Carly Ann Taylor Talks Her New Single, Her Voice And More

 

I’ve been singing since I was about three years old. My earliest musical memory is actually a preschool performance where I sang “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” I remember being absolutely terrified to sing in front of people, so I hid behind the curtain while I sang. The funny part is that everyone could still tell exactly where I was because I was holding onto the curtain and swinging it back and forth the whole time. Apparently the fear didn’t stop me though, because I kept singing!

 

 

I started writing songs in 2020 during the COVID lockdown. I was a senior in high school, and the world came to an abrupt stop. Songwriting became a way for me to process everything I was feeling during that time. After that, I went to school for Commercial Music Production and took songwriting classes where I was able to dive much deeper into the craft. Once I signed with Curb Records, I really started falling in love with the songwriting process. Over the past year alone I’ve written more than 60 songs, which has been an incredible season of growth creatively.

 

 

Why Should I Worry was born from a place of heavy worry, anxiety, and fear of my future. I was really struggling to understand where God was leading me in a specific season of my life. The fear I had was so numbing that I cried out to God to show me a way out.

At that time, my mom encouraged me with scripture from Matthew 6. If God takes care of the lilies and the birds in the air, why wouldn’t He take even better care of me? He holds the whole world in His hands yet cares for me and holds my life and my future. So if this is the truth, then Why Should I Worry?

I had just graduated college and found myself full of fear for what was ahead of me. I knew what God was calling me to, but the road seemed extremely uncertain. I graduated with a degree in Commercial Music Production and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music.

The song was set to be released in November of 2024 when my dad asked me to open for his band, Hopeful., at a show in Sacramento, California which ended up being when Why Should I Worry was scheduled to be released.

It was my first time ever doing my own music live outside of college performances. I closed the show with Why Should I Worry and it was incredible!

That night, there happened to be two A&R reps from Curb Records at the show. Long story short, I was offered a deal with them shortly after. It felt like God said “See? Why should you worry? I told you I’m taking care of your future.”

 

 

The original version of the song was recorded at Dave Cook (Splash of Soda)’s studio, in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. Later, after I signed with Curb Records in Nashville, Joseph Prielozny came on board to help create what we call the “Remind Me Version” of the song. So both Splash of Soda and Joseph Prielozny are producers on the track, and it was really special getting to work with both of them and bring the song to life in different ways.

 

 

This was actually my very first experience working with a professional producer. I remember being really nervous when I first brought the song idea to Dave, and I was honestly shocked when it resonated with him and he wanted to finish writing it with me.

Dave is incredible, and he made me feel so comfortable throughout the whole process. I also remember having this moment where it hit me that I was recording my vocals in the same room where some of my favorite artists had recorded. That felt pretty surreal.

I loved working with Dave so much that he’s still my vocal producer on most of the songs I record today. His creativity and talent when it comes to vocal production are second to none!

 

 

Dave tried a few different microphones on me, and the one we kept coming back to was the Slate Digital ML-1A modeling microphone. What’s really great about it is the flexibility it gives us when recording. Because it’s a modeling mic, we can capture a really clean vocal and then experiment with different classic microphone tones afterward. That allowed us to find the sound that fit the song best without having to re-record anything. This mic ended up working really well for my voice, and the vocals turned out incredible, so it’s become our go-to mic when we’re tracking.

 

 

 

Dave Cook played bass, piano, guitar, and some synths on the track. Joseph Prielozny added more guitars, synths, bass, and piano, and Lydia Tabor also played piano. Wesley Abdo played drums. I also had some really special people join me for background vocals, including Taylor Hill, my mom and dad, my worship pastor, and a dear friend of mine. My church’s youth group even joined us during the recording session to create a massive choir, which made the whole experience really special. It was honestly so much fun getting to record with so many people who mean a lot to me!

 

 

After I graduated college, my parents gifted me the production of a song with a dream producer of mine, Dave Cook/Splash Of Soda. I brought in 3 songs to show him and he loved Why Should I Worry. We finished writing it with my dad and worked on finalizing production over the summer of 2024.

