Julian Taylor Streams the Title Track from Forthcoming Album ‘The Ridge’

Toronto, Canada-based musician Julian Taylor has unveiled a new single titled “The Ridge,” the lead single and title track off his forthcoming full-length of the same name which can be pre-ordered here.

Commenting on the song in a recent newsletter, Taylor notes, “My grandparents used to live in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, on a beautiful piece of farm land surrounded by the Golden Ears Provincial Park, as well as the Fraser and Alouette Rivers. When I close my eyes and think of my happy place, that is where my mind takes me.

I wrote ‘The Ridge’ to contemplate what life was like back in my grandparents’ day and what life is like now. My grandfather was Mohawk and my step-grandmother cared for me like her own. She was quite brave to take that on because there was a lot of prejudice back then, which still exists today. This song is my way of pointing out the importance of innocence in a world that is divided.

‘The Ridge’ was produced by myself and my friend Saam Hashemi. We recorded at the Woodshed in Toronto with my cousins Gene and Barry from the Kahnawake Reserve. We jam every summer at the reserve’s annual powwow and I wanted to capture that energy on this track.

I am an Indigenous person of colour and someone who grew up in a predominantly white environment. I never felt that I was Indigenous enough to be accepted into that culture and I never felt like I was black enough to be accepted into that culture. I am also not white. The metaphor of ‘The Ridge’ is about that experience of feeling cut in half during a time in my life that was filled with wonderment.”

Artwork for ‘The Ridge’ by Julian Taylor