Taylor Rae bares her heart and soul with her introspective debut single, “Fixer Upper.” The Texas transplant’s emotional creation is a dream weaver that pulls the listener through the twists and turns of canyon highways and palm tree sunsets as it captures the impact of a moment. A love song in its truest sense, “Fixer Upper” becomes more poignant still when we learn that the relationship is now over – and that crafting the song somehow put Taylor on the path to letting go.
“It’s ironic that only six months after writing this, we ended our five-and-a-half-year relationship,” Taylor reflects. “That doesn’t feel coincidental. Now, what was a song soaked in love and nostalgia is a melancholy memoir of our relationship.”
Let’s fall down this canyon
You can be my soft landing
I’ve never had it so easy
Let me be your broken lover
I know you like a fixer upper
Oh I promise I won’t leave (Taylor Rae)
“Fixer Upper” is the first single from Taylor’s upcoming debut album, due for release this fall. The track premiered on Americana Highways, and editor Melissa Clarke predicts, “In your collection of love songs, this will be among the purest and sweetest.” The tune is available for purchase now and it is accessible to radio programmers via AirplayDirect.
Produced by William Gawley (Taylor Hicks, Taylor McCall) and engineered/mixed by Bryce Roberts (Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Nelson), “Fixer Upper” was recorded at Nashville’s OmniSound Studios. Taylor handled vocals, background vocals and acoustic guitar and was joined by Dave Francis on bass (Maura O’Connell, Luke Combs), Wayne Killius on drums (Luke Bryan, Gretchen Peters), David Flint on acoustic guitar/mandolin (Highway 101), and Chris Nole on piano/keys (Shelby Lynne, Faith Hill).
“I’m so grateful to everyone involved in the creative process; they cared for this song gently and really captured the magic within it,” Taylor notes.
The singer/songwriter readily admits “Fixer Upper” is special to her. From start to finish the writing took less than 20 minutes. “I was the vessel in the right place at the right time, and any songwriter will understand that feeling,” she says. “It’s truly autobiographical. I was very broken when we met, so I used the term “Fixer Upper” to describe myself,” Taylor recalls. “My then-partner was always drawn to run-down cars, houses and things that he could rebuild with his hands. Our story didn’t have a fairy tale ending but I am so grateful to have shared those pivotal years ‘growing up,’ so to speak, with him. Recording it was very cathartic for me.”