Anyone who has enjoyed a night out and tipped back one (or several) too many has certainly woken up the next morning to stories of wild antics that may have happened in their less-than-sober state. And sometimes, there may be a few pieces to pick up along the way.
The next time you may find yourself in that situation, Taylor Austin Dye has delivered a country-rocking anthem to coincide with that hectic morning. The single, “Damage Control,” continues a tradition of made-for-the-stage tunes that Dye has delivered over the past few years, and as she continues to takes stages both with national acts and solo, she’s amassing quite the catalog to get audiences up and moving.
We caught up with Dye to talk all about “Damage Control,” as well as her successful 2022, new music and more!
Pro Country: You dueted with Mason Horne on “Tonight I Need You,” which was released in July. Can you tell us how that collaboration came together and how much you enjoyed performing on the song with him?
Taylor Austin Dye: Mason and I actually met via TikTok and instantly became friends! He is an incredible songwriter, and I was so excited when he asked me to collaborate with him on “Tonight I Need You.” When he sent over the work tape, I immediately agreed to be his duet partner because I absolutely loved the song. We had an incredible time hanging out and making content together over the past year.
PC: Your new single, “Damage Control,” picks up where your last single, “Lucky Man,” left off with a high-energy tune with rocking guitars and pounding drums. When you’re in the studio creating your more rocking singles, how cognizant are you of creating something that will work well in a live setting?
TAD: Anyone that knows me knows that live performance is my favorite thing in the world. It’s so important to me that when any of my Ride or Dyes come out to one of my shows, they are met with high energy, fun music and a good time. When I’m in the studio, I’m always telling the players to make it gritty and big! I really love playing upbeat and rocking music because that’s what I’m drawn to as a listener as well. “Damage Control” is definitely one of those songs that gets the crowd pumped up.
PC: Can you take us in the room and tell us how “Damage Control” came together?
TAD: “Damage Control” came about by total accident. I was scheduled to have a three-person write, but one of the writers couldn’t make it at the last minute. Chris Utley and I didn’t want to cancel, so he called another writer to see if she could come to the studio. That writer was Nicole Croteau. I had never met Nicole before then, but we immediately hit it off. While we were trying to decide what to write that day, we were all reading different ideas from our notes app and I came upon a title I had written down. I threw out “Damage Control” and Nicole said, “Wait, that could be cool!” At that point, Chris started laying down some cool guitar riffs, and about two hours later, “Damage Control” was born. This song is about going out and having a little too much fun. When you wake up in the morning, you have to start dealing with the consequences of “drunk you” the night before. You start looking for your purse, money, keys, texting your friends, and doing “Damage Control.” I knew when I left the studio that day that I wanted to release that song. Since then, Nicole, Chris and I have been writing together at least once a month, and I’m very excited to share more of what we’ve been working on!
PC: 2022 was a year that had successful single releases, a strong TikTok and social media presence and the opportunity to open for Wynonna in your home state, as well as Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin and Collin Raye. With the year coming to a close, how do you look back on 2022 both professionally and personally?
TAD: I think I say this every year, but 2022 was the best year yet! I have been met with so many incredible opportunities and people. It’s hard to believe it’s almost over already! At the beginning of the year, I joined an incredible collaborative project called The 615 House, it has been amazing to be able to make content and music with so many talented artists that I am now proud to call friends! The year was also filled with some unbelievable opportunities to be an opener for some of my idols! I have been on the same bill with Wynonna Judd, Terri Clark, Mark Chesnutt, Craig Morgan, Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, Sammy Kershaw and The Bellamy Brothers to name a few. I also recently hit 300,000 followers on TikTok and I am beyond thankful for everyone who follows along in my journey. I always set goals at the beginning of the year, and I am so proud to say I have crossed almost every single goal off of that list! 2022 has been good to me, and I’m anxious to see what the new year will bring!
PC: The last time we talked, you mentioned that you hoped to start working on a full-length album in the Fall or Winter of this year. What information, if any, can you give on the process and what listeners can expect to hear?
TAD: I have been writing so much this year, and I can tell you that the process of recording my album has begun! The songs we have for it so far are so much fun and it’s very, VERY hard for me to keep them to myself until release! I won’t say too much, but you can definitely expect it in the new year!
PC: What are your plans for 2023?
TAD: As always, it’s my aim to tour on a larger scale and meet as many Ride or Dyes as I can! I also plan to release a ton of new music and keep creating content for my fans! I hope to carry the success I’ve had this year into the next and be able to reach as many people with my music as I can!
Pro Country 
Leave a Reply