Syd Taylor on Reclaiming Her Time and Finding Her Voice
By : Josh Kitchen / October 9, 2026
Syd Taylor dropped the deluxe edition of her shimmering debut album, After the Fact, today, and in addition to the original album, it features two new songs, “Movie Star” and “Red Light,” both of which are so good you might find it criminal that they didn't make the standard edition.
They're two songs in which Taylor once again gives us a glimpse into her heart and soul. On “Red Light,” she grapples with her own agency in a music industry hell-bent on holding female artists back, while “Movie Star” explores that familiar feeling of wondering whether a relationship is simply too good to be true. All the while, her powerful voice anchors the songs in real cinematic pull.
With this new edition of After the Fact, Syd Taylor reminds us why she's one of the most exciting new voices making pop music today. I spoke with her about these songs, the stories and emotions behind them, her dream collaboration, and her upcoming show at the Echo here in Los Angeles in just under a week's time.
I'm curious, now that you've had some distance from the original album release, has your relationship with it changed at all?
Syd Taylor:
Yeah, I mean, I wrote this album at basically one of the turning points of my life. I sort of word-vomited the whole thing, so I wrote it very quickly. I wrote the album within three months. "Red Light" specifically was the song that was about me needing to leave the situation I was in and do something that was important and special to me, which was to write an album, fully produce it, fully write it, and release it. "Red Light" was the song that we held back, and I feel like it was important to hold it back because it's sort of the best way to wrap up the album. It was pretty much the reason why I wrote the album.
Three months is so impressive, especially producing it yourself! The record has this great, crisp, warm feeling that sounds like the work of someone who's been producing records for years. Something that struck me about "Red Light" was your description of feeling like the clock was ticking, which is reflected literally in the opening of the music video. Can you talk about that feeling of needing to make a change while you still have time?
Syd Taylor:
So the song is actually about my relationship with the people around me that I was working with closely, which was my family and some other people in the industry. It felt like I was being held back from being myself because there were so many opinions and so many people trying to make me who I am, when I was the only one who could ever do that. In this industry, especially as a woman, it's so difficult to get a grasp on things and to feel like you're really making a change. It feels like the older you get, and the more time that goes by, the less time you have. It's a real thing for a lot of women in this industry. I really wanted to write a song about feeling like if I don't change now and I don't grow now, I never will. The best thing I ever could have done was leave the situation and do what was right for me. Now I feel like the clock is still ticking, but it's ticking in my own direction.
Nobody seems to question the relevance of bands like Pearl Jam or Foo Fighters as they get older, but women of the same generation often face a different standard. I think we're finally seeing some of that challenged. Like Shirley Manson is a queen, just as important as anyone in the boys' club. I love that you're confronting those expectations in a song like "Red Light."
Syd Taylor:
Thank you. It's funny because I have a lot of friends who are in the industry and in all different industries. I think even in the acting world, it's a very similar thing with a lot of women. It feels like you can have your moment when you're older if you're a man, but for some reason, as a woman, it's a lot harder. It's this beauty standard. I think mainly it's the beauty standard. I always tell my friends who are actors, who are getting older, and they're like, "Oh, I feel like I'm running out of time." And I'm like, "Honey, no, you are not." I have to worry the way that a woman has to worry, and I hate to think that I have to worry, but I still feel that way. I feel less so now because I feel like I'm really in control of my life. But I used to feel like anytime I would have a birthday, I was super sad because I was getting older and time was running out. If I didn't make it in my 20s, then I was never going to make it. That's how I used to feel. I see all these amazing, beautiful women taking off right now. There are so many young female artists who are killing it. I look at them and I'm like, "Wow, that's amazing that they're doing this at 20 years old." Sometimes I'm like, "Oh, I wish that happened for me." But then I'm like, "No, I don't," because it wouldn't have worked the same. I wasn't who I was yet.
And this record and these songs might never have existed. That's something I love exploring with artists, how the music they make is a reflection of their specific journey. This is the music you've made, and it's great. Looking back, what would you tell yourself five or ten years ago that you know now?
