Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Nolan Taylor

If this is your first introduction to Nolan Taylor, prepare for a tear or two.

The Cincinnati songwriter has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most vulnerable lyricists and storytellers in a wave of compelling artists currently coming through the folkier Appalachian scene.

Joining us for his first Holler Live Session in the Arizonian sunshine at Dreamy Draw Festival, Taylor shows just why we've all become so enamoured with him over the last 12 months.

"I wrote it about coming to terms with the end of a relationship" Taylor shares while introducing his first song, the moving 'Life/Love'. A tangled and emotional observation, it encompasses the numbness and insecurity you feel when something that you thought would last comes to end. "Life and love is such a strange thing / I couldn't explain it if i tried" Taylor sings over gently strummed guitar. He offers few answers, but gives a sense of relief that we aren't alone in not having them all.

"This is about losing somebody and not being able to say goodbye to them". While 'Wichita' is no less of a sorrowful song, Taylor's guitar work really comes to the fore here - delivering a melodious major-key to balance the poignancy of his words. "Wichita Kansas Oklahoma / I don't know but I’ve gotta leave these memories now / locked inside an empty home", Taylor sings, seemingly always battling with himself as a song matures from inside.

Taylor closes with '68', the song that introduced us all to his emotionally stirring songwriting. Each time he performs the haunting, aggravated song, it breaks our hearts a little bit more - the story of his relationship with his mother and the events of his childhood becomes more and more ingrained in our minds through simple, vivid lyricism.

While it's a treat to see him perform with a full band live, you can't ignore just how entrancing Nolan Taylor is as a solo performer in a session like this. In such an intimate setting, Taylor is in his element, treasuring the chance to share his story with us all.

For more Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions, see below: