Taylor Janzen

“The powerful simplicity of a voice, a guitar, a restrained melody and a raw emotion has been rediscovered by songwriters like Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and now Taylor Janzen.” - The New York Times
With deeply personal lyrics softly layered over a minimalistic and slow-building guitar riff, 19 year old Winnipeg artist, Taylor Janzen’s "Stations" is an honest and raw effort that aims to break the silence about abuse. It's a stunning first taste of her forthcoming EP, "Interpersonal", due August 10, 2018.
Taylor elaborated on the songs meaning - "I wrote Stations in my room when I was 17 about the isolating and complicated feelings when one experiences psychological abuse from a loved one, regardless of the nature of their relationship. I think it was my attempt at breaking silence in a way that I previously didn't think I could. I almost don't really remember writing it because I kinda just emotionally puked it out.. but decided early on it would be the perfect 1st song to debut from the EP in hopes that someone may feel some solidarity through shared experience."

Growing up, Taylor had a religious upbringing in a small town outside of Winnipeg, attending a small school up until graduation. Her family and friends and those around her never talked to one another about difficult things they were experiencing in life, and if they ever needed help, they turned to religion for answers.

Unable to talk through her issues in mental health, Taylor turned to songwriting as an outlet and, as a result, with each song on "Interpersonal" we're granted an intimate and almost painstakingly brazen glimpse into the most heart wrenching pages of her diary. She writes candidly, musing that, “the music that I write is very honest, so it speaks for itself.”

"It's no secret that the world has finally started to take steps towards viewing mental health in the same light as physical health," notes Taylor. "But I think society is under the (false) impression that the story of someone's mental health recovery is finished once the person reaches out for help, when really it's barely started," she adds. "The act of seeing a doctor does not immediately cure the sick."

The second track on the EP, "The Waiting Room," is like an exasperated sigh that explores her frustrations with the stigma that surrounds mental health and was written after a particularly infuriating appointment at the doctors office. "It's a conversation about what happens after you get help, because it's something that desperately needs to be discussed," she explains.

"The doctor had prescribed me medication, and didn't have any interest in helping me further. At this point, I was just very tired of spilling my guts out to doctors I'd never met over and over again. Telling them things I wouldn't even be able to tell my closest friends. It felt unfair that here I was, doing what I was supposed to do, asking for help, yet not receiving it," adds Taylor.

“The thing is, my personality isn’t as depressing as my music is,” adds Taylor. Often tweeting about Dennis Quaid, her cat and the occasional Paramore cover (one of which went viral with 25k+ retweets and got the endorsement from Hayley Williams herself), every little thing Taylor shares with the world is magic, shining a light and finding beauty in even the darkest, and seemingly mundane moments.