Exploring 'Webbed Wing': An Interview with Taylor Madison (Superheaven/ex Daylight)

After a remarkable journey with Philly's rock outfit Superheaven, vocalist and guitarist Taylor Madison embarked on a fresh creative voyage with the inception of Webbed Wing in 2018. Collaborating with Jake Clarke on drums and Mike Paulshock on bass, the trio effortlessly blends diverse genres to carve out their unique musical niche. Webbed Wing's songwriting philosophy, though seemingly uncomplicated, delves into the intricacies of melancholy without overshadowing the overall ambiance, crafting a sonic realm steeped in nostalgia and infused with a contemporary pop-rock sensibility. Drawing inspiration from revered acts like The Lemonheads and Teenage Fanclub, Webbed Wing adeptly captures the emotional resonance of indie while embracing the infectious vitality of modern pop.

Their sonic tapestry also embraces the weightiness of metal and the authenticity of country, resulting in a distinctive and accessible fusion. From their early releases like 2019's "Bike Ride Across the Moon" under Disposition Collective to their forthcoming recordings on 2021's "What's So Fucking Funny?" produced by Grammy-nominated Will Yip via Memory Music Label, Webbed Wing showcases a significant evolution in production, reflecting the band's organic growth as both artists and creators.

Having followed Taylor's musical endeavors for several years, I recently had the opportunity to catch up with him to delve deeper into the world of Webbed Wing and gain further insight into the project.

First off, I'm a new  listener of ‘Webbed Wing’, and we can thank Spotify Algorithms for that, so on that Hello! – Who is joining us today and where are you writing to us from?

Hey, my name is Taylor. I'm writing from Bristol, UK. Superheaven is playing a show here later today.

To be honest, I didn't realize Taylor was from Superheaven and Daylight – I first saw Daylight in an empty house in St Ives in 2009. How does this project differ or would you say it’s more of an evolution, or a new slate?

Wow, so if I'm thinking of the same show, that was the first time we hung out with Endless Heights. If I'm being honest, my memory is not great. But I think we are talking about the same thing.

I would say the biggest difference between the bands would be - Superheaven is more of a collaborative effort. We all write the songs. We all bring ideas in and sort of curate the bands whole thing. Whereas Webbed Wing is still collaborative (I couldn't do any of it without Jake Clarke and Mike Paulshock, who are the other 2 guys in the band), but it's all kind of based around my specific "vision," for lack of a better word. I wouldn't call it a solo project, but I write the songs, and design the merch, etc. It's very me-centric I guess haha

How did WW come to be – I can see that you’ve been putting out releases since 2017?

Around the time that Superheaven slowed down with touring, I had a handful of songs that totally could have worked as Superheaven songs, but I felt like it would work better as something else. Jake helped me record some songs, and that was the demo that came out at the very end of 2017. I probably should have waited to release it until after the holidays, but I was just dying to put out new music. At that point Superheaven hadn't put out any music since 2015, and I started to feel like I was in retirement or something. I hated it because putting out music is all I like to do. But it's been cool. Having both bands to do different things in has been so sick.

I personally am pretty sick of the conversation around everyone comparing ‘this band or that band’ to a  ‘grunge’, ‘shoegaze’ and ‘emo’ project – Personally it’s nice hearing groups of people just making good music, or at the very least ‘rock music’  - Would you agree?

Yeah, I know what you mean. I suppose it's just part of the way people talk about music at this point. It isn't really the way I think to describe most music. However, if you're trying to put someone onto something new, I guess it makes sense to try and best describe that you know how. Which I would think a lot of times comes in the form of comparing the sound to other bands/artists. For me it's really when people start debating about genre and what is and isn't something - that's when I just become disinterested.

Who/What does ‘Webbed Wing’ draw to for influence for writing a record? 

Man, I never know how to answer questions like this. Inevitably there will always be music that influences my music in one way or another. But I am rarely conscious of it really. I guess around the time we were writing/recording the last record I was probably listening to the usual suspects (teenage fanclub, ramones - stuff like that. Just fun rock with hooks). I will get obsessed with certain stuff. Whether it's a 60's country playlist (my personal favorite era of country music), or just one song, or part of a song. But I definitely go through phases with stuff where I'll listen to like one Porches record more than anything else I listen to for 2 or 3 months. And then I will sort of suddenly forget it exists for a couple weeks. And then I'll remember it months later and feel like "damn this is my shit!" And that's kind of my relationship with music overall. I like all kinds of stuff, but I tend to listen to mostly stuff with big melodies and shit like that.

Who did you work with for Production for ‘Further / Burn it Down / My Front Door’ ie the new LP

Will Yip has produced this new record and our last record. Will and I are really close and work really well together. Same with Mike and Jake. I feel like the four of us together just get what each other is going for, and encourage that stuff. 

Who worked across the Creative, and Artwork Direction for this current project?

I actually did! Save for a few things, I have handled all of the art direction and design for the band. My good friend Paul Granese did the art/layout for our last LP and I love how that came out.

Could you describe your creative process when crafting heavily lyrical songs?

I always write lyrics at the last minute. It's a huge pain in the ass, and I wish I was better at writing them way ahead of time. But I've just accepted this is how I do it at this point. I usually write the majority of the vocal melodies while I'm writing the music. So there's always humming/singing gibberish while writing the song from the start. As far as the actual content goes, I tend to write mostly from personal experience, but will occasionally write from someone else's point of view. 

I’m looking forward to LP Vol.III – When can we expect this release?

July 12th!

What tours do you have coming up, and what are you most looking forward to?

Currently no real tours coming up, but definitely planning on getting some stuff together to support this record.

We enjoy giving back and supporting emerging artists, bands, or creatives from your local community. Are there any you'd recommend we check out?

Mike, who plays in the band has a really sick band called Sun God. They're kind of like a cool, poppy, catchy indie-ish band. They play a lot and you can tell because they sound great every time. Really sick band. Jake, who also plays in Webbed Wing has another band called Clever Hour that put out a demo a few months ago. Really sick band with heavy riffs and lots of hooks. But outside of the band, I really like Spirit of the Beehive and Night Sins. I'm sure there are more, but those two come to mind.

Any plans in the future to cross over the sea and visit Australia?

No current plans, but we are definitely open to it.

Thank you!  - Taylor