Artist Spotlight: Time Sawyer
Courtesy of Jake Rothwell
The Appalachian Preservation Project is proud to present Time Sawyer as this week’s artist spotlight.
The following answers are courtesy of Sam.
How did Time Sawyer come together as a band? How long have you been together?
Time Sawyer started back in 2010 when I moved to Charlotte from Wilmington. Some friends from college, all from around Surry/Yadkin County started hanging out and working on the early form of what Time Sawyer is now. In 2016 We added Court Wynter and Jordan Nelson from Winston-Salem, NC. The band has operated with those members as our backbone since then.
What are the backgrounds of each of the members?
Sam Tayloe (from Elkin, NC) Primary Songwriter
Court Wynter (From NY, lives in Winston-Salem) Stand up/electric Bass
Jordan Nelson (From Winston-Salem) Drums/percussion
For the last few years we have been taking a “band family/communal” approach, having a nice handful of players from around NC that will sit in with the band on different tours and shows. It’s been a fun way to get to see a lot of our great musician friends more regularly and keep live shows interesting and every changing. For our show coming up at the App Theatre we will have Steven Davidson and Chad Andrew Harris from the Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars with us, playing Mandolin and Guitar, respectively.
What is the inspiration behind the name Time Sawyer?
Being from a rural/smaller town I liked the connection to Tom Sawyer’s Character. Time is something we cannot escape, good or bad. In songwriting, I think almost everything we write on is centered around time; Writing about how much a moment in time changed you, or the longing for a different time in the past or the present, time is a constant in how we connect and feel our way through the world.
Courtesy of Jake Rothwell
What artists are currently inspiring the band?
Too many to name! I take a lot of inspiration from JJ Cale and Jim Croce, the band as a whole pulls from so many great artists ranging from the Grateful Dead to Jaco Pastorius.
How would you describe the band’s sound/style?
I think genre-wise we’re hard to pin point, and we like that. We want the songwriting to be front and center but we also know how important the instrumental arrangements are to telling the stories we want to tell.
How do you hope your music impacts people?
I hope it connects with folks, ultimately, whatever way that may be. With the divisions that seem to make headlines far more than what makes us similar, I hope our songs can give folks a reminder to what team we’re all really playing for.
What life experiences inform your music?
All of them.
What is the importance of collaborating and engaging with other musicians?
Going back to talking about having a rotating handful of musicians sitting in with us, I think collaboration is the only way to make music. We’re all working together up there.
Are you currently touring? Where can people find your show dates?
We are currently playing a few short weekend runs through May and have some longer June and July tours that will be announced in the coming weeks.
Are you working on a recording project? If so, tell me about it.
We just released our newest record, Dig A Little Deeper.
Courtesy of Jake Rothwell
