Maria Diane Taylor (born May 21, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter from

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. She is also a member of the duo

Azure Ray Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included ...

with

Orenda Fink Orenda Fink is an American singer, musician, and writer. Perhaps best known as half of the duo Azure Ray, Fink is also a member of Art in Manila, O+S, Closeness, and High Up, and has played with or appeared as a guest on records by Bright Ey ...

. Taylor plays several instruments, including the guitar, drums, and piano and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes,

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and ''Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclaim ...

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

Joshua Radin Joshua Radin (born June 14, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. He has recorded nine studio albums, and his songs have been used in a number of films and TV series. His most successful album, ''Simple Times'', was released in 2008. Beginnin ...

, and more.

Biography

Taylor started her musical career at the age of fifteen in the band

Little Red Rocket Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included ...

with

which released two CDs on Geffen, ''Who Did You Pay'' (1997) and ''It's in the Sound'' (2000). The group disbanded during the merging of Geffen with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. Taylor later moved to

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

along with her musical collaborator, Fink where they formed the band

. The pair signed to WARM and released their

self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

debut in 2001. The song "Sleep" was later featured in the 2006

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated movie, The Devil Wears Prada featuring

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...

. In 2015,

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

included "Sleep" in a 6-song "breakup playlist" made for a fan via her official Tumblr.

released their second album, '' Burn and Shiver'' in 2002.

Eric Bachmann Eric Bachmann is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, Bachmann’s music is dist ...

(

Crooked Fingers Crooked Fingers was an American indie rock band, led by the former Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann. A vehicle for Bachmann's songwriting, the band's lineup changed between each record. Crooked Fingers released albums on WARM Records and Me ...

and

Archers of Loaf Archers of Loaf is an American indie rock band originally formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991. The group toured extensively and released four studio albums, one compilation, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was release ...

) produced both records. After meeting the band in Athens, Bright Eyes frontman

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...

invited the band on tour and introduced them to

Saddle Creek Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

released their following records, ''November'' EP, and ''The Drinks We Drank Last Night''. In 2002, the duo co-wrote and recorded "The Great Escape" (which appeared on

's 18) and "Landing" (which appeared on the

XXX XXX may refer to: Codes and symbols * 30 (number), Roman numeral XXX * XXX, designating pornography ** XXX, an X rating#United_States, X rating ** .xxx, an internet top-level domain intended for pornographic sites * XXX, a symbol of the straight ...

soundtrack), and afterwards joined Moby on tour. Following the release of 2003's '' Hold on Love'', Taylor and Fink began a 6-year hiatus. Taylor released her first solo album '' 11:11'' on Saddle Creek Records on May 24, 2005. The album features

of Bright Eyes, Gretta Cohn of

Cursive Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...

Andy LeMaster Andy LeMaster is an American musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer from Athens, Georgia. Now It's Overhead is the primary project for his own songwriting, while he also releases music under his own name and contributes as a co-writer on ...

and

Mike Mogis Michael Riley Mogis (born May 16, 1974) is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios (previously known as Dead Space Recording and, earlier, Whoopass Record ...

as both musicians and producers. ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...

'' named its March 31, 2011, episode, "

Song Beneath the Song "Song Beneath the Song", also known as ''Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event'', is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy,'' and the 144th episode overall. It was named after a song initi ...

", after a track from the album and also featured the song on the original soundtrack. Taylor later recorded a new song for

's 2005 Christmas episode entitled "Christmas After All." Her second solo album, ''

Lynn Teeter Flower ''Lynn Teeter Flower'' is the second album by Maria Taylor and was released on March 6, 2007. This is the 102nd release of Saddle Creek Records. The album features a guest appearance and co-write from Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst on the track "The ...

'', was released on March 6, 2007, also on Saddle Creek. "A Good Start," the first track off ''

'', was subsequently named one of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's 10 best songs of the year for 2007. "The Ballad of Sean Foley" was co-written with

. The following year she released an acoustic album titled Savannah Drive with

which includes stripped-down versions of songs from her first two albums, plus one new track, "Tell Me." On March 31, 2009, she released her third full length, '' LadyLuck'' via

Nettwerk Music Group Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...

featuring the song "Cartoons and Forever Plans," co-written by and including guest vocals from

. '' LadyLuck'' reached number 48 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

's "Heatseakers" charts.

then reunited for a one-off reunion show in December 2008 at Los Angeles's iconic

Troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...

. In 2010, they released their first album in six years,'' Drawing Down the Moon''. ''

Overlook A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...

