Check out the urgent, insistent rhythm in Taylor Rogers’ new single: it drives the song forward and takes us with it. Slowly building throughout, ‘Oldhills’ is beautifully crafted and arranged. By the end, there are layers of absorbing strings and vocals adding to the swirling emotional intensity. It’s a song of unrequited love, of wanting someone while knowing the desire will remain unfulfilled. Rogers explains: “While driving down south from the northeast, curving around oldhills, a new crush who was also part of an old story consumed my spirit. From these moments on the road, I began humming the melody of a guitar riff my brother had written years ago, and ‘Oldhills’ was born. The song captures a feeling of wanting someone you cannot be with, someone you should not be with. Both new crushes and old lovers can bring about these feelings – ‘Oldhills’ moves over and around nostalgia and letting go, between desires for past and possible flames, and the pain of refusing those desperate yearnings.” Rogers co-wrote the song with her twin brother Cory, whose excellent backing vocals help to give the song warmth and texture. The accompanying video was shot by Carl Solether on a road trip while relocating to New York State. The solitude and fleeting images of landscapes tell the story of the main character, following her for a day on the road. In a powerful moment towards the end, the yellow rose is thrown into the fire, an act that takes courage and determination.
The single is from Rogers’ 2019 album ‘NOA’, her third full-length release. Through the record, she explored her sexuality, the experience of coming out and all the feelings associated with that. There’s a genuine emotional depth to the work of Dr Taylor Rogers, who teaches Philosophy at Loyola University, Chicago. Enjoy.
