By: Staff
Taylor Lang Releases Soulful New Track "Broke But Never Broken," Showcasing Resilience and Heartfelt Lyricism
Taylor Lang’s “Broke But Never Broken” opens with gentle, beautifully played guitars, immediately pulling you into its emotional core. As the intricate fingerpicking speeds up, you can almost imagine wild horses running free through a meadow, the music radiates a sense of beauty and pure happiness. The track begins with a powerful declaration and we hear the lyrics:
"Cuz life is nothing like you thought it would be."
It’s one of those lines that stops you in your tracks, making you reflect on your own life, and that’s what Lang does so well, he connects instantly through raw, relatable truth. This is definitely a standout moment in the song. What Taylor Lang creates is the realization that when we wake up each day with plans and goals, life never quite unfolds the way we imagine. We love when an artist brings such strong inflection to the surface. Lang’s lyrics capture that unpredictability, and his voice holds such conviction and beauty that every word resonates deeply.
Just as you think he’s said it all, another powerful line hits and we hear:
"You used to dream endlessly when you were young, and now you lie awake to think of all you haven’t done."
It’s a sobering reflection, yet there’s something comforting in hearing these words from someone who understands.
Lang proves himself an incredible lyricist, blending raw emotion with beautiful music. "Broke But Never Broken" is a true anthem of resilience, a reminder to never give in to perceived failure. The message here is one of hope and perseverance, an inspiring song for anyone facing struggles.
The guitar solo alone is absolute magic, showcasing Lang’s exceptional skills as an instrumentalist. The entire musical arrangement complements the message flawlessly, balancing raw emotion with sustained beauty. Lang’s powerful, unique voice carries the song, while the crystal-clear production ensures that every note and lyric shines. The mix and mastering are impeccable, further elevating this already stunning track. “Broke But Never Broken” isn’t just a song, it’s an experience.
You can find this release on any major platform, see below for links to take you straight to some of the profiles. Make sure to playlist, stream, and share "Broke But Never Broken" by Taylor Lang!
Powerful Quote about this artist:
"Honest, warm and refreshingly down to earth." - Wolf in a Suit (blog)
Wait… there's more!
We had the chance to catch up with this exciting artist for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog, where we discussed their music and got to know them better.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Taylor Lang, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We've thoroughly enjoyed diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more eager to discover more about you, both personally and professionally.
How did working with JUNO-winning producer Russell Broom shape the sound of “Broke But Never Broken”?
When I approached Russell to work together, I specifically told him that I needed someone who could think of new approaches that I wouldn’t have on my own. Someone who could fill in all the skill/experience gaps and tell me when I was overthinking my own ideas. So he led the songs through from the early demos on my phone to the big, rich soundscape that you hear in the final version – the mournful ambient guitars, the resonant percussion played on my guitar body, the nostalgic quality of the vocals.
How did your previous experience with bands like Crack the Lens and Blaeser influence your approach to this solo project?
I had only ever recorded with full bands before, so I thought the studio experience would be formulaic. Drums, then bass, then guitar layers, vocals, extras. But with just Russell and me in there, it became much more iterative, sending versions and ideas back and forth over several months. It was really liberating to be able to test out ideas as we went, rather than trying to get everything done in a specific order and time frame, and I think it generated some really excellent sonic results and choices.
Can you describe the transition from being in a band to breaking out as a solo artist? What were the biggest challenges and rewards?
The biggest challenge is becoming responsible for everything – not just the creative choices and direction, but all the back-end logistics, management, and promotional work, too. I’ve had to pick up a ton of skills in the last year just so I can keep everything organized and flowing. But with that said, the most rewarding part is seeing all of it pay off: to be able to make new music that gets traction, to hear the enthusiastic audience feedback, to build up my abilities and reputation. It’s a lot of work but it feels aligned in the right direction.
In what ways has your sound evolved since your earlier work, especially with the release of “Broke But Never Broken”?
In my previous band, Blaeser, I did the majority of the songwriting and arrangements as well, but I still had other people’s input to consider and work around. Now it’s just me. I’ve become a lot more comfortable with the experimental side of things, like using a loopstation at live shows and incorporating a lot more off-the-cuff storytelling moments, but I’m also more comfortable with just writing what I want to write and being passionate in a performance rather than perfect. I used to worry a lot more about pleasing everyone, and I’ve learned that that’s not a realistic goal in this industry.
Can you tell us more about how the song “Broke But Never Broken” reflects the personal sacrifices made by your mother and how this affected your songwriting?
When I was a kid, my family lived on a farm outside a very small prairie village – it only had a few dozen people. Then when I was 7, my parents divorced and my mom ended up renting a house out there, 40 minutes from the nearest notable town. To support me and my siblings (there were 5 of us), she worked as a bartender in that town, having to leave us most nights to drive back and forth through the morning hours, in whatever weather we had. I didn’t realize it back then, but looking back now, it’s painfully obvious how much she gave up in order for us to live a relatively good life. I find that stories like this make excellent songs, because everyone can relate to that feeling: is this the life I thought I would have? Did I make the right choices? What do I do next? It’s a theme I revisit again and again.
