‘I Feel Like I’ve Lived a Lot of Lives’ – Meet Shelton Taylor

In a world where most emerging musicians write in cozy bedrooms, it’s rare to find someone like Shelton Taylor, who embraces the classic rock-and-roll route—traveling, soaking up life, and playing on the streets to get by. His journey has been anything but typical. Don’t be fooled by his laid-back vibe, though. Underneath that chill exterior exists a powerful artist with a genuine voice—one who’s already packed in a few lifetimes’ worth of experiences by the time he turned 20.

In this new episode of “10 Minute Chats,” Shelton shares his thoughts on navigating teenage fame, carving out his journey as an independent artist, and the role of love in his life, along with insights from his latest collaboration with ISINA.

— Your style really gives off those classic young rockstar vibes. What’s the main inspiration behind it?

— I’d say the main inspiration behind my style is nostalgic. I've always liked older music and thought of myself as an after-hours nightclub promoter type. In my music, I've always really enjoyed dance music. It's kind of a Brad Pitt in the '90s aesthetic. I think it comes from various influences, especially the music I listen to. I also worked in club rentals and started three clubs in OC back in 2021. That really inspired the aesthetic that shaped the music I've been creating recently, and it was a big influence for sure.

— Can you share the story behind  your song “Naked For You”? What makes it special for you?

— I wrote “Naked For You” about a time in my life when I was in love with this girl that I’m actually with now. But at that time, I had just met her and was very busy.

The song talks about me working really hard just to stay afloat. This was right before COVID, so I was working a lot—like 80 hours a week—really trying to save up money to get my own place and record my music. I always had her in mind whenever I was working. I had a restaurant job, so I was in the kitchen and running food. The song mentions that in the first verse: “Before the food was even plated, I was thinking about you.” Then, going into the chorus, it’s obviously about wanting to be with her in every way. It also brings up feelings I had from childhood of being in love but not feeling like I could give my all because I was focused on my career as a musician and traveling. I basically said, “In this relationship, I want to be different. I want to give her my everything.” So it came from a place where I was working a lot, talking about working the day shift just to turn around and work the late shift. I actually did that back in the day; I would work two shifts, picking up both night and day shifts. It really set me up to be in a place to have that relationship.

— On your social media you’ve shown a lot of appreciation for your mom. You mentioned she introduced you to art and even sang to you. Was she the one who encouraged you to start making music?

— Definitely! She was my sole inspiration. Growing up, she was a musician; she plays guitar, piano, and writes her own songs. She had a tough life, especially when I was a child. She dealt with a lot of hardships, including being involved in a religious cult and facing abuse. Music was her outlet to escape and heal. She would sit me down at the piano and have my brother and me sing. From the very first time I played music with her, I knew I wanted to pursue it, even before I understood it as a career. She introduced me to music and encouraged me to share my own, even urging me as a teenager to start posting on Instagram. That’s what really propelled me from just wanting to make music to traveling around the country as a teen.

— Do you remember the moment you first realized you wanted to make your own music?

— The first time I wrote a song, I still remember it clearly. I was about 12 years old, sitting at the piano with my brother. I’m not sure what inspired me, but I just thought, "This is what I want to do. I want to make music for the rest of my life." I realized I needed to learn how to write songs, and I remember writing one and being completely obsessed with it for a week. It came pretty easily to me, so I thought I should do this all the time. After that, I just started writing and haven’t stopped since.

— You mentioned that it was your mom who helped upload your videos on social media. How did that kickstart your career?

— Yes, my mom helped by uploading videos, and after about a year, we started seeing every video getting a million views. It was a crazy time for me. I was young—probably 15 or 16, still in high school—and suddenly I had all these different labels and managers trying to work with me. I ended up going with a manager and worked with him for three years, doing all kinds of things. We traveled, and I played at NBA games. My first trip to LA was to perform at a Lakers versus Clippers game, and I did the national anthem at a few different NBA games. Initially, we did that, and then I started going to Nashville for writing sessions and connecting with musicians there, plus a few sessions in LA. The main spots were Nashville and LA, of course. We also hit some other places, including a few shows in New York. I won’t get too deep into my relationship with that manager, but it was kind of inappropriate. He wasn't the best dude, and my family didn’t understand it at the time. But it’s definitely part of my story, and the industry can be a dangerous place for young people. Still, I’m grateful for the experiences I had, being able to travel and pursue music from a young age.

— At some point, you decided to move to LA. What prompted that decision?

— My dad was involved in a religious cult and was somewhat abusive. Eventually, my parents split, and it was a tough time for us because our community in Texas was very chaotic. I come from a big family with eight kids, and I often looked after my younger siblings. By the time I was 17 or 18, things were really hard for our family. We were living in my grandparents' attic, and my mom encouraged me to pursue my dream. I was already planning to do that, and her support really motivated me and pushed me to follow my path.

After spending a couple of weeks in Orange County and LA one summer, I told my family and my mom, "I want to move out here and make music as soon as I can." So, at 17, after graduating high school early, I packed my car and moved out. It was a big leap, a crazy move. I didn’t go to LA initially; I moved to Orange County instead. At that age, I didn’t really understand how things worked, especially in the industry, since I had very limited experience. I just thought everything would fall into place. Shortly after, I ended up going on American Idol and played in a band in Huntington Beach where I was living.

— That sounds like a brave move for someone so young.

— Yeah. When I moved out here at 17, I met someone on the pier. I used to play music on the pier to basically survive. I met this guy selling t-shirts and ended up staying on his couch for a little bit. His family was from Chihuahua, Mexico, and they would have a bunch of family over every other week. I ended up sleeping in my car, and it became more common since I was traveling a lot with music. I was kind of homeless for a while, just sleeping in my car. I would play music on the pier or other places in OC that paid me. It was a crazy time; I was 18 and houseless, playing music every day on the streets to survive. It took me a while to figure out how to provide for myself and become a successful artist because I didn't have anyone to show me how to do it. It wasn't until I was about 19 or 20, when I got that restaurant job I mentioned earlier, that I found stability, got my own place, and started providing for myself.

— Sounds like you could already write a book…

— I feel like I've lived a lot of lives, and I'm grateful for my experiences because I can share and relate to people because of them.

— About the song you were recording with ISINA, the one with Shannon Prior and Davix—how do you feel about the song and the recording process?

— I’m really excited about the song I was working on with Shannon and Davix. One thing about the process was that the song already had a coherent message when we started recording. Shannon sings about not being able to fully connect with this other person in her life, and in the chorus, it’s about needing to let go and focus on each other and having a good time together—whether that means letting go of inhibitions or whatever that might be.

What stood out to me was the process itself. Recording with a singer like Shannon is something I don’t always get to do, and I felt like our voices really matched. It’s not always the case, even with really great singers, but with Shannon, it was immediate. Our writing styles and voices matched really well. I finished the whole song in about 20 minutes; it flowed really well.

Doing it at the ISINA studios was just a great experience. The writing rooms and equipment made everything smooth. Seeing the final product is always gratifying, especially working with an artist like Shannon for the first time and coming up with something so quickly that sounds good. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. I think it really captures the essence of the message we wanted to convey.