 

 

Not at all! The song actually came out of me processing my emotions in real time. I sat down at the piano in my house before taking it to Dave and it honestly felt like a literal download. I didn’t have to struggle with rhymes or try to search for the right words… the song just flowed out.

 

What was really special was that the day I met with Dave to work on it, he told me he had been reading Matthew 6 in Scripture that very morning, which is the same passage that inspired me to start writing the song in the first place. That felt like a pretty clear confirmation that this was the song we were supposed to be working on together. We finished it that very day, and began production immediately.

 

 

 

Although I was born in Kona, Hawaii, I moved to San Diego, California when I was adopted. I consider San Diego to be my hometown. If I had to describe it in five words, I’d say: sunny, peaceful, welcoming, homey and grounding.

 

 

I try to stay really hydrated, so I drink a lot of water and steam every day. I also take a few vocal supplements and make sure I warm up my voice regularly so it’s always ready to go. One thing I’ve had to learn the hard way is that I’m a total hype girl and I love screaming on rollercoasters and screaming with my little sister, but that’s definitely become a big no-no for my voice, so I try to behave as much as possible haha!

 

 

That would be an absolute dream! I don’t have anything scheduled there just yet, but I would love to make that happen. I’ve actually been seeing so much love for the song coming from the UK and Europe, which has been really exciting and encouraging. The idea of getting to come over there and share these songs in person would be really special, so I’m definitely hoping that opportunity comes soon.

 

 

 

First, I hope people walk away knowing that no matter what they’ve been through or what they’ve done, there is nothing the Lord can’t redeem or restore. Our past doesn’t define us or disqualify us. I truly believe our stories can become the very thing God uses to bring hope and light to someone else. Second, I hope people feel like they had an amazing time! That they experienced real joy and connection while worshipping Jesus together.

 

 

I’m mainly focus on vocals when I’m on stage, so having a great microphone and solid in-ear monitors is really important for me. I use 64 Audio A6t’s. It has 6 drivers with a great balance of highs, mids and lows. I actually prefer a very clean and dry vocal in my ears with no reverb at all, because it helps me hear my pitch clearer. For me, the most important thing is being able to clearly hear the music and the moment happening on stage so I can stay present and fully connect with the audience.

 

 

I would probably choose a true story that centers on redemption, victory, and freedom, something like The Blind Side. I’m really drawn to stories where someone feels lost but ultimately finds hope again, because that’s such a powerful reflection of grace. It also resonates with me because of my own life story. Writing music for a story like that would feel very close to the heart of why I make music in the first place.

 

 

Yes! We created both a music video and a lyric video that are available on YouTube for everyone to watch. They’re a great way for people to experience the message of the song and follow along with the lyrics.

 

 

 

 

I’ve been influenced by a lot of artists who blend great storytelling with powerful vocals. I grew up listening to artists like Adele, Christina Aguilera and Tori Kelly and love the emotion and honesty they bring to their music.

In the Christian world, I’m also inspired by worship artists like TAYA, Brandon Lake, and Tiffany Hudson who create songs that help people connect deeply with God. If I had to recommend a few songs right now, I’d definitely say anything by those artists, along with Phil Wickham, Hulvey, and Alex Jude. They’re all incredible writers and performers.

 

 

I’ve been working on a lot of new music recently, and I’m really excited to start sharing it. We’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio producing and we are super close to being done! I feel like this next season of music really reflects where I am creatively and personally right now. I’m hoping my next release will be coming very very soon!

 

 

What makes me happiest is spending time with my family which includes dressing up like a princess with my baby sister, going to my brother’s school events, and beach walks at sunset with my family. I also love making music with close friends and people that mean a lot to me. The honor it is to get to see how God can use a song to encourage someone who might be going through a difficult season is incredible. Watching it all unfold and hearing stories from people about how a song helped them or reminded them of hope is incredibly meaningful to me, and it’s been the best part of sharing my songs!

 

What makes me unhappy is seeing people feel alone or believing that their past defines them. I never want anyone to feel like they’re beyond grace or redemption, because I truly believe there’s always hope in Jesus.