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Shannon Taylor Interview

words by Callie Saltzman

photo by Bailey Taylor

Did you always want to have a career in music?  

When I was a little girl, I was really academically inclined, and my dream was to be a paleontologist so I could travel and dig up dinosaur bones. That obviously did not pan out lol. I think it was in middle school when I started watching YouTube pretty religiously that the idea of being an entertainer caught on to me. It was really only after making videos for a little while that I realized my heart was truly with music. I had played violin for 8 years (I used to be really badass, but I haven't played since high school) guitar, ukulele, and really loved singing more than all else, so it seemed like a natural next step once my foot was in the door of the entertainment world! 

What was your favorite video you made for My Digital Escape? 

My fav MDE video I made of all time would definitely have to be the "My Emo Morning Routine" video. That's the video I really remember as defining my place on the channel as it really blew up and had an amazing reaction from the MDE fans. In terms of what we filmed together, I don't remember what it was called, but we did a dare video with all 7 of us that devolved into us forcing each other to eat really disgusting mixtures we could make from whatever was in Bryan Stars' kitchen haha.

Are you planning on creating more music with Johnnie? 

He just released a new album, so we don't have plans at the moment, but I'd love to in the future!

Who in music would you love to collaborate with? 

Ooh that's a tough question. Muse is my favorite band of all time so, while it'll never happen, that's definitely my #1 pick lol

What is coming next for you, both music wise and life wise!

I just took a relatively long mental health break from the internet and content creation- I wasn't totally gone but I've barely posted for almost an entire year now. It was much needed, but I'm moving to a much nicer apartment in about a week now, and the first thing I'm going to set up is an area for streaming and video editing. I'm really inspired and excited to dive back into everything. After I can get streams and videos going again, I'm going to work on laying out the next music project- hopefully a 2nd EP!

What is your favorite song you’ve put out so far? 

It's a solid tie between the acoustic version of 'Be My Guide' and 'Two-Faced".

Is there anything you miss about My Digital Escape and that era of YouTube? 

I totally miss the constant traveling, content creation, and getting to be with some of my best friends 24/7. I also really miss playing shows- which is hopefully something I can accomplish in the semi-short term if I stick to my comeback plan! Overall though, I am in a much better place in my life these days. I think of most of my MDE memories with the utmost fondness, but I wouldn't want to be back in the "situation" with Bryan's shady shit/bad management that we all now know about ever again.

Who is your favorite celebrity you’ve met?

I've never met any of my favorite celebrities and honestly, I kind of try not to! I feel like meeting your heroes can often be a let-down and I'm too soft to handle losing my comfort people haha.

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