Taylor Shae grew up in the Longmont area in a musical family. By the age of 13, she began writing her own songs and playing the guitar. Now, just a decade later, she released a new single, “Smoke and Lead.”
As a young teen, Shae had many influences that empowered her to begin writing original songs. Jessica Rogalski, co-founder and voice coach at Mojo’s Music in Longmont, suggested Shae write an original song for Longmont Idol — a music event that showcased local talent. Shae was further convinced when she started playing music with some local women who had original materials. At the time, she was singing cover songs from her favorite artist.
The first song she wrote was called “One Day.” The song was aspirational for Shae as she sings about having dreams and waiting for her day to come.
Her latest single is “Smoke and Lead.” It is inspired by the show “Yellowstone” and the relationships that had gone bad in the show. The vibe of the song also reflects Shae’s growth into an alt-country sound, she said.
Shae said she finds inspiration for her songs from her life. Some have been written about her personal experiences while some have been drawn from situations her family and friends have experienced.
“All my songs have different sources of inspiration,” Shae said.
Shae attended and graduated from Colorado State University and now lives in Fort Collins. Since moving away from Longmont, she has dedicated more time to writing new songs and performing as much as she can.
She recently added a full band to her show. She has opened for big names including the Eli Young Band, Caitlyn Smith, AJ Lee & Blues Summit and The Patti Fiasco. She has also played in venues across the country including Washington’s, Aggie Theatre, WHAT Festival and Bohemian Nights.
“I’m just trying to keep writing songs and keep evolving as a songwriter as well as a performer,” Shae said.
Shae’s dream is to continue to improve her music and go on tour, opening for bigger names and playing in larger venues. On June 8, she will play at the Swing Station in LaPorte, CO and on June 21, she will play at the Magic Rat in Fort Collins. She suggested that she may be playing closer to Longmont later this summer but nothing is confirmed at this time.