'', Taylor's 4th solo album, was released August 16, 2011. After moving back to her hometown of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, Taylor was unable to write for nearly a year, eventually composing the entire album over two weeks during a break in touring with

. This release marks the first time Taylor produced her own album. Paste called ''

'' "her best, most animated collection in years." In August 2012,

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

premiered the new EP from

, ''As Above, So Below''. It was released on September 4, 2012, on

Saddle Creek Records Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

. The next year, Taylor released her fifth solo record '' Something About Knowing'' on October 29, 2013, on

. After moving back to Los Angeles, Taylor wrote and recorded ''

In the Next Life ''In the Next Life'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Maria Taylor, also a member of Azure Ray. It was released on December 9, 2016, on her label Flower Moon Records. The first single "If Only", features guest vocals by ...

'', released December 9, 2016, on her own label, Flower Moon Records. The album features guest appearances from familiar collaborators

and more. "If Only" (featuring

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

) was prominently featured in

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

's ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It s ...

''.

, who premiered the full album stream, called it "her warmest and most affecting album... filled with gorgeous, touching songs about family, legacy, fear and the pursuit of contentment." In November 2017, Taylor joined

Ben Lee Benjamin Michael Lee (born 11 September 1978) is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appe ...

Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. Watt co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ...

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker w ...

and others as

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...

's backing band during the Los Angeles stop of his final tour. That same month,

announced they would once again reunite for a one-off show in Los Angeles at the Lodge Room on January 20, 2018. In April 2018, Paste premiered "Real Life (Trump Era) from the ''Friends and Family Vol. 1'' compilation, put out on her label, Flower Moon Records. Released May 11, 2018, other contributors included

bandmate

Nik Freitas Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia,Nik Freitas homepageConor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ...

Louis Schefano Louis Schefano (born January 26, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Birmingham, Alabama, United States. He has recorded under various monikers including Regia, Louis, and Suspicio ...

, Jake Bellows, and more. Flower Moon Records has since re-released Taylor's earlier albums, '' 11:11'' and '' LadyLuck'', as well as

record and Burn and Shiver. Taylor performed on

The Ellen Show ''The Ellen Show'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, aired from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It was DeGeneres' second attempt at a sitcom, ...

with

during his performance of "Here, Right Now" in October 2019. On November 11, 2019, Taylor released her new self-titled album on Flower Moon Records. Flood Magazine premiered the single "Waiting in Line" featuring

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...

Adam Duritz Adam Fredric Duritz (born August 1, 1964) is an American singer, best known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows, of which he is a founding member and principal composer. Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 mi ...

on October 24, 2019. Under the Radar premiered the Alan Tanner directed video for "Spinning Wheel" on January 22, 2020. In 2021,

announced their first new album in over a decade, ''Remedy.'' In March 2021, Taylor was featured on

cover of the

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

song "Summer's End" for the

Spotify Singles Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active users ...

series. She also appears on Bridgers' cover of "Funny Feeling" by

Bo Burnham Robert Pickering "Bo" Burnham (born 1990) is an American comedian, musician, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His comedy work often combines musical, sketch, and stand-up elements with filmmaking. Following his success as one of the earliest ...

Personal life

Taylor plays with the high E-string removed from her guitar. Taylor previously dated Bright Eyes singer-songwriter

. She is married and has two children.

Discography

Solo

* '' 11:11'' (2005, Flower Moon Records) * ''

'' (2007,

) * '' Savannah Drive'' (with

) (2008, Flower Moon Records) * '' LadyLuck'' (2009, Flower Moon Records) * "In a Bad Way" single (2011,

) * ''

'' (2011,

) * '' Something About Knowing'' (2013,

) * ''

'' (2016, Flower Moon Records) * "Light of the World" single with

(2017, Flower Moon Records) * ''Maria Taylor'' (2019, Flower Moon Records)

Azure Ray

* ''

'' (2001, Flower Moon Records) * ''Sleep EP'' (2002, WARM) * '' Burn and Shiver'' (2002, Flower Moon Records) * ''

November EP ''November EP'' is an EP by Azure Ray. It was released January 22, 2002 on Saddle Creek Records. Track listing # "November" # "For the Sake of the Song" (Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an Ameri ...

'' (2002,

) * '' Hold on Love'' (2003,

) * '' The Drinks We Drank Last Night'' (2003,

) * '' New Resolution'' (2004,

) * '' Drawing Down the Moon'' (2010,

) * '' As Above So Below'' (2012,

) * ''

Waves Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music * Waves (ban ...

