By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On Father’s Day weekend, Burlington will once again be home to the Sound of Music festival (SOM), with its free outdoor music performances, popular midway, and food, drink, craft, and retail vendors.
On June 13 at 6:30 p.m., folk-rock artist Julian Taylor will take the TD Main Stage at the festival. Taylor has performed at SOM twice before with his Julian Taylor Band in 2015 and 2018.
Taylor reminisced about his experience playing at the festival in the past.
“I love the city, it’s beautiful,” Taylor said. “When we got there, it was Father’s Day. I was there with my daughter, and my dad was there. He took a really cool picture of us backstage.”
Taylor said that he appreciated the fact that SOM’s lineup is composed entirely of Canadian artists this year.
“I wish all the festivals would really focus on Canadian artists,” Taylor said. “I mean, a lot of the time what happens is they’ll break their entire budget on some international acts, and then all of a sudden you don’t have any coin to bring in the Canadian acts. I would love to see more Canadian-centric festivals.”
Taylor began his professional career with the band Staggered Crossing, which disbanded in 2007. He quit music for some time after the band’s breakup and began bartending.
“I love music so much, and it wasn’t bringing me much joy after the Staggered Crossing breakup,” Taylor said.
Taylor elaborated on what led to his brief hiatus.
“It wasn’t really the breakup of the band itself, it was more about the industry and how hard it is to get a break,” Taylor said. “I mean, we had one break when we signed to a major label and had a good run with a hit single that only lasted maybe about eight to nine months. We tried for years to come back with two independent records, and nothing seemed to really click.”
“We’d go on the road and play to 10 people here and there,” Taylor continued. “It just was hard.”
Taylor said that after performing at an open mic at the bar he was working at, his love for music began to return. Then, from 2011 to 2019, he was the frontman of the Julian Taylor Band, before going solo after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taylor is not currently signed to a label and is releasing music independently.
“I enjoy being independent, and I think I’d like to stay that way for now,” Taylor said. “We’ll see what happens down the road. Maybe when I’ve burnt myself out of that sort of position, that’s something that’ll change.
He said that although many people glamorize the music industry, it can be hard work.
“It seems like live music is really the only way for musicians to make a living,” Taylor said. “So we’re hoping that more people want to see shows, but as the next generation comes around, we’re not sure what’s going to happen.”
Taylor spoke about the difference between playing solo shows and festivals.
“It’s much different,” Taylor said, “Festivals are a lot faster paced. I mean, the switchovers are pretty ‘1, 2, 3, you’re on,’ and you’re going. I love the festival crowd because I think young people show up to festivals more than they do to the solo stuff.”
“The other thing about festivals is that it’s such a joy to see your friends and your peers and be around them backstage,” Taylor continued. “Both are great. There’s value and merit in both of them for sure.”
Taylor’s latest album, Pathways, was released in 2024.
“It’s a contemplative and slow record, which I didn’t expect it to be,” Taylor said. “We ripped this track called ‘Running Away’ in one take in the studio one morning when we were just trying to shake things up and see what we could get. It’s a raucous track and I’m really happy that’s on it, to sort of counterbalance the others.”
To find out more about Julian Taylor, visit https://juliantaylormusic.ca/home, and, of course, to hear Taylor live, head over to the Sound of Music festival at Spencer Smith Park on June 13, 2025.
