Meet Shelby Taylor | Musical Comic & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelby Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, why did you pursue a creative career?
Everything I’ve ever been good (or even okay) at has been something creative/artistic. I’m not going to fight against the direction I’ve been pulled in for my entire life, and neither should anybody else.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out pursuing an acting career, but I’ve been writing comedy for a really long time, even if I wasn’t fully aware of it. My mom has pulled things I wrote in elementary school out of boxes that are honestly even funnier than things I write now. I’m very proud of my first EP, even though it’s really not the best. But I did it all on my own, and I think that’s really cool. I signed onto a single deal with So Fierce Music in September, and I’m really excited to release it later this year. As far as how I got to where I am today, it was almost by accident. I was just messing around when things I was posting started going viral, and I just felt like I had to keep building on it. It truly has not been easy, but I think that’s more so because I struggle with my mental health. I took a little bit of a break from November-January, but I’m writing more and more, and I’m excited to come back swinging very soon. My first show back will be New Talent Night at Comedy Works on 1/26, so by the time you read this, I may already be back in the scene. I think I just want people to know that I’m here and I’m actively working on, not just my songs and my content, but also on who I am as a person. I’m really trying to be the best version of myself, so cheers to that. If anybody wants to REALLY deep dive into the whole story, you can check out my other article here: http://voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-shelby-taylor-of-about-10-minutes-from-old-town/

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
What a question. I live in Fort Collins, but I spend a lot of time in Denver, so I’ll recommend some spots for both. First of all- I love a theme park. It’s a hyper-fixation of mine. I’m a season pass holder at Elitch Gardens, so obviously I’d tell them to check that out. Is it one of the worst theme parks in America according to all of the theme park YouTubers? Sure, but I love it anyway. Of course, we have Comedy Works- so that’s a hotspot for anyone looking to see some top-notch comedy. I also absolutely love the Rino neighborhood. SuperMegaBien is phenomenal. Sushi-Rama is fun and quirky. I feel like I’m obligated to recommend Casa Bonita (once it re-opens, of course.) The Stanley Marketplace is in Aurora, but it’s also a really cool spot. In Fort Collins I would suggest Horsetooth, just because it’s beautiful. As far as places to eat/drink in Fort Collins I really love Social, Café Vino, The Blind Pig (hello $1 mimosa,) The Lyric Cinema, and The Comedy Fort (of course.)  It would also be criminal not to recommend Red Rocks in Morrison.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As far as my personal life, I’m very lucky to have the support that I have. I would be, quite literally, nowhere if it weren’t for my family, my friends, and my supportive partner. I’ve had the same incredible group of amazing women in my life for 10+ years, (Lacey, Jordan, Alexa, Micah- Love you guys,) and they’ve helped me through so much. My sister is a constant force in my life, and she’s one of my best friends and favorite people in the world. My parents have caught me when I’ve fallen too many times to count at this point. My partner, Jack, is so supportive and so patient with me. Bo Burnham was the first comedian to truly inspire the way that I ended up writing, but I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from Stephen Lynch, Garfunkel and Oates, Rachel Bloom and Hobo Johnson. I absolutely wouldn’t be on any type of path at all if it weren’t for social media (What’s up, 21st century?) I’ve also had some very, VERY talented people to look up to in my local music and comedy scene. David Rodriguez owns and operates The Comedy Fort, which is my favorite room I’ve ever played, and I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten the chance to get up there. Angie Gonzalez owns and operates Black and Blues Music and Brews in Loveland, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to not only play there, but also host shows there. The same goes for Chris Napier and West End Lounge. Chris and Elven from Venture Still, Wendy Woo, Michael Capshaw, Dalton Vaughn, Sydney and Austin from Moonstruck Melodies, Stephanie Heart Powers, and Callie Mitchell have all been so helpful and welcoming in the music scene. Jade Rose, Greg Cherry, Eric Thompson, Rudy Garcia, Nick Holland, Kevin Dumont, and Haley Raven have been the same way within the comedy scene, (and so many more have been nothing short of sweet and welcoming towards me as well, but I do not have all day to think of everyone.) And, of course, my cat Charlie. Love you, my little fat man.

Website: shelbytaylor.net

Instagram: instagram.com/shelbytaylorexists

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShelbyTaylorExists

Other: Tik Tok: @shelbytaylorexists

Image Credits
Callie Mitchell