“This Is Me Through and Through”: Taylor Acorn on Finding Her Sound

Unapologetic and empowered, pop punk powerhouse Taylor Acorn has released her highly anticipated sophomore album Poster Child. The album, which features latest singles Crashing Out, Hangman, and Goodbye, Good Riddance, marks Acorn’s first since signing to Fearless Records earlier this year.

Over the last few months, Poster Child has been captivating audiences around the world and garnering support from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Pandora, and more – including placements on Pop Rock, Pop Punk’s Not Dead, The Locker, All New Rock, Women of Rock, Punk, Relationship Goals, Working From Home, Feeling Blue, New in Alternative, and other notable playlists.

Acorn recently took the stage at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, alongside iconic acts including blink-182, Avril Lavigne, Panic! At The Disco, Weezer, and more. She’ll also be performing at Vans Warped Tour in Orlando this November following a captivating performance at the Long Beach date earlier this year. Acorn will close out the year with a full US headline tour, beginning with a special album release show in Nashville on October 29. Taylor talks to Hi Fi Way about the album.

How exciting was the build up to your debut album. How does it feel now?
It was coming up fast. I feel like it was just yesterday I was listening to it a thousand times in my car. Now I don’t have to do that anymore, I can just listen to it whenever, and it’ll be out.

Has it been tough sitting on these songs for so long?
Oh, for sure. I love every single song so much. Since the day we finished writing it, I’ve listened to it all in sequence every day. I’m not obsessed with myself, I promise, I just love this record that much. I’m so excited to share it with everybody. My younger sister is obsessed with it too. She’ll call me and say, “I was just listening to your album.” It’s so cool that they do that on their own time. I can’t wait to see what people think when it’s finally out in the world.

How do you celebrate release day?
I’ll actually be on my way home from Los Angeles that day. I’ll be in LA the week after for When We’re Young Fest, doing promo and things like that. I’m a very low-key kind of person, I don’t drink anymore, so I’d be happy just sitting in my house with my best friend Emma, who I wrote the songs with, listening to it top to bottom and having a chill, relaxing celebration.

Was it hard letting go of the songs once they were done, given how invested you are in them?
Yeah, for sure. I’m at this point now where I’m like, “What now?” I feel like it’s the best piece of work I’ve ever done. Will I be able to top it next time? I don’t know. It’s a weird feeling to close that chapter and move on to new music. It’s going to be tough.

You’ve set the bar so high, does that make it harder to follow up?
Definitely! Hopefully this is the one everyone falls in love with and I can just keep writing. But yeah, it’s going to be really tough to follow this one up.

Do you worry about second album blues?
A: Oh yeah, for sure. I love being home and with my family, so I have to remind myself to keep being creative and working. Usually at the start of the year, I set aside time with my favourite people to write. Hopefully we’ll get something going again with new stories and feelings. I want to relish in the Poster Child era for as long as I can, it’s my favourite so far.

With your first album, did you feel pressure to define your sound and identity as Taylor Acorn?
Yes and no. It’s my first album with a label, so there’s pressure in that sense. You’re not just writing music you love, you need the stamp of approval from a bigger team. I want them to be just as excited about the project as I am. I’ve been an artist for almost a decade, putting out music consistently. Last year I released Survival in Motion, which felt like a stepping stone into this new project. I feel like I’ve finally found my sound and become the most authentic version of myself with this album. There’s pressure to make it perfect, but I love it so much that I know others will too. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself, just enjoy it.

Does it feel like a moment of triumph, having found your sound and identity?
Oh, for sure. There are songs on this record that make me emotional because I know how long it took to get here. Hearing the growth first hand is amazing. That’s why I’m so connected to this project, I can genuinely feel and hear the confidence. In the writing and decision-making, I felt so sure of myself. That’s the biggest takeaway, I feel very confident in myself, my sound, who I want to be, and who I am as an artist. I hope everyone listening feels that too.

You’ve called this a project, but it feels much bigger, this is Taylor Acorn through and through.
Thank you. It is very much me through and through, from the production to the creative decisions. I’ve been working with Dan Swank since 2018, writing and producing together. He recently said, “It’s crazy that it’s taken ten years to get here, but the fight was so worth it.” I feel like the best and strongest version of myself going into this. In the past, I felt nervous releasing projects, worried about how others would receive them. Now, I love it because I love it. Of course I want people to love it too, but I’ve never felt this proud, happy, and excited to release something.

Was the vision for the album clear from the start, or did it evolve as you wrote?
It evolved. I started writing from very personal experiences over the last few years, processing things for the first time. There wasn’t a set plan; the songs just started to feel like they belonged together, even though they’re all sonically different. I really took my time with this one, which I hadn’t done before. As an independent artist, you’re always racing the clock, making business decisions. This time, I stepped back from that and focused on myself, my health, and my healing. I ended up with fifty songs, sent them to my team, and we all landed on the same favourites. We were patient, experimental, and had fun. That’s why it feels so special, it’s my baby.

Seeing the songs come together must’ve been exciting in itself?
For sure, for sure.

What about the songs that didn’t make the cut, any plans to revisit them?
There are a few I’ve kept my eye on. I love them just as much as the ones on the record. It was about deciding what this record should be first. I’d put a hundred songs on an album if I could! The narrowing-down process was tough, but I’m keeping the others in my back pocket and thinking about what we could do with them moving forward.

What was your reaction the first time you listened to the finished album start to end?
I was a mess. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions, crying, dancing, feeling so happy. The first time I listened to it all, when I got to the last line of Masquerade, I just started crying. I was on a walk, doing my usual loop, and by the end I was like, “I hope no one sees me, I’m a mess.” It was a really emotional experience. I just love this project so much.

Are there plans to tour soon, and might Australia be on the list after last year’s Good Things tour?
Yes! We kick off our U.S. headline tour at the beginning of November. I’m hoping to come back to Australia, go to Europe and the UK, lots of touring coming up next.

Interview By Rob Lyon

POSTER CHILD – OUT NOW
https://ffm.to/ta_posterchild