Gileah Taylor Premieres Her Deep, Intimate Single “Dream Explorer”

With her brand new single “Dream Explorer,” Gileah Taylor is offering you a deep and intimate look into her innermost being. She’s laying it all on the line so to speak, not intimidated by what it may suggest or reveal about her. The song, off of her new record Slow Parade, due out on April 26th via Velvet Blue Music, is something of a calling out.

Despite the external shell we create for ourselves or the stiff upper lip we put on, people often hurt inside. They want to be taken notice of and at least offered some attention or a pat on the back. “Dream Explorer” is about waiting to be “found” or wanting to be comforted. The song is a useful acknowledgement that despite the love we may feel from others, we still may feel alone. Longing can take many forms, even when it seems like you shouldn’t need to be longing for anything.

Explaining more about the song and her songwriting process, Taylor tells us:

“When I write a song, one of the first things I imagine is the scenery in the song. When I wrote ‘Dream Explorer,’ it was the middle of the night and it was quite dark outside. I was in my cozy living room sitting on the sofa with my old Gibson Dove and was feeling rather lost and lonely.

“I remember closing my eyes and singing, ‘Am I out in the dark again? Face stoic heart weeping…’ I could see myself in the woods. I could feel the cold night air. The song spilled out of me in a matter of minutes. The chords are very simple, so I focused on the feeling of being out there, hoping that someone would find me.

“The choruses talk about seeing a flash at midnight, but it wasn’t in the sky. It was that sharp, clean, concentrated light that comes from a flashlight. Finally, at the end of the song, we don’t see who is holding the flashlight, but we can see the light cutting through the darkness. I don’t see myself as the dream explorer. I see the person holding the light as the explorer, finding me and bringing me hope.”

Gileah Taylor “Dream Explorer” single artwork

With Slow Parade, Taylor embarked on a rather expansive musical adventure. She worked closely with Nashville brothers Gideon and Gabe Klein, who produced the record and, in so doing, tried to expand upon her sound. A nice, soothing chamber pop album, the record features a string quartet led by Gideon. The North Florida-based Taylor crafted Slow Parade as an autobiographical concept album about the journey of life. From an idealized and blindly optimistic childhood to choosing happiness as an adult, this album covers a lot of ground. Exploring dichotomies of depression and hope, these songs represent much growth in Taylor as a person and a songwriter. Through these songs, she encourages you, the listener, to embrace change and grow into a better version of yourself.

Slow Parade Track Listing:

1. My Vision is Coming Back
2. Still Here
3. Watch the World Waking
4. Way Out
5. Roll Over Me
6. Summer Jubilee
7. Dream Explorer
8. You Have Been Here, Too
9. Nobody Spoke My Language
10. Sweetness Surrounding

Gileah Taylor ‘Slow Parade’ album artwork