Tar & Flowers is Taylor Hungerford. Taylor was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. At a young age, his parents relocated to Chatsworth, a small equestrian town on the outer rim of the valley. Chatsworth’s rich western history would affect Taylor in ways he was unaware of.
Taylor’s interest in classic rock would lead him to different types of roots music. The delta blues fingerstylings of Skip James, the more modern fingerstyle of Leo Kottke, and nuanced slide of Ry Cooder would all help to craft Taylor’s style of acoustic folk picking.
Trips down to the local honky-tonk, The Cowboy Palace, would introduce Taylor to different types of country, rock and Americana music.
Summer trips to his cousin’s ranch in Colorado, as well as the outskirts of New Mexico showed Taylor the romance and bounty of the west. Here, Taylor was also introduced the poetry of William Blake and Richard Wilbur – poetry that would influence Taylor’s lyric content and writing structure.
Western Symphony has emerged as Taylor’s musical interpretation of the west. Going from the more spaghetti western influence of Ennio Morricone, to old medieval ballads, Western Symphony is just as the title suggests: a symphony of Western music both new and old as well as a love letter to the myth and grandeur of the west.
Tar & Flowers is currently based in The San Fernando Valley and can be heard wherever there is a call to the open bounty of the west.
Recently, we caught up with Taylor to get to know a little more about him…
Bridge: Tell us a bit about how you got started into music…
T&F: I was extremely depressed after a few relationships not working out. I couldn’t turn away from my emotions and all I had was a guitar.
It has gotten me through depression and a host of other difficult times. I also feel I transform my pain into something beautiful I can give the world.
Bridge: Absolutely relatable! How would you describe your sound to a first-time listener?
T&F: As of now I’d call it Nick Drake meets Gillian Welch after doing acid and going to a Pink Floyd concert.
Bridge: Is there a particular genre that inspires you more than others?
T&F: Yes, Americana. I love the history of the music of this country and this genre embodies it much more than others.
Bridge: What projects are you currently working on?
T&F: Well just playing more shows. My day job is video editing so I’ve been doing background videos for Don Felder of The Eagles.
That’s been a really fun project that has joined my editing and music skills. I also do miniature documentaries on musicians and people in my scene.
Bridge: If you could only point a listener to one of your songs, which would it be?
T&F: Probably Spinning In Gold. It has a pretty clear message and is fun to dance to.
Bridge: Do you have a song that you listen to when you’re going through hard times?
T&F: Recently it’s been “Take It Easy” by The Eagles. Just a nice direct message that seems to calm me in times of trouble.
Bridge: What’s next for you?
T&F: A tour I hope as well as bigger and better shows! Also some more films!
Bridge: Can we see you perform live anywhere?
T&F: We’ll be playing at Harvard & Stone in East Hollywood on April 24th! It’ll be a free show!