'' EP (2018, Flower Moon Records) * ''Remedy'' (2021, Flower Moon Records)

Compilations

– Official Soundtrack (2005, Touchstone Pictures) * '' Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina Relief'' (2005,

) *

– Official Soundtrack Vol. 1, 2, & 3 (2009) *

– Music from the Series (2017, Universal Music/Twentieth Century Fox) * Flower Moon Records – ''Friends and Family Volume 1'' (2018, Flower Moon Records)

Appearances

* Bright Eyes – ''

There Is No Beginning to the Story ''There Is No Beginning to the Story'' is the third EP by Bright Eyes. The songs on it are fairly varied, with "From a Balance Beam" and "Loose Leaves" having more electronic qualities, while "Messenger Bird's Song" and "We Are Free Men" are ...

'' (2002,

) * Bright Eyes – ''

Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground ''Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground'' is the fourth studio album by Bright Eyes and the 46th release of Saddle Creek Records. The band made its national television debut in support of the album, performing "The Trees ...

'' (2002,

) * Bright Eyes – '' A Christmas Album'' (2002 ·

) * Bright Eyes – ''

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning ''I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning'' is the sixth studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records (the same day as their seventh album, ''Digital Ash in a Digital Urn''). The album will be reissued ...

'' (2005,

) * Bright Eyes – ''

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn ''Digital Ash in a Digital Urn'' is the seventh studio album by American band Bright Eyes, released on January 25, 2005 by Saddle Creek Records, the same day as their sixth album ''I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning''. It peaked at number 15 in the ...

'' (2005,

) * Bright Eyes – ''

Noise Floor In signal theory, the noise floor is the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where noise is defined as any signal other than the one being monitored. In radio com ...

'' (2006,

) * Bright Eyes – '' Four Winds'' (2007,

) * Bright Eyes – '' Cassadaga'' (2007,

) *

– "When You Find Me," Adam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2009) * Rich Shapero – Dawn Remember (2010, Outside Reading) *

Nik Freitas Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia,Nik Freitas homepageConor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ...

– ''Saturday Night Underwater'' (2011, Little Record Company) *

Whispertown Whispertown (formerly known as Whispertown 2000 or the Whispertown 2000) is an American indie music project from Los Angeles, California, fronted by singer-songwriter Morgan Nagler. They have toured or performed with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, Jen ...

– ''Parallel'' (2012, Acony Records) *

– '' Salutations'' (2017,

Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...

) *

Nik Freitas Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia,Nik Freitas homepageConor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ...

– ''Day & Dark'' (2018) *

– "Here, Right Now" (2019,

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...

) *

– ''Quarter Century Classix'' (2019, New West Records) *

– "Summers End (John Prine cover) (2021, Spotify Singles) *

– "That Funny Feeling" (Bo Burhan cover) (2021,

Dead Oceans Dead Oceans is an American independent record label formed in 2007 and based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Dead Oceans is part of Secretly Group, which also ...

) * Bright Eyes – ''

(Companion version)'' (2022,

)

Music videos

* "Song Beneath The Song" ('' 11:11'') * "A Good Start" (

) * "Time Lapse Lifeline" ('' LadyLuck'') – featuring

Neely Jenkins Neely Jo Jenkins (born June 21, 1974) is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska best known for being a singer in the band Tilly and the Wall. She was also a member of the band Park Ave. with Tilly and the Wall bandmate Jamie Pressnall, (then Jamie William ...

(of

Tilly and the Wall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide pe ...

) and Morgan Nagler (of

), directed by Alan Tanner * "Cartoons and Forever Plans" ( LadyLuck) – featuring actor/singer

Soko Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of many military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force. SOKO was created in 1950 by the rel ...

and was directed by

SKINNY (Directing Team) SKINNY is a directing team based in Los Angeles that specializes in commercials and music videos. It is composed of David Hache and Marc-Edouard Leon. In 2008, SKINNY signed to the acclaimed music video and commercial production company Partizan. ...

* "Matador" (''

'') * "Up All Night" ('' Something About Knowing'') – directed by Alan Tanner, * "If Only" (''

'') – featuring

and

* "Just Once" (''

'') – featuring

Nik Freitas Nik Freitas is a singer-songwriter from Visalia,Nik Freitas homepageConor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ...

, Jake Bellows of

Neva Dinova The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it is ...

and more. * "Light of the World" (with

) * "Spinning Wheel" (''Maria Taylor'') – directed by Alan Tanner Maria is also featured playing drums in the video for " Four Winds" by Bright Eyes and "New Drinks for the Old Drunk" by

Biography

Personal life

Discography

Solo

Azure Ray

Compilations

Appearances

Music videos

References

External links