What is it like to explore genre-bending techniques with folk and fingerstyle music? How do you blend these styles into your sound?
I started messing around with percussive fingerstyle in early 2018, so fairly late into my guitar journey already. But as a multi-instrumentalist with a background in piano as well as rhythm instruments like drums and bass, I discovered that it was a good way to mix all the different counter-melodies and parts into one place that I could play alone. Now that I’ve added a loopstation, it’s really fun to play live because I can do drum beats, basslines, main melodies, and rhythm all together or broken out. It’s a looooooot of practice, but I like it.
Your music has been described as “honest, warm, and refreshingly down to earth.” How do you maintain that authenticity in your work?
I try to write about things I know, or see, or feel for myself. Real-life stories that I see happening around me, or little moments I remember from when I was young, that sort of thing. If it doesn’t make me feel something to write and sing about it, how could I expect anyone else to feel it, either?
How does it feel to receive recognition for your work, like being a nominee for Folk Album of the Year and Best Original Song?
It’s nice, and I’m honoured to have a few of them under by belt for that little bit of external validation. But I also know that such things are extraordinarily subjective, and I try not to let it become the metric on which I measure myself, or I’d never put out anything. It would never be perfect enough.
What’s your approach to storytelling in your songs, and how does “Broke But Never Broken” reflect that?
I know that at the core, every story has already been told in some way or another. But part of the fun of being an artist is being able to tell the same familiar stories in brand-new and unique ways. Relating it to your own life and to the millions of potential people out there who might be listening. I love to find those common points of experience – the lost loves, the nostalgic memories, the moment your life changed, the ups and downs of simply being alive – and paint a picture in my own style and colour. “Broke But Never Broken” is about my experience, yes, but it’s also more broadly about looking at our own lives and wondering if we’re living them well. If our past selves would be proud of our current ones. And that’s something we can all relate to.
What are your future plans following the release of “Broke But Never Broken”?
I have three more songs already done and ready to go. They’ll be coming in November, January, and March. I’ll be doing some acoustic versions to bundle together and release with them as well. After that, who knows? Probably booking a lot more shows into and through 2025, and starting to write more new tunes in the meantime.
Which instrument serves as the foundational starting point for your musical creations, and how does it influence the direction and overall sound of your compositions?
Right now it’s my acoustic guitar, which I’ve modified a bunch to match my play style. I run that into a Sheeran Looper X with two microphones – one for main vocals and one for looped vocals and shakers and flair like that. This alone gives me a lot of leeway, both for playing older stuff and writing new material that I can take in many directions. It means I can write the technical parts I like without having to worry about playing them perfectly 100 times in a row, or having to sacrifice different parts in the background. I’m also starting to use more MIDI capabilities, so I’d say look for some cool fingerstyle-folk-electronica vibes coming early next year.
If a band (no matter how famous) were scouting for someone with your talents and you had the opportunity to audition, which band would you love to be asked for the chance to work with them?
They don’t play anymore, but I would have dropped everything to work with The Tragically Hip. They’re “Canada’s band”, the perfect blend of rock and roots and poetry with some of the best lyricism and repertoires you’ll ever find. For something more current, I’d say Durry, a brother/sister duo from Minnesota – they’re more pop-punk-emo-rock, but everything they write is incredibly and undeniably catchy.
If there were one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
I’d try to make it easier for people to understand what is needed to succeed and what stage they’re at. Many people give up on doing music because they don’t see any way to reach Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift levels of fame, but there are plenty of ways to have a successful music career. Most of what’s lacking is the knowledge of how to achieve that, and that’s not even purposeful – there’s just so much information out there from the last few decades that it’s impossible to know what’s relevant to your situation. So I guess I’d say, enhancing accessibility, removing barriers to people who can help you, and ensuring people know that you will either be spending time or money to get off the ground (and very often both).
Most people love or hate social media—where do you land?
I burned out hard on social media content creation around the time of the 2nd Blaeser album, in 2022. It wasn’t even that the workload seemed too high – it was that, combined with the fact that I didn’t know how to focus my efforts. It felt like I was just spinning my wheels. And that I hated. But I’ve spent the last few years building up my knowledge and skills to the point that it doesn’t seem so overwhelming anymore, and I’ve even started to enjoy certain elements of it. So I’d say I’m in favour of it – it's an incredibly useful tool that democratizes the marketing process immensely, but like any tool it requires proper training and skill to use it to its full potential.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan or anyone has told or shown you about your music?
I used to have a little notebook that I would pass around the audience at shows, and people could write messages in it for each gig. There are dozens of really heartwarming things in there, lots of compliments about my voice and playing from complete strangers. Every time I need a reminder of why I’m putting in so many hours and late nights, that’s what I turn to. It may not seem like much in the moment, but you never know who is in that crowd, needing to hear those words that you wrote.
Taylor Lang, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared this artist’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Taylor Lang on Spotify & YouTube.
留言