Performing Jolene for her Australian Idol audition may not have seen her advance on the show, but it’s certainly renewed Tayla Adams’ love for music and performing. As one of two Bribie girls to make it to the televised auditions, Tayla graced the room with her guitar in hand and left a lasting impression on judges Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark. Despite her obvious talent and beautiful voice, Tayla may have missed out on a golden ticket to the next round of the show, but feels she gained a new perspective on why she loves music so much.
Heading down the path of being a singer songwriter stems back to when Tayla was growing up. She has been singing for as long as she can remember (she’s now 24), but it was a Taylor Swift concert in 2011 which sparked her interest in song writing.
“It was the Speak Now tour, I remember going with my mum and sisters. We had a restricted view, but it ended up being really close,” Tayla said. “That night I was thinking, I want to do this. And I’m pretty sure I started learning guitar the next day, I would have been about 12.”
It takes a lot of bravado to put yourself forward for a singing show on national television. But it seems it’s not the first time Tayla has gone down this path.
“A couple of years ago I auditioned for The Voice and I went through a few producer rounds,” Tayla said. “Then a producer from The Voice messaged me last year and suggested I audition for Idol. So I did, but I didn't get through the second producer round and I thought I'll give it one more shot when I saw it pop up again for the most recent season.”
So what is it really like singing on television and in front of Marcia, Amy and Kyle?
“It was pretty surreal,” Tayla said. “So now looking back, it feels really weird seeing myself on TV and also seeing people that I met and how they’re progressing through the show.
“But at the time, I don’t think it really sank in, especially in the moment – we filmed it in October. I just followed the steps and I don’t think I really put it together that it was all going to be aired until it actually happened.
“But it was a great experience and to spend time in Sydney for a couple of days and make connections, it made it all the more memorable for me.”
On TV, Tayla’s screen time was quite short, but she remembers it lasting a lot longer, enjoying the opportunity to chat with the judges.
“Kyle talked about Bribie and his mum living there. Amy Shark made a comment about me being the next Taylor Swift and I remember telling Mum and Dad that after the audition, I was like, ‘oh my God, this can't be real’,” Tayla recalls.
Taylor Swift may have kicked off her true love of writing and playing music, but Tayla’s inspiration also comes from the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers to name a few. What goes through her mind to come up with a song?
“Normally it's when I'm just playing around with a guitar and I'll come up with a melody or a chord progression of some sort,” Tayla said. “Then I'll start singing along with whatever guitar I'm playing and then add words to it. That's normally the steps that it follows, but I always have something in the back of my mind that I'm kind of keen to write about, that I just find words to fit that melody.”
While music is an important part of her life, there is another side to Tayla. She is busy working with adults and adolescents in the area of speech therapy in North Brisbane. After graduating from university last year, this is her first fulltime job within the industry.
“First I studied physio for a couple years, because I originally wanted to do something medical through high school,” Tayla said. “I didn't quite get there, so I went into physio thinking that would be half similar. I didn't like it and then found speech, which I ended up really loving and I stuck with it.”
Although life has been busy for Tayla since she auditioned for the show, music has taken somewhat of a back seat, until now.
“Since my audition aired, I think I have found a new spark again and I’m going to ease back into it with gigs,” she said. “I’d like to do at least one gig a week if I can.
“I’m also looking to do some gigs at Johnny Ringo’s in Brisbane, which would be an amazing experience with possibly a band behind me and gain more of a following with my music. It’s always been a goal to play there because it’s pretty much the only country bar in Brisbane and I’ve been there many times since I turned 18.
“And then eventually I’d like to release my own music, that would be my big goal if I can do it.”
To keep in the loop of what Tayla is up to, you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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