Taylor Bennett: I want to just keep going, like, I don’t know where this train stops, I don’t know if it’s going to take me into country music or [if] it’s gonna take me into f-cking rock ‘n’ roll or if it’s gonna take me back into hip-hop. It can take me anywhere, and I want to do as much as I can.
I also believe that the representation of me being Black, being from Chicago, being from the South Side, and then going out and making songs with [Brooklyn-based electronic duo] Matt and Kim and [U.K. singer and producer] Mr. Hudson and the [rock band] Plain White T’s is some shit that other kids see [as inspiring]. It’s just like I saw Kanye West work with Mr. Hudson and Jay-Z work with Mr. Hudson and it inspired me to go work with Mr. Hudson.
I’m a huge fan of [the rock band] Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I’m a huge fan of doo-wop groups, period. There’s been like a couple of different tracks that I’ve made that sound like the 1960s or 70s. There’s ventures and different things that I want to do. I think something that I’m getting more comfortable with is being myself and feeling like I’m gonna try this kind of music. I also don’t have that pressure [as] an independent artist. It’s not, like, ‘oh, shit, I might only sell 20,000 units, and then they’re going to shelve me.’ I’m, like, ‘okay, I still made the money if I sold 20,000 units as an independent artist, and I’ll just keep trying other stuff until I find something that I like and the fans like.’