Taylor Upsahl may only be 18, but she is a seasoned rock star. The Phoenix New Times wrote about how her musical talent “will blow you away” when she was barely old enough to drive legally. I must have been living under a rock because I hadn’t heard of the singer-songwriter until I caught her performing at this year’s Phoenix Rock Lottery.
My jaw dropped during the impromptu band’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” She. Killed. It.
It turns out, I really did miss out on a long career of a mature-beyond-her-years teenager. She has played music since kindergarten, honing her skills via her father, musician Mike Upsahl, before attending Arizona Academy of the Arts.
Her musical prowess is evident by everything from her stage presence to her dynamic recordings she has released all the way to the effort and care she puts into her music videos.
The singer has recently released a video for “Digital Papers” directed by Matty Steinkamp. The song itself is reminiscent of Feist or a more polished Best Coast. It’s soulful, yet poppy. It’s dark, yet fun. The music video encapsulates all of those sides of the song and is one of the most well-done local music videos I’ve ever seen.
The single will be on the singer’s upcoming album Unfamiliar Light which will have a release party at Valley Bar on Saturday, February 25 at 7:30pm. You can also catch Upsahl at McDowell Mountain Music Festival on the same stage as Grouplove and The Shins on Friday, March 3.
Actually, after writing about Upsahl, it’s clear people (ahem, including me) need to stop leading with her age and just accept she is going to be one of the best and most important singers in Phoenix for a long time.
Ponder that and check out the music video below.
ADAM VITCAVAGE 