and co-wrote much the album with Taylor, and made potent instrumental contributions on guitar and banjo. “I met Joel around five years ago, when he started playing in my band, the Backsliderz,” Dione recalls. “Then we started writing and developing a sound together that we have been running with ever since.”
Music has always been an important and integral part of Dione Taylor’s life. A pastor’s daughter, she was born and raised in a family she describes as “really connected to the giſt of song. My whole family sings and plays instruments in church,” praises Ms. Taylor, who began playing the organ at age four and by ten was the music director and organist at The Shiloh Assembly Church (Apostolic) in Regina.
Having first burst onto the music scene with her Juno nominated debut album Open Your Eyes, Taylor’s career trajectory has been truly remarkable. With performances at festivals and concert theatres across the United States, Canada and Asia for audiences that have included the President of the United States and Queen Elizabeth II, Taylor has made a worthy name for herself as one of this country’s most talented musicians and songstresses. Taylor was nominated for a Gemini Award for her rendition of Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom,” which she performed alongside Oliver Jones at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. Taylor is also the recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award Mentorship Program.
With performances at Folk, Blues, Jazz and Rock Festivals across North America, Dione is a seasoned and electrifying performer who constantly energizes her audiences. She has also become a familiar face at music conferences like Folk Alliance International, Folk Music Canada, Folk Music Ontario, Contact East, Women’s Blues Revue and the Blues Summit.
