A new song from Julian Taylor is always good news, and if it also features his regular UK band of Michele Stodart on bass, Raevennan Husbandes on guitar, and Sian Monaghan on drums then that’s going to be doubly welcome. And Drive also features Jimmy Bowskill’s expert fiddle and pedal steel accents, adding additional rich tones to the new song.
Drive also certainly hits the upbeat with a serious message spot – it speaks to our times without resorting to a hectoring tone, as Julian himself explains “The song was inspired by the times in which we’re living. It’s a strange time. I think people are stressed, confused, hurt, and it feels as if those emotions are being taken out on each other. I want to keep spreading the good word.”
Throughout the song Taylor alludes to those who have inspired him, including Martin Luther King Jr. (and his “I Have a Dream” speech); the poet Maya Angelou (who wrote I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings); and the Seneca prophet Handsome Lake (who established a “good message” moral code to help the Haudenosaunee people survive post-colonial disruption).
