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t had been more than a decade since Taylor Hicks had released new music, but in 2024, he returned to the spotlight with two heartfelt singles:“ Porch Swing” and“ Teach Me to Dance.” The latter, released around Father’ s Day, was paired with a major milestone— his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. The songs were recorded at Zac Brown’ s Southern Ground Studio in Nashville.“ Instead of dropping an album all at once, I’ m trickling out singles,” he explained.“ It keeps things fresh and lets each song breathe.”
Though his sound blends soul, blues, country, and rock, Hicks says the biggest change since Idol is his growth as a studio musician.“ I’ ve always been a live performer, but now I feel more at home in the studio than I ever did back then,” he said.“ Experience taught me that. Idol gave me the platform— but life gave me the chops.”
Molly Ravencraft Photography
Molly Ravencraft Photography
Porch Swing marks Hicks’ first official single release in 14 years. Written by Hicks, Runaway June’ s Jennifer Wayne, and Jason Deere, the song was recorded at Zac Brown’ s Southern Ground studio in Nashville, and it marries the sounds of country and soul, drawing comparisons to artists like Jackson Browne, Chris Stapleton, and Tyler Childers.
54 Splash!