Celebrated Canadian musician Julian Taylor is releasing “S.E.E.D.S,” a new single from his extraordinary sophomore solo album coming in October 2022. The single comes out today on Howling Turtle/Warner Music Canada, and is available on all major platforms.
“S.E.E.D.S,” which stands for “Somehow Everyone Eventually Dreams Someday,” was inspired by Taylor waking up to a text that his cousin sent him the morning after the announcement in Kamloops, where 215 uncovered remains of buried Indigenous children were discovered at a former Residential school. Says Taylor, “Her text simply read, George Floyd and Kamloops, with a tear emoji, and following that, ‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds’.” These very words became the chorus of the song.
Gentle but insistent, “SEEDS” slowly builds, buoyed by flourishes of piano, violin, and pedal steel guitar, and riding the unwavering beat of a traditional hand drum that Taylor inherited from his Mohawk grandfather. Just as the lyrics honour the strength and resilience of Indigenous and Black people in the face of overwhelming brutality, the chorus is among the most catchy and engaging that Taylor has penned to date – in this case, alongside one of his frequent co-writers, renowned Canadian poet Robert Priest.
Taylor summarizes “SEEDS” as “a quiet protest song about hope, strength and resilience.”
Stay tuned for more new music from Taylor and check out this officialvideo for the song “Murder 13,” shot at El Mocambo in Toronto. Early previews of the full album have garnered praise already, with folks saying “I can’t stop listening to it. It’s very compelling. It’s like a book you can’t put down.”
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Taylor is conscious and proud of his mixed Black and Mohawk heritage. “I come from two strong oral traditions and cultures,” he says. “One was stolen from their land and brought here and the other had their land stolen. It’s been an uphill battle ever since and the fight is far from over… I did not grow up on a reservation. I have strong roots in Kahnawake, which is a reservation in Quebec, Canada. I have family there and I’ve been visiting since I could crawl.“ To read more of Taylor’s personal thoughts on the subject, visit his Facebook post
CREDITS:
Julian Taylor – Vocals & Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Hand Drum
Derek Downham – Mandolin, Ukulele, Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Fender Rhodes, Piano
Burke Carroll – Pedal Steel
Miranda Mulholland – Fiddle
Sheila Carabine – Backing Vocals
Amanda Walther – Backing Vocals
Gene Diabo – Drums, Congas, Percussion
Barry Diabo – Electric Bass
Saam Hashemi – Piano
Aya Miyagawa, Sarah Valasco, Eslin Mckay – Violins
Maxime Despax – Viola
Erika Nielsen – Cello
Michael Peter Olsen – String Arrangements
Composer (Songwriter) Names – Julian Taylor & Robert Priest
Produced by Saam Hashemi & Julian Taylor
Mixed and Engineered by Saam Hashemi
Recorded at The Woodshed
Video Credits:
Executive Producer: Joe Kresta @joekrestaProduction Company: Set or Sail @set_or_sail
Directors: Geoff Morgan / Damon Crate @thisisgeoff / @damoncrate
Producer: Chris Petrovich @chrispetrovich / @orbiter.to
DOP: Jordan Batchelor @jordbatch
1st AC: Sean Nicholas
Hair/MUA: Racquelle Nembhard @quellesss
Editorial: Saints Editorial @saintseditorial
Colour Grading: Pendulum Entertainment @pendulumentertainment
Special thanks: Ontario Camera @ontariocamera
