Information/Write-up
Pathways is Julian Taylor writing straight from the weight he’s been carrying. Across eight concise tracks, he turns inward with unusual candor and purpose. “When you feel heavy, you’ve got to get things off your chest,” he says. “Pathways reflects the way I was feeling while I was writing it and making it... I’m trying to work through a lot of the pain I’ve caused myself and others.” That admission sets the tone: this is a record about accountability, grace, and the slow work of making peace with yourself and the people around you.
The album’s economy feels intentional. Rather than sprawling outward, Pathways traces a tight emotional arc—no digressions, no excess—so the focus stays on the writing and what it’s wrestling with. Taylor’s voice and perspective remain the center of gravity, and the songs read like letters he needed to write, then share.
The collaborators deepen that sense of intimacy and purpose. Colin Linden not only produces and mixes but also contributes multiple instruments, helping shape a unified feel from start to finish. The sessions took place at Jukasa Studio (Six Nations Reserve, Ontario) with Darren Magierowski and Jill Zimmermann, and at Pinhead Recorders (Nashville) with Michael Stankiewicz; Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone handled mastering at Sterling Sound. Those names matter because they reflect a careful, deliberate process—craft over spectacle.
Moments of connection punctuate the record. Allison Russell’s guest turn on the title track adds a human counterpoint that reinforces the album’s spirit of mutual care. Across the credits you see a small circle—Gary Craig, Jim Hoke, Janice Powers, Brandon Robert Young, Jamie Dick, Darcy Yates, Viktor Krauss—working in service of songs whose priority is what’s being said and why.
Co-writers appear sparingly but meaningfully: Robert Priest and Rosanne Baker Thornley on the title track, Tyler Ellis on “Love Letters,” David Engle on “Ain’t Life Strange.” Their presence complements rather than dilutes Taylor’s voice; the perspectives feel additive to the story he’s telling here.
What lingers after Pathways isn’t a single hook or flourish so much as a feeling of honesty—of someone taking stock, naming what needs to be named, and choosing a more generous way forward. It’s a lean, focused collection that reads like a promise kept: to speak plainly, to own the weight, and to keep moving with intention.
-Robert Williston
Lyrics:
On this pathway
As we get closer
I’ll be there as we grow older
From beginning to end
We make and lose friends
There’s so many pearls to gather
From the first thing we see
To the last thing we need
It’s the life in-between that matters
All the warmth that you bring
Darling, these things
Are the wings that we all chase after
And on this pathway
As we get closer
I’ll be there as we grow older
When you need me
Here’s my shoulder
Be gentle, be kind
Be grateful take time
Remember we’re in this together
Let’s just be who we are
Follow our hearts
And dream that love is forever
On this pathway
As we get closer
Closer
As we get closer
As we get closer
Don’t you know life, it’s the strangest thing
So many ages, and so many changes
And on this pathway
As we get closer
I’ll be there as we grow older
When you need me
Here’s my shoulder
And on this pathway as we get bolder
And closer
Here’s my shoulder
Julian Taylor: vocal, guitar
Allison Russell: duet vocal
Colin Linden: electric dobro, mandotar, bass, harmony, 12-string acoustic guitar (tracks: 2, 6), electric guitar (tracks: 3, 5, 6, 8)
Gary Craig: drums, percussion (drums on tracks: 2–5, 7; percussion on tracks: 4, 5)
Jim Hoke: saxophones (tracks: 4, 7), accordion (track: 2), harmonica (track: 3), pedal steel guitar (tracks: 1, 8)
Darcy Yates: bass (track: 5), electric upright bass (track: 2)
Viktor Krauss: electric upright bass (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8)
Brandon Robert Young: drums (track: 3), harmony vocals (tracks: 1, 3, 6)
Jamie Dick: drums (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8)
Janice Powers: keyboards (track: 6), B3 organ (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 8)
Written by Julian Taylor, Robert Priest, Rosanne Baker Thornley
Also written by: David Engle (track: 6), Tyler Ellis (track: 2)
Produced by Colin Linden
Recorded by Darren Magierowski & Jill Zimmermann at Jukasa Studio, Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, and Michael Stankiewicz at Pinhead Recorders, Nashville, TN, USA
Mixed by Colin Linden at Pinhead Recorders, Nashville, TN, USA
Mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound, NY, USA
Production assistant: Janice Powers
Guitar whisperer: Scott Dibble
Artwork by Patrick Duffy
Photography by Ryan Nolan
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