Maria Taylor shares her music, herself on latest album

Maria Taylor. Photo by Autumn de Wilde.

There are a number of reasons you might know Maria Taylor. Several songs from her last album, Lynn Teeter Flower, showed up on that hit-making show Grey’s Anatomy. She garnered plenty of attention as one half of the indie pop group Azure Ray. And of course, the Birmingham native is only one member of a music-making family (siblings Macey and Kate are also developing names for themselves both locally and nationally).

She’ll be back in Birmingham for a show at Bottletree on April 7—also the day Taylor’s new album, Ladyluck, is released. In the weeks before the album’s release, she took a few minutes to share with us about the music, performing live and another set of musical siblings.

Birmingham Box Set: Much of Ladyluck reflects the end of a relationship. I’m not a songwriter myself, but I’ve always assumed that putting these emotions into music would be therapeutic.

Maria Taylor: Yeah, definitely.

BBS: But I’ve also wondered, is it hard to play something so personal live?

MT: Yeah, you have to find a balance. You have to sort of detach yours from it a little bit so you don’t put yourself through complete hell every time you play the song. You take it out of the body and it becomes something else, it becomes art.

But you have to find a balance, because you want to still be connected to it so people feel you mean it.

It depends on what kind of mood I’m in. Sometimes I’ll play a song and I’ll want to cry on stage. Pull it together, pull it together. But I get nervous … and that helps me not cry!

BBS: This is surprisingly hopeful for what some might dub a “break up album.”

MT: There’s some elements—well, it’s mostly about change. Because it’s much more about that. I moved to another city, I changed labels and I have made so many new friends. Not that I have a completely different life because I’m still very much connected to my old life. I love it here. It’s exciting.

BBS: When exactly did you move to LA?

MT: A year and a half ago. I really love it and it’s so beautiful here. The beach is 20 minutes away from my house.

BBS: In addition to keeping Ladyluck on repeat, I’ve been listening to a lot of your older solo work. There’s definitely continuity throughout. How would you say your music or songwriting has evolved?

MT: I think just as I’ve evolved as a person … it’s all a reflection of my life and where I am in my life. So the changes that I can see are just more from my perspective on life. But I feel like I write the same way.

I pick up my guitar and then I put down a chord progression and a melody, then I try to put down lyrics that match what I’m feeling. I feel like my method hasn’t really changed, but my perspective on life has.

I think the goal of any writer is to find new ways to say the same thing because I think we always feel the same thing.

MT: You come from an awfully musical family. Did that influence you as a musician?

MT: I’m sure it’s influenced me. Growing up we all just played music, and that’s one of the many ways that we communicate as a family. Listening to music has always been a huge part of our upbringing. I love, more than anything, playing music with my brother and sister and my dad. Then my mom is such a music lover. I don’t think there was much question for any of us what we wanted to do in life. This is what we know. We’re pretty lucky to be doing what we love.

BBS: I know there are others out there, but you don’t hear of very many families where all the siblings are musicians!

MT: I know. We’ve got the Jonas Brothers and then the Taylors! [laughs]

BBS: [laughs] And you sound just alike, too! Well, I know you make it down here on tour periodically; are you able to visit Birmingham much besides?

MT: Yeah, I try to get down there like at least two or three time a year. I do a lot of recording in Athens, Ga., still. So whenever I go to record I always try to come home for a few days before and a few days after. Also my grandparents are getting old. And also I am so close with my family, if I don’t see them after a few months I just have major [longing to see them].

BBS: And since you mentioned listening to music—I always love hearing what musicians are listening to lately.

MT: I just always make playlists of the same stuff, the same stuff I’ve been listening to for years and years. I listen to things that people would expect. I love the Dixie Chicks.

BBS: [laughs] Me too!

MT: Lots of my friends are like, what? [laughs] I’m like shut up, just listen to it, you’ll like it.

There’s one song, that Killers song, “Human?” I love that song. But other than that I like MGMT, Vampire Weekend, this band, it’s a new band, they’re from LA, they’re called Little Joy, I’m really liking them right now.

Maria Taylor will play Bottletree with The Whispertown 2000. The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. April 7; tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show and are available at thebottletree.com. Check out Taylor’s latest on her website or her Myspace page; also visit Azure Ray’s website for an introduction to some of Taylor’s past work.