“Why Wait!” – The Sunny, Inspired Return of Kate Taylor

Singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, younger sister to James Taylor, is returning to the music scene with her new album, Why Wait! The upcoming release on August 6, 2021, comes five decades after the 1971 debut of her first album, Sister Kate, a collection of covers and originals. Taylor used this album to jumpstart tours and various recordings, then took a step back from the limelight, opting for a more secluded family life near her hometown of Boston.

Why Wait Album Cover

Now, 50 years later, Taylor has reunited with producer Peter Asher and several musicians who worked on Sister Kate to create the new album. “I always dreamed of someday getting to work with Peter again, and I watched from afar with admiration and respect as he created iconic records with some of our most wonderful singers and songwriters,” Taylor tells Brooklyn Roads.

The idea was springboarded last year, as Taylor and the rest of the group had the golden anniversary of the original album in mind, as they cut a new project with even more covers and originals.

Kate Taylor With Peter Asher & Company/ photo by Jill Jarrett / courtesy of Compass Records

“As the world turns, this golden moment and opportunity arose to again get into the studio with Peter and many of the musicians who played on our first record,” Taylor says. “The stars aligned.”

The 14-track album includes a cover of the Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine,” a single that has been released ahead of the album. The cover is far from the sound of its original version, but the soulful and jazzy influences Taylor puts into her rendition make the track more personal to her style. With an easygoing feel, it’s hard to not sway along while listening. Amid a summer where there is hope following the hardships of the pandemic, the song sets a positive mood.

The title track, “Why Wait,” one of Taylor’s original songs, takes a turn in sound as guitar and percussion create a country-infused aesthetic. She and the band continue the joyful and fun-filled theme in the music that makes it hard to not fall in love with the rest of the album.

On another Taylor original, “I Got a Message,” she sings, “do onto others as you’d have them do to you.” These truly are golden words to live by and a message we need to be reminded of from time to time.

The tracks are personal to her as it highlights her love of R&B and gospel music. Infusing those two genres into her original songs, Taylor shares where the inspiration for these songs stemmed from and how they came to be on the album.

Kate Taylor at Sunset / Photo by Heidi Wild /courtesy of Compass Records

“These were a couple of tunes I’d been working on and had road tested at least a little bit,” Taylor tells us.  “I knew that they had elicited positive response and were fun to perform. Peter [Asher] had great ideas about arrangements for them and who could deliver the goods. I don’t want to not sing about these things.”

As the full release of the album nears, Brooklyn Roads was curious to know when we might be lucky enough to see Taylor perform in Brooklyn.

“From your lips to God’s ears!” Taylor says. “I’m a huge fan of Brooklyn, the soulful heartbeat of New York. I’ll come to Brooklyn to sing any time.”