A Chat with Balk (09.02.23)
Formed in 2009 as a solo project by Reid Taylor, Balk soon grew to become a hard-hitting collective of talented musicians. Described as “captivating rock…that balances 90s nostalgia and jazz-tinted inventiveness…” (Obscure Sound), the US-based group are enchanting listeners with their innovative sound. We speak with multi-instrumentalist and frontman Reid Taylor about Balk’s new album, future plans, and what inspires him to make music.
OSR: What drew you to music and how did you decide on the stage name ‘Balk’?
Taylor: I’ve always been involved with music since my childhood. I took piano lessons at a young age and later played trumpet in a school band before switching to bass and guitar. I guess I was intrigued by the music I heard and wanted to figure out how to play it. Later on, it became more about playing with friends and creating music together.
As far as the stage name, I don’t put too much stock in band names in general. Balk basically means to change abruptly after already in motion. I kind of like the idea of not being too certain about everything and realising right after making a decision that it might be a big mistake and need a do-over.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Taylor: Pretty much everything inspires me to make music. I draw a lot of inspiration from music that has come before as well as new music. I’m not a hippie by any means but I definitely believe that music is a lot like nature and both are forces beyond human understanding on a certain level.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Taylor: Music means quite a lot to me. I can’t imagine not having music. At the same time, I think it is taken for granted. People want the lowest common denominator and instant gratification as a listener. As a result, there is a lot of stuff out there that is trash and barely fits what music actually is.
OSR: What can you tell us about your album Bulk?
Taylor: Bulk is the 5th release of Balk. It is the most hi-fi recording I have done and I guess the most heavily arranged/ produced effort to date. It is only 29 minutes which makes it a short album. I kind of like it that way though. It’s kinda like 2 EPs. This is the first Balk album on vinyl.
OSR: Did you face any challenges when recording Bulk?
Taylor: There are always challenges in trying to record an album. The process was a little setback due to family obligations but otherwise fine.
OSR: What is your creative process?
Taylor: I write songs and make basic demos at home. I try to flesh out as much as possible before getting my friends involved. For this album, I did the demos then tracked the basic parts with my friends at a studio and experimented with trying different sounds and adding more parts/ overdubs. My favourite part of the creative process is coming up with a nice melody and chord progression.
OSR: If you had to recommend only one song from Bulk to a listener, which song would it be?
Taylor: Tough to say as the songs are kinda different from each other but I guess maybe ‘Through and Through’ is sort of the de facto single.
OSR: What do you think makes you unique as an artist?
Taylor: I don’t really subscribe to the idea of being a unique artist. I write songs both out of necessity and for fun. Although I don’t consider myself much of a lyricist/ singer, I try to be honest and don’t write songs to appeal to people. If they like it that’s great but I don’t expect everyone to like or understand where I am coming from.
OSR: If you had one day to live, what would you do?
Taylor: Tough to say. Since I have a wife and 2 young kids I would have to say maybe on a beach somewhere with them.
OSR: Do you have future plans as Balk?
Taylor: I would like to play some gigs in support of this album while also starting to work on new material for another one.
OSR: Do you have any final words for our readers?
Taylor: Final words: hmm… I would say to please listen to the album if you have a chance. I didn’t set out to please everybody but there is in a way something for everybody on Bulk.
Many thanks to Reid Taylor for speaking with us. For more from Balk, check out their Instagram and Bandcamp.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
