Done Living Through a Screen
Bode writer Ashley Dawson caught up with pop sensation Tayler Buono to talk about her latest self-made project and forging her own path in the music industry.
Tayler Buono.
Free spirited artist and singer Tayler Buono took the stream by storm when she released her first original song Technically Single in 2016. The hit immediately took off, going viral, landing Buono a mass of fans and even a Los Angeles record deal that taught her deep lessons about life in the limelight. Bode had the chance to virtually “sit down” with young Tayler to talk about everything music, life during quarantine, and even about her newly released single, Screen. For Buono, a career in music and entertainment has always been on the table. The Orlando raised singer-songwriter began her musical journey at the young age of eight, coming into her voice and training her craft via vocal lessons. At the age of fourteen, the songstress tried her hand at writing her own music, a natural progression that has never stopped. “After that I became obsessed and knew it was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” reminisces Buono, “and after winning the Florida Grammy Showcase I moved to Nashville to pursue music.” In Nashville Buono studied music in school, spotlighted as an Uber driver at night, and wrote as much music as time would allow. Then, in 2016, the artist hit a life-altering mile mark releasing her first single that went viral overnight. The artist opens up to Bode about the experience of instant stardom, and what troubles go along with the much-anticipated excitement of a record deal: “That was a wild experience,” reveals Buono, “leading me to sign my first record deal with RCA and move to LA the following year. It’s a long story, but the deal ended up falling apart and it took me a really long time to legally get out of it, so my music got put on hold and I didn’t release anything for a long time. I learned a lot through that whole experience though, and I think it’s made me a stronger artist because of it. I’m more excited now than ever to start again and release music again.”
This excitement has translated into Buono’s newest hit single, Screen, which has garnered equal amounts of positive momentum and feedback since its recent release. In a world gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, Buono’s pop original release could not be more fitting as it discusses the daily struggles of “living behind the screen” of social media. “I was already planning on putting Screen out before quarantine,” shares the singer, “and I was going to shoot a professional music video to go along with it; but then the pandemic hit and of course changed all of my plans.” Originally writing the song after spending hours in bed scrolling through Instagram, the singer found herself falling into the “comparison trap,”and something had to be said. “Everyone else’s life looked better than mine based on this highlight reel on my phone screen,” scoffs Buono. And so the song title was born. Of course, the pandemic has limited us all physically to the point of literally living life behind a screen, but for Buono, the song took on new meaning after she flew home to Florida to quarantine with her family and began to struggle with her mental health in isolation. “Then it hit me,” she exclaims, “why not just film the Screen music video on my phone?” It just felt right according to the singer, further noting the process of filming the entire video herself to be quite empowering and fun. “I learned so many new skills through the process,” admires Buono, “I’m really happy with how it turned out and now I have a fun quarantine memory to look back on.”
Like many performers, the self-proclaimed “emo-pop” artist says that writing music is a lot like therapy. “Writing music has always been my way of processing and coping with experiences,” shares Buono. In fact, the singer goes on to describe her state of mind while writing music during one of the hardest moments of her life - the disintegration of her record deal and a simultaneous bad breakup. “I was so heartbroken, angry, and sad that it was all I could write about for almost two years,” she reveals, “but over time my songs got stronger and stronger and organically gave me a really cool story of healing that I’m excited to share soon.” Buono claims that if she were not a singer she would still want to be a songwriter. Diving into the singer-songwriter’s sense of style and other artistic ventures on the horizon, Buono hints that she would love to collaborate with beauty and fashion brands as she releases her new music; further mastering and becoming well versed with basic vocal recordings and video production at home. Indeed, fashion brands would have a lot to work on with Buono, seeing as her unique style and sense of self is so eye-catching. “I feel like my personal style is a mix of many things. Depending on the day, I go for some kind of mix of grungy, feminine, free spirited, edgy, comfy, sporty, vintage, or quirky,” she laughs as she forces her list to a close. “My music influences my fashion and I want my style to reflect the way my music makes me feel.”
Relatable to many, her feelings and emotions have been across the board during quarantine. Circling our conversation back to that notion of screen time and isolation, we wrapped up our interview with the modern day pop artist divulging her daily practices while at home. “During the day I try to do some kind of yoga or workout outside in the sunshine,”shares Buono, “and at night I’ve been doing a lot of bubble baths, face masks, face-timing with friends, and reading.”With all of her online and artistic success, and with the physical world currently feeling so distant, Buono stresses the importance of staying true to yourself in the industry, especially right now: “It’s important to surround yourself with people who love you and will tell you truth. I’ve always been taught not to glamorize or chase fame, and that fame is just a shadow of success. I think it’s important to stay focused on the art, work hard, and always treat people with respect no matter what. As far as pressure and expectations go… I remember feeling so much pressure working with the label when we’d have conference calls and ten people would get on the phone just to talk about a music video. Sometimes I forgot how to hear my own voice because I was so intimidated. Moving forward, I think it’s important to remember that as the artist, I am the leader. I hold the power, and it’s my art. It’s not meant to be perfect. It’s meant to be a human expression.”
As we say our goodbye’s, as genuine and honest as she is talented, Buono left us with these parting words: “The key is to simply embrace your unique self, and keep writing, keep taking risks, and keep trying new things. Try not to let your happiness depend on your success – it will never be enough if you’re waiting to ‘arrive’ somewhere. It’s about the journey, so enjoy it.”
