Taylor Grey Talks Touring, Schooling, and Future Plans

Taylor Grey, a 22 year old pop singer, is making her 2019 count. From just finishing a UK tour with The Vamps and releasing new music, Grey is not stopping. Continue reading to get an inside look on her new music video, her first international tour, and tips for musically inclined college students!

Photo credit: Claire Leahy

GMAT: Introduce yourself! Who is Taylor Grey?

TG: Hi! This is such a simple question, yet it always gives me the most anxiety. I’ve been sitting here at my laptop for 40 minutes trying to think of a response, even when “I’m a singer-songwriter and a current Stanford student” would suffice. Taylor Grey is the public side of myself that loves performing and connecting with people through music. And that version of me is constantly trying to convince the shy, nervous side of myself to come out more.

GMAT: I just watched the video for “Intentionally” and I adore the footage. What does “Intentionally” mean to you?

TG: Thank you! To me, "Intentionally" encompasses the dichotic. I like "Intentionally" because it’s different than a lot of my work on GREY in that it’s very straightforward lyrically - there’s no hidden meanings or metaphors, what you hear is what you get. It’s about how it feels when someone makes you love them - like they set out with a goal to make you love them and then you do. You’re like okay.. thank you but also f you? How cruel and kind it is to be in love, I guess. I wrote the song almost 2 years ago now and it was originally written with the intention to shop to an artist like Julia Michaels - I was never meant to keep it. But I never really let go of it, thinking maybe one day I’d find the right time to release it, and that was tour with The Vamps!

Check out the video here:

GMAT: How was touring in the UK with The Vamps? Any fun stories?

TG: It was incredible! The Vamps are the most genuine and humble group of guys I’ve ever met so it was so lovely to be on the road with them! Their fans are absolutely amazing as well and I had the time of my life doing meet and greets and hanging out with them after the shows! Overall, I think this tour was the most memorable just because it was my first international tour, I had a wonderful team with me, and I had my first ever tour bus (which was the coolest thing ever!!)

GMAT: I can’t believe you finished school work while on tour! Do you have any tips for other students who are in a similar situation?

TG: My first tip would be to limit international travel right before finals - professors aren’t always thrilled about that. Luckily, I had really supportive teachers who were happy to see me trying to achieve goals outside of school. More actionable tips would be to get as much work done beforehand, or at least plan it out because you’ll definitely want to soak up all the experience has to offer. Take as few classes as possible - you’re already challenging yourself enough. Treat it like a study abroad program - use long drives, early mornings and late nights to get work done, and then enjoy the rest of your time exploring and doing your job! Accept that you may just not be able to get everything done in time. Don’t expect perfection from yourself; this is a hard one to let go of, but it’s the most freeing when you do.

GMAT: What are you plans for the rest of 2019?

TG: I am going to be releasing some covers that I actually recorded while on tour in the UK! They’re songs that were really transformative for my musical development and I’m really excited about them! The first one, "Bubbly," was just released! And then maybe another EP or an album soon ;) I’m headed to the studio now!

Take a listen to "Bubbly" here: