

Reading through press stuff you mentioned that the song “Heart Like A Levee” came to you while you were in a hotel room in the midst of a tour, struggling with your position as a working musician in life at that specific moment. MT: Well mine would be second and Phil’s would be first. Well, we can get a second opinion on things. Taylor: I think Phil knows more about what’s happening in my music than I do (Laughs). Well I think both of you put out some really good stuff and the fact you guys play together is really cool so I thought I’d talk to both of you. (Mike Taylor laughing in the background). Phil Cook: I’ve sat in a lot of rooms where Mike was the only one getting interviewed, but this was the first time I was specifically requested to be somewhere with him, which is cool. I’ve never interviewed two people over the phone before, have you done an interview like this? Thanks for both hopping on the phone today to talk. The journey is all the more better when you have someone with which to share it.

They were jovial as they discussed how they’ve enhanced each others’ lives, their individual creative processes and the tight-knit community in Raleigh-Durham. Their collaboration was playing out as beautifully on the road as it had on the record with Cook lending his deft touch on guitar and piano to Taylor’s music. tour behind the release of Heart Like A Levee. When I caught up with them recently over the phone they were finishing a U.S. Taylor and Cook’s respective albums represent the best work each have released and it is no wonder that they both employed the other to play on their and help bring their visions to life. His storytelling is at its most revealing on this year’s standout Heart Like A Levee, which grapples with the intricacies of moving through life balancing art, work and family. Last year’s Southland Mission was a lifetime in the making, a tour-de-force of vibrant self-expression that combined all of Cook’s musical influences onto one album.Īs Hiss Golden Messenger, Taylor has been releasing music that offers raw portraits of his life on a bedrock of sturdy folk-rock for years. Cook’s work in Megafaun and The Shouting Matches showcased a penchant for crafting gorgeous hybridizations of folk, blues and psychedelia that resonated on a deeply soulful level. Listen to the music of both Taylor and Cook and it you’ll begin to understand the roots of their connection. The two musicians met about five years ago in the fertile artist community surrounding the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and have been constants in each others’ lives ever since. Taylor and Phil Cook, it’s clear they’ve found that in each other. Talking with Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Someone whose soul hums at the same frequency as yours and whose existence only adds to the color in your life. There aren’t many things in this world more enriching than a close friend.