Syd Taylor:
Trust your gut. Trust your gut. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do things that other people can do. I think I used to look at a lot of the people around me and think, "Oh, I don't think I could ever do that." Producing a song, for example. I never really thought that I could do that. It felt like something that was so out of reach for me. There was someone I was working with at the end of my days with my band, Stereo Jane. They had listened to one of my demos, and they said, "Why did you release what's out now? Why didn't you release the demo?" I was like, "I don't know. I guess because I showed my team the demo, and everyone said, 'Great, let's pass it to this producer.'" No one ever really fully believed in my demos until he told me, "You should have released the demo." It made me think, "Wait, why am I not releasing my demos? Because these demos are actually very close to being finished."
That's so cool.
Syd Taylor:
Yeah, that was a push that I think really helped set me over the edge when it came to figuring out what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it, and believing in myself.
Believing in yourself is harder than it sounds, but I think that confidence really comes through in the music. I also love the "Red Light" video by Aislinn Murray. It's such a fun visual expression of the song, and it's exciting to see your vision come to life.
Syd Taylor:
Thank you. That video was so fun to make. I got to be all these different versions of myself that are still me. I got to make a lot of costumes and just express myself in a way that I never was able to before. That's why the video is so special to me.
I think a challenge for artists starting out is figuring out who they are and who they want to be. That identity can change, too. It's really cool to see you embracing that and playing with those different versions of yourself.
Syd Taylor:
Oh, thanks. Yeah, that's something I never had before. I never had that vision. Who am I? What am I doing? And why am I doing it?
I think audiences can tell when an artist really believes in what they're singing. There's an authenticity to your music that I find really compelling. Speaking of becoming who you're meant to be, you're about to take these songs on the road, including a show at the Echo here in LA. How are you feeling about playing this material live?
Syd Taylor:
Yes! I'm so excited. I played the Echo, I want to say, around seven years ago, and I was opening for another band. The fact that I get to come back and do a headline show, and it's sold out, I'm beyond excited. I can't wait. I can't wait to actually play every single song that I have.
I love when artists are still at the point where they can play their entire catalog live. It's like experiencing their whole vision at once. Is there a particular song you're most excited for people to hear?
Syd Taylor:
There's actually a song called "Dream About You" that I feel has not gotten enough love on my album, but it's one of my favorites. It's also really fun to play live, so that one's good.
What's a concert you've attended that really reminded you of the power of live music?
Syd Taylor:
Honestly, the 1975. I saw them a few times, I want to say last year. Yeah, I think it was last year. That was a show for me that really brought an album to life in a way that I hadn't felt in a really long time. I loved their album, but seeing it live like that was something that really sparked something in me and made me feel so creative. That was something really beautiful. Also, the Killers. The Killers were something I was so surprised by because I'd never seen them before in concert. I love their music, obviously. They're legends. But seeing it live was just some sort of crazy experience to me because I'm like, "How could it get better?"
Are you working on new material now?
Syd Taylor:
I am! I'm so excited. I'm just venturing out and starting to work with new producers, which is really crazy because the whole album was so isolated and just me in a room. Now I'm starting to figure out what collaborating looks like with my new music. It's really cool because now I have something that I can bring to people and say, "This is who I am," and there's really no question about it. It's been a lot easier to write music with other people than it was over the last ten years of my life. So yeah, I'm so excited.
Who would be your dream collaborator? Anyone at all.
Syd Taylor:
Like anyone? Anything? Sheryl Crow.
Ooh, that's a great pull! Why Sheryl Crow?
Syd Taylor:
Sheryl Crow was one of the first artists I was ever exposed to as a child, and my first-ever concert. They had to drag me away in the parking lot crying because we had a bedtime. They were playing "Soak Up the Sun," and I'm bawling my eyes out. My dad's carrying me away, and I'm like, "But it's 'Soak Up the Sun!' We couldn't stay for that?" I was a mess. That was also one of the CDs that was stuck in my mom's car, so I was listening to it all the time. I love Sheryl Crow. She's a huge, huge inspiration to me.
Have you gotten to see her again and get your "Soak Up the Sun" redemption?
Syd Taylor:
My sister just did. She was in New York and went like two weeks ago, and she was having so much fun. I was like, "You don't deserve this!" She was antagonizing me. I'm obsessed with her. She's an artist that I could listen to all the time and never get sick of. I love her.
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