Country singer-songwriter Brit Taylor reflects on her Appalachian roots with her new album, Land Of The Forgotten.
The project dives deep into the artist’s roots, inspired by the sounds of fellow Eastern Kentucky stars such as Loretta Lynn, Keith Whitley, The Judds, and Tyler Childers. “If I didn’t have that in me, I wouldn’t still be chasing this dream. The people and the places are always making their way into my writing,” she says. The songs are fueled by old time fiddles, top tier guitar picking, and is sure to give audiences that Nashville kick.
Starting off the 11-track record is “Broke No More,” which offers a vintage gospel country sound, as it opens with an isolated group vocal. The song is the perfect tune for a night at the Grand Ole Opry. “Well I don’t know when/ And I don’t know how/ But I ain’t gonna be broke no more,” Taylor sings in anthemic determination. It’s undoubtedly a very relatable lyric for artists and residents in Nashville alike (and of course most anywhere).
Moving down the album, “Warning You Whiskey” was created with the goal of capturing an 80s/90s country feel. “I love that the woman in this song is never mad at her man, but she’s madder’n hell at the bottle of whiskey in his hand,” Taylor states. The catchy sing-along chorus depicts that visual with the lyric, “I’m warning you whiskey/ Stay away from that man/ You make him not miss me when you’re in his hands/ I’m warning you whiskey/ Stay away from that man.”
Another song of note, “Queen of Fools,” is a much slower, more somber song. It carefully highlights Taylor’s rich vocals with a simple instrumental. “If he’s the king of broken hearts/ Then I’m the queen of fools/ I keep running to him time and time again/ Cause I’m the queen of fools,” she sings in her signature honeyed vocals.
Coming in at track nine is “Crazy Leaf,” which provides a change of speed towards the bottom of the album. It puts a light-hearted spin on the idea that every family has someone a little off their rocker hiding in it somewhere.
Land of the Forgotten is a tightly-written, hook-driven project that is sure to reel in new fans for Taylor. Covering themes of complicated people and her misunderstood homeland, she puts eighteen years of Nashville songwriter experience into what amounts to be 35 minutes of excellent music.
The album follows her 2023 record, Kentucky Blue. She has her album release show tonight at Skinny Dennis in Nashville.
Upcoming Shows:
March 12 – Skinny Dennis – Nashville, TN (Album Release Show)
June 5 – United Wireless Arena & Boot Hill Conference Center – Dodge City, KS*
June 6 – The Astro – Omaha, NE*
June 7 – The Monument – Rapid City, SD*
June 9 – Jackson Hole Center for the Arts – Jackson, WY*
June 10 – Jackson Hole Center for the Arts – Jackson, WY*
June 11 – Helena Civic Center – Helena, MT*
June 13 – Alberta Bair Theater – Billings, MT*
June 14 – Sandy Amphitheater – Sandy, UT*
* Supporting Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
