Taylor B-W – I’m So Broke
ARTIST NAME: Taylor B-W
SONG TITLE: I’m So Broke
RELEASE DATE: 9th July 2021
GENRE: Pop/R&B
iTunes
Deezer
Spotify
YouTube
Website
Tucked inside a pop shell lies Sydney-born, Kiwi singer-songwriter, Taylor B-W, who blends strong vocals, soul-driven melodies with emotive lyrics that reflect her resilience and quest for peace within herself and the world around her.
Swiftly moving between the many facets of pop music to show off the different sides to her artistry, B-W takes inspiration from artists such as Vera Blue, Kimbra, BANKS, and MJ. She is also a big fan of 90s music, which trickles into her sound and branding.
Performing frequently on stages around Sydney either acoustically or with her band (selling out The Vanguard, Street Market, and Django Bar this past year), B-W is beginning to make a name for herself in the indie scene. Starting the engine with her first release, dance-pop anthem ‘Spark Off The New Year’, turning a corner with a funky single ‘Be Mine’, shifting gears with the darker, alt-R&B ear-worm, ‘Dreams’, cranking the acceleration with her latest banger ‘Nunchucks’, and now her latest bop ‘I’m So Broke’, B-W proves she doesn’t like to be pigeonholed and would rather stay fresh and keep her followers on their toes.
B-W rediscovered her passion for music after initially pursuing an acting career. After developing health issues due to the pressure of such a career, she also switched her attention to wildlife conservation, becoming a qualified zookeeper at Sydney’s Taronga Training Institute.
B-W won the Australian segment of the unsigned-artist competition, Emergenza, and went on to win Best Vocalist at the 2018 international finals in Germany. She is the daughter of legendary NZ singer, Mark Williams, and ex-dancer, Pamela Beadle.
Lyrics:
Verse 1
It’s a chronic instability
Standard of society
Yeah
It comes like thunder
Leaves like lightening
Yeah
Pre-Chorus 1
Is it something in the water?
Or buried in my chest
I confess
I’m a loser at the best of times and
I don’t wanna make you upset
Chorus
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
I’m so broke
Verse 2
I’m a dog in water
Paddling to keep my head up
Everything’s out of reach
The system’s corrupt
Pre-Chorus 2
Is this how life is?
Settle for second best
I confess
I smile wider when I’m hiding something,
Imma let you guess
Chorus
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke I’m so broke
Pre-chorus 3
Is this how life is?
I’ll settle for second best
I’m a loser at the best of times and
I don’t wanna make you upset
Is it something in the water?
Or buried in my chest
I confess
Silly thing is I’ve been trying harder to reduce my meds
But I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
La di da di da di da di dah
Da di da di dah
Da dum
I’m so broke
I’m so broke
I’m so broke
© Taylor Beadle-Williams 2020
Discuss how you find the sounds that fit your vocals.
I’ve always gravitated towards sounds and beats that are funky and soulful as that is what suits my voice the best.
Tell us how you come up with ideas to create your lyrics.
In so many different ways! Lyrics can come from any source – I’m always trying to discover more about myself and the world around me, whether that is through my mental health, relationships with others, my impact on the environment/climate change, etc. And sometimes lyrics just flow out of me, like tears, and other times I need to strategize the lyrics a bit more. There is never one specific process for me.
Discuss the recording process of this song.
The process of recording this song was very smooth – the whole production and vocal recording took about two days altogether. My producer, Quinn is a whizz at this and so efficient in completing this track. We immediately click when we work together so everything was super easy!
Tell us your experience recording the vocals.
I have always sung the original acoustic demo of this song with a bit more of a folk/country twang in my voice (don’t know why!). However, for the full production, I wanted to add a bit more spunk and sass in my studio vocals, just like female R&B/pop artists from the 90s. We recorded my vocals in Quinn’s studio.
Tell us how you ensure your songs sound well.
I’m a perfectionist – I can sometimes obsess over the smallest of things in tracks. I’m trying to teach myself the art of ‘letting go’ when it comes to over-critique. But I have a good ear at noticing specificities in the music and so I will always ensure that we iron out bumps as much as possible.
State the best means of generating income in today’s music business.
To be honest, it is almost impossible at the moment. My main source of income is gigging – and that has gone down the drain, ATM, because of the pandemic. So we all need to be more strategic in our approach to income now – whether that is via live streams, merchandise, sync, etc.
State the people involved in creating this song and their roles.
I am the composer and lyricist of this song, and Quinn is the producer and mixing engineer.
Explain how you get involved in music.
I’ve been involved in music since a very young age – my family is in the biz, so it came naturally to me. There was a period when teenage insecurities got in the way of me pursuing music, but eventually, it called me back!
State your favorite song and the reason.
One of my favorites is a song called ‘Last Child’ which is about climate change. That was an example of where the lyrics just poured out of me like tears (literally, I was crying at that moment too). This song is my most heartfelt and epic!
Tell us your opinion on the use of digital effects on vocals.
I don’t like it at all.
Explain the relevance of creativity to music.
Without creativity, there is no music!
Tell us the steps to take before going into the studio to record.
I’m disciplined and I have a bit of a routine. I do not drink the night before or the morning before, I make sure I get plenty of sleep; I exercise in the morning so it wakes up my brain and body, and I bring plenty of tea!
Tell us what you know about your fans.
They are my little weirdoes! I love my following, they are kind, generous, and genuine – the best people!
Tell us if you see music as a rewarding career.
Well, I definitely don’t do it for the money! I do it because it makes me, and the people who watch/listen to me, happy. Knowing that I can touch someone with my lyrics, my music, and my visuals is the most rewarding feeling. I remember when I first began fangirling over artists – it is because their music made me feel something that normal reality couldn’t. I want to give that emotional experience to someone else too.
Tell us what you will do apart from music.
I also dogwalk – dogs are my spirit animal! I am also a qualified zookeeper! I also love to edit films, so, if ‘music’ wasn’t an option, I’d do something in animal conservation and film editing.
Elaborate on the song.
My latest single ‘I’m So Broke’ is a fun and bouncy tune about a fairly dark issue – mental health. However, instead of writing a typical ‘woe-is-me’ tune, I wanted to make the song danceable and sassy, similar to how I mask a lot of my feelings in real life. It helps to make the song a bit more relatable.
Elaborate on your artist’s name.
My name is Taylor B-W, which is just a shortened version of my full name, Taylor Beadle-Williams.