Loryn Taggart – “The Reunion” track-by-track video
Montreal-based folk-jazz-pop musician Loryn Taggart celebrated both her birthday (Happy belated, Lauren!) AND her first solo release since 2020 with a new single, “The Reunion,” released on March 10.
Now, she’s releasing a novel companion to the song: an interview about it, conducted by her brother Grant.
And you can watch it exclusively on Roots Music Canada. Right here:
The song comes from Loryn’s forthcoming debut album The Lost Art of Pulling Through.
It was originally written over 15 years ago by Loryn’s older brother Matthew about his struggles with being bullied in high school.
It has since been reworked ever-so-slightly.
Inspired by the structure of Feist’s Sea Lion, this stomp and holler/jazz/pop anthemic song is intended to represent the struggle with social anxiety and how it relates to relying on substances to relax.
“Social anxiety is something I really struggle with,” said Loryn. “Big crowds or intimate dates, I’m always overthinking my energy and how I come across to people that I interact with. I know I’m not alone in that, and I don’t think the struggles of social anxiety are talked about enough.”
Lyrically “The Reunion” is about attending a high school reunion after a decade of being away from home and coping with the anxiety through self sabotage or mock confidence. The infamous high school reunion is a metaphor for facing the chaos of life.
“I feel like this song is especially relatable as we’re starting to emerge from two years of isolation,” added Loryn.
Producer and genre-bending singer-songwriter Loryn has already achieved recognition even before releasing her debut album. This Hungarian-Canadian musician, who was raised in the Prairies, took a leap of faith at just 16 years old when she left her family home and moved to Toronto in the pursuit of living out her dream. From performing with a Toronto-based bar band, to taking the stage solo at venues such as the Horseshoe Tavern, the Rivoli, the Cameron House and Le Verre Bouteille, Loryn quickly earned acclaim and scored nominations for Canadian Folk Music Awards, Independent Music Awards and SoundClash Music Awards. She was the runner-up recipient of the Cobalt Prize for Blues Innovative Songwriter of the Year.
Now based in Montreal, Loryn has toured with Juno winner Donovan Woods and landed the role of David Bowie in an international tribute tour highlighting Bowie’s The Berlin Trilogy era. After partnering with La Tribe Agence and Moment Factory, Loryn went on to perform the role of David Bowie at renowned venues such as Place Des Arts, Canadian Arts Centre and the Amphitheatre Cogeco, performing songs such as “Station to Station” and “Heroes,” being one of the first female musicians to do so.
Following the loss of her father, Loryn Taggart began creating The Lost Art of Pulling Through as a concept album, bringing the listener on a journey through loss and how creation can bring you back to life and out of the depths of anger, self-doubt and writers’ block. In 2022 she partnered with Marcus Paquin (The National,Tim Baker) and in collaboration with the musicians taking part in the David Bowie tour she began to record her debut album, which she is thrilled to be releasing to the world in September 2023, thanks to the support of FACTOR Canada.
