Judith Hill, Veronica Swift & Taylor Rae

Placing 2nd in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition put Veronica on the map, contributing to her landing a weekly residency at the historic jazz venue Birdland.  It was there where she captured the attention of jazz icons Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis who featured her on their tours throughout the following years as Veronica also toured extensively with her own band.

“Swift gets both dramatic and slyly witty, taking on sexism directly with her unrestrained makeover of ‘How Lovely to Be a Woman’…” — Glide Magazine

“It’s as good a job of reconciling the past and the present as I have ever heard, and goes a lot further than anything else I’ve encountered in the past 12 months toward making sense out of a world gone wacko.” — Wall Street Journal

“Veronica Swift is a woman of many voices, and she uses every one of them to refract a dizzying kaleidoscope of moods on ‘This Bitter Earth…’” — DownBeat

“‘This Bitter Earth’ is more universally-minded as she tackles sexism, racism, domestic abuse and other social issues via carefully curated materials.” — Jazziz

“…recontextualizing decades-old lyrics has led the Charlottesville-bred jazz vocalist to a point of historical confluence, one where classic songs now take on a renewed relevance.” — The Daily Progress

“…it takes an artist of sure and rising stature to curate one hell of a coherent protest album.” — All About Jazz

“…a jazz lioness with a pure tone, large lungs, a knowing sense of repertoire, and sure swing style.” — JazzTimes

Taylor sang her first song, a cover of Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” at the age of two. She wrote her first song at eight, and by age 10, she had filled entire notebooks with her original lyrics. Taylor was inspired not only by the natural surroundings of her youth, but also the music of Bonnie Raitt, King, Janis Joplin, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Jewel, Simon & Garfunkel and Steely Dan, among others. Knowing what her future held, Taylor taught herself guitar at 12 and, by age of 15, played her first paid gig. Since then, she has lived a nomadic life, coloring a bit outside the lines, and exploring the ever-evolving definitions of Americana, Folk, Jazz and Blues – and the vagaries of the human condition. She has earned comparisons to Jones, Maren Morris, Joss Stone and Grace Potter.

Taylor’s Top 20 Americana Music Album Chart debut, Mad Twenties, is the culmination of a gently chaotic decade lived with fearless determination, and Taylor shows a sophistication and maturity beyond her 28 years with this collection of 12 originals. Produced by William Gawley, the project runs the gamut from gentle, acoustic Folk to Led Zeppelin-tinged Rock and roadhouse Blues, while also incorporating Jazz and psychedelic influences.

No Depression says that “The album introduces a singer fully in command of her vocal gifts and a songwriter who enfolds her lyric sensibility in haunting musical sketches.” It is an apt description for a largely chronological concept album. Taylor’s incisive lyrics cover a broad emotional landscape, describing a blossoming – then withering – romance in stunning confessional detail. The gently rolling opening cut, “Window,” inspired by a psychedelic experience, affords the first inviting glance into the real-life relationship on which the majority of songs are based, while the sweetly romantic first single, “Fixer Upper,” offers a dreamy optimistic view forward. The paths of touring musician and romantic partner converge in the free-ranging, B3-laden “Home on the Road,” an Americana Music Chart Top 15 single. Taylor’s vocal prowess for searing Blues/Rock is demonstrated in the electrifying “Forgiveness.” Other highlights include the raw, edgy vibe of the politically charged “Never Gonna Do” – a brief but compelling detour from the album’s autobiographical element. The collection closes out with “Taking Space,” a darkly bittersweet epilogue to the love story.

“Recording the album was very cathartic; it reflects my own personal journey of self-actualization, awareness and growth,” admits Taylor. “It’s easier to look back on this journey and relationship with gratitude now.”

Since the release of Mad Twenties, Taylor’s journey has found her touring non-stop in support of the album, doing countless live shows, podcast interviews, and radio and television appearances to bring her to audiences and critics alike. High profile appearances include Circle TV, Ditty TV, Woodsongs and Mountain Stage.

When Taylor is not working on music, she enjoys reading, practicing yoga and spending time with her long-haired dachshund, Winnie.