It should be no surprise that throughout her performance her confident verve pulses unabated and is undeniably contagious.
It’s 8:42pm — I run, not walk, out of the Fonda Theater around to a back alley 3 minutes before she is due on stage; Taylor Upsahl appears out of the darkness with the grin of someone who has performed in front of their biggest audience 3 nights in a row. Even though I am meeting her for the first time to snap some photos, and (I cannot stress this enough) she is performing in 3 minutes, she greets me like an old friend before going into a ritualistic dance of poses; if she’s nervous it certainly doesn’t show.
It should be no surprise that throughout her performance her confident verve pulses unabated and is undeniably contagious. Her vocals, which are somehow angelic and aggressive all at once, flow sinuously through the massive drum kicks and dance-y production. With every song she flexes her undeniable gift for storytelling through emotionally charged and brutally honest lyricism; everyone in the crowd was transported back to their bedroom dancing away angsty self-doubt, a broken heart, or seething hatred for an ex.
UPSAHL is so unapologetically candid that you can't help but see parts of yourself reflected in her music, whether you want to admit it or not. Look no further than her new single "Lunatic". With lyrics like "I'mma light up all your shit / Blow a kiss like / Push you in the, tiny dick" layered on top of a punchy syncopated beat, she builds you up and gives you room to explode. As a multi-instrumentalist, gifted songwriter (with writing credits on hits like Dua Lipa’s “Good on Bed”), she is an indie-pop-rock force to be reckoned with and no doubt on her way to being a household name.
Story and photos by Haley Killam
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