Ottawa-based, classically-trained singer-songwriter and road warrior Rory Taillon has launched a new video for his previously released single “Welcome.” The song is from his acclaimed album Drifting, which came out during COVID in 2020, when all touring was halted, and the potential for a widespread campaign was shuttered. The hope is that the “Welcome” video will ease his disappointment and make up for lost time. A heartfelt, meditative piece, the song and album are available on all major platforms, and the video is available to watch on YouTube here:
Taillon has toured across Canada and back again; he has the soul of the East coast but the sound of the West in his songs. He’s a true performer, in the best sense of the word. When he sings, everything stops, and when its starts again, everything’s changed. He has charted at earshot and community radio, and reached No. 3 on the National Folk Charts – sitting next to Buffy St. Marie. But like Buffy, Taillon is a true original. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, with powerful vocals and wide-ranging capabilities. His voice is a band unto itself.
The sweeping span of his dynamic vocals are especially evident on “Welcome.” The arrangement of the song moves from a delicate whisper to a flat-out scream – literally. In between, he deftly employs looping technique to develop that slow crescendo, layering guitar parts, the beat, and exquisite four-part vocal harmonies. The constant refrain, “You’re not welcome anymore,” could refer to a former lover, colonial evil-doers, corporate polluters, or even humans on Planet Earth. But it was intended more simply, at first.
Says Taillon, “ I was trying to work through the idea of dealing with my own struggles with mental health by imagery in songwriting. I felt like my personality was split between the person I was normally, and the person who was consumed by the darkness. The song never went anywhere when I originally wrote it until one night I was a little bored and could feel the mental health habits creeping in. I set up my loop pedal and started building layers through guitar parts, percussion and heavily stacked vocal harmonies. I eventually ended up at the loop combination that is now at the climax of the final song, and turned it up really loud and sat in it. ‘Welcome’ was the first song off of my album that was written and it set the tone for the writing of the rest of the album.”
The video for “Welcome” was recorded live in Ottawa by Jeff Watkins of Loretta Media. As a single viewing will tell, Rory Taillon is a committed, engaging artist who sings his truth from a wellspring of deep emotion. He’s clearly the real deal, and one to watch.
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