Taya Gaukrodger( Taya) comes from a country town in the north of Australia. In 2010 she relocated to Sydney to pursue a career in music. Soon after arriving she got involved at Hillsong Church and began volunteering in youth, and young adult ministries. The world first heard Taya’ s voice in Hillsong United’ s“ Oceans” and“ Touch the Sky”. From that moment, her voice became an unmistakable clarion call to worship across the world. Her sophomore album The Reminder released on April 4th is followed by her first-ever U. S. headline tour. Enjoy. Taya’ s song links included!
[ Alex ] Taya, I looked it up and next month will be three years since our last visit.
[ Taya ] Which is crazy because it doesn’ t sound like a lot of time and yet it seems like three years. A lot has happened in the midst of those years!
[ WM ] Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I definitely agree with that. I’ ve had some significant health struggles.
[ Taya ] I’ m so sorry!
[ WM ] I had somebody say to me,“ I am so glad that you beat cancer”, and I replied,“ I didn’ t beat anything. It was the Lord.”
[ Taya ] Oh my gosh. And that happened in the last three years?
[ WM ] Yes. In short, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and unable to swallow, and in my case, it meant chemo, radiation, and over one month in hospital due to scores of side effects, followed by massive surgery, recovery, and infusion therapy. I did in fact, walk through“ The Valley of the Shadow of Death”. But here I am, a walking miracle.
[ Taya ] I just love Jesus. I am so grateful because of His body and His blood that was broken on the cross for our complete restoration. I love that it doesn’ t just include the fact that God went for the jugular when dealing with sin with his Son, but that He also desires wholeness for us and that we can ask Him for healing. It wouldn’ t surprise me that the enemy would come through your throat if that is the weapon that you’ ve been given to be able to declare the truth and help encourage worship leaders, musicians, creatives.
And part of that is getting to have conversations and then writing from that place. It would be the thing that he would come and attack. And yet Jesus came so that we would have life and abundantly. And you’ re still here and you are a walking miracle and even more, so I bet you’ re going to give the old mate downstairs everything that you’ ve got left. Just getting to declare truth.
What is wild for me is that over the last two years and at the start of the process of this record, I actually got a skin cancer on my head. Just three weeks after my son was born in October of 2023, I had to get a head surgery, and it was daily surgery, so I didn’ t have to go under. But it’ s still a very scary thing when you’ ve got this new life that you are responsible for stewarding that is the most important little human life. And then having that moment of feeling like you’ re being faced with the valley of the shadow of
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