Liza Mitchell
“With a stage persona as fiery as their blazing red locks, these triplets engage the crowd with their story through real life lyrics and rolling banjos intertwined with rocking guitars. Through their unwavering boldness there is a Southern Mississippi charm rooted in faith, family, and an unshakable call to show the world where true Hope is found.”
The Taylor triplets – Nicole, Natalie and Nika – will make you do a triple take as beautiful and talented women with fiery red hair. But give them a listen, and they will capture your heart with their striking harmonies and incredible musicianship.
Red Roots will perform at the Great Atlantic Country Festival March 19 at the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. Nicole Taylor spoke to EU about working together while letting their own individual talents shine.
“We do a lot of country festivals. We bring energy, instrumentation and harmonies but we like to cut up and have a good time, too. We want our crowd to have a good time, be entertained and be positive,” says Nicole.
As can be imagined it’s difficult to the sisters apart. At redroots.com, the girls offer a glimpse into the individual traits and unique quirks that set them apart. Natalie is the prissiest of the three. It works to their advantage if they need help with makeup or hair before the concert but to their disadvantage if her Type-A personality comes out and tries to fix it in front of everyone on stage. Nika is cute, goofy, funny, and always entertaining [the band] with a goofy impression before they take the stage and Nicole likes big hair, cool clothes, and has an obsession with cheetah print. It all makes sense if you know her.”
Onstage, they complement each other’s styles. Nicole plays the banjo and percussion, Natalie plays violin, mandolin, piano and bass and Nika plays guitar and mandolin. “I’m more by ear and I just kind of feel more,” Nicole says. “Natalie is definitely by the book and Nika is kind of in the middle.”
“We started playing at this place called The Home of Grace, a faith-based rehabilitation center when we were 13-year-old. We started playing our instruments from like 9 to 11. It gave us a place to practice and set goals and those guys would cheer us on like we were rock stars when we were horrible and just kind of mumbling through. It was so encouraging that we could play for people that would give us so much encouragement. When you’re young, you’re very impressionable and very vulnerable when you’re just starting out and playing music. They probably don’t realize how much they helped us.”
Word of mouth spread and by 16, Red Roots were playing up 150 dates a year. Even while their friends were finishing school and starting professional careers, the Taylors remained focused on music. “We knew it was going to be a huge challenge, three girls, you know, but I know this is what we are supposed to be doing,” says Nicole. “It was kind of us against the world. We’re not doing this to be rock stars or anything like that. It’s what we were meant to do.”
Red Roots is a breath of fresh air in a harsh, often male-dominated business. They don’t subscribe to the pressures, opting instead to focus on the positive and creative aspects of the industry. It might be hard to be taken seriously as women – especially as triplets – but you’d never know it with their unwavering faith and optimism.
“Everybody’s got trials so I feel like throwing the girl card out there isn’t fair. I heard a girl band one time say that there could be 20 guys bands out there but there’s only room for one girl band,” says Taylor. “We grew up listening to Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. And everybody that’s out right now like Cam and Carrie Underwood are doing great. I think in country, there are more girls coming out now. Whatever happens, happens but I feel like the tide is shifting to more of a balance.”
Red Roots are busy writing and are currently doing some demo work in the studio. They are hoping to release their new material in the fall.
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