Old Taylor Swift Articles

Taylor Swift newspaper articles from 2006 and 2007.

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Promo Only MPE Captures Country Market; Signs Exclusive Agreement With Big Machine Records; Adoption By Country Music Industry Reaches All-Time High

28 March 2006, PR Newswire.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Destiny Media Technologies (BULLETIN BOARD: DSNY) announced today that Big Machine Records will exclusively use Destiny's Promo Only MPE System for all of their internal and external digital distribution needs. Today's agreement with Big Machine Records further solidifies and extends Promo Only MPE's penetration and dominance in the Country music industry, with the adoption rate from radio broadcasters now at 90% and every Country music label currently employing the Promo Only MPE System.

"We are thrilled that Big Machine Records has signed on to exclusively utilize Promo Only MPE," said Dean Ernst, Director of Promo Only MPE. "The Country music industry has overwhelmingly mandated Promo Only MPE as their digital distribution system of choice for a myriad of reasons including its provision of speed, exceptional security and broadcast-quality files."

"We did our homework when it came to available choices in the digital distribution market," said Big Machine Records president Scott Borchetta. "Promo Only MPE is a proven industry leader in terms of service and innovative offerings and was clearly the hands-down favorite for Big Machine Records."

Promo Only MPE has been leading the music industry in digital distribution in the United States since its launch in October of 2004. To date, the system has nearly 7,000 individual registered users. In excess of 9000 tracks have been distributed through the Promo Only MPE System for labels including Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Music Group and Warner Music Group. 2005 marked the partnership deal with Mediabase 24/7 monitoring service and the unveiling of the first ever digital distribution system with Spanish language capabilities, allowing it to serve the growing number of Spanish speaking radio stations and Latin label divisions in the United States. In 2006, Radio and Records announced that they will combine with Promo Only as the exclusive sales representative for the Promo Only MPE System.

Promo Only MPE recently released a MAC version of its digital distribution system as well as the availability of version 2.0 featuring a number of key upgrades including full iPod support, music video delivery capabilities and linear HD audio support.

Promo Only MPE is used and supported by every major broadcaster including Clear Channel, Infinity, Citadel, Cox, Cumulus, Salem Communications, Radio One, Emmis, Entercom, Sirius, Journal, ABC, DMX, CBS, Jones Radio, Yahoo, AOL, Music Choice, Disney, Univision, Westwood One, Regent, Premiere Radio, Next Media and many others.

About Promo Only

With offices in Orlando, New York, Los Angeles, Calgary, Chicago and London, Promo Only ( http://www.promoonly.com/) is the world leader in subscription- based music and music video services. Promo Only offers a complete line of music on CD and music video on DVD designed to meet the needs of music professionals, business owners and retail operations. Jim Robinson and Pete Werner founded Promo Only in 1992.

About Big Machine Records

Big Machine Records was founded in the fall of 2005 by former promotion veteran Scott Borchetta. Their artist roster includes Jack Ingram, Danielle Peck, Taylor Swift and Dusty Drake.

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Phanatic on hand for Reading Phils home opener tonight

Reading Eagle, Pa. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. 13 April 2006.

Apr. 13--It's baseball time in Baseballtown. The Reading Phillies take on the Altoona Curve in the home opener of their 40th anniversary season tonight at 7:05 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

To mark the occasion, the Phillie Phanatic will be on hand, and Nashville recording artist Taylor Swift, formerly of Wyomissing, will sing the National Anthem. In addition, the first 3,000 adults will receive a 40th anniversary Reading Phillies retrospective calendar.

The Phils and Curve will do battle again Friday at 2:05 p.m. and Saturday at 6:05 p.m., before the Connecticut Defenders come to town for games Monday through Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.

On Friday the first 2,000 adults 21 and older will receive a Ryan Howard Rookie of the Year pint glass. The game will be preceded by a Reading Fire vs. Reading Police softball game.

Saturday's game will be followed by the first of 21 fireworks displays planned for this season.

The Phillies have special events planned for each day of the week throughout the season to celebrate the 40th anniversary season.

Mondays are "4 for $40 Family Nights," when families can get four box seats, four hot dogs and four soft drinks for $40.

Tuesdays are "Turn Back the Clock" Nights. The team will wear 1967-style uniforms, and box seats are discounted to $6 for seniors citizens (62-plus). Adults will also be able to play Baseball Bingo on Tuesdays.

Wednesday are Kids Nights. Children can play catch on the field and get player autographs prior to the game.

Thursdays will feature postgame fireworks and post-game concerts.

On Fridays, Classic Cafe will have a happy hour with live music starting at 5 p.m., plus post-game concerts and collector's edition pint glass giveaways for adults. Saturdays will feature Mascot Band concerts and fireworks after the game. On Sundays, fans can run the bases after the game.

Single game tickets range from $6 to $9 for adults. General admission tickets for children (5 to 14) and senior citizens (62-plus) are $4.

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5 new series find home at HGTV net

By Kimberly Nordyke, 27 April 2006, Hollywood Reporter.

Home makeovers, innovations and relocations as well as a search for the next "HGTV Design Star" are the focus of five new series coming to cable network HGTV during the 2006-07 season.

HGTV made the an-nouncement during Scripps Networks' upfront presentation Wednesday in New York, which also featured news from Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living and Great American Country.

HGTV said it's planning 1,100 hours of new and original programming for the upcoming season, helping to make the network "more entertaining and story- driven than ever before."

"While design shows remain popular, real estate and new product shows are quickly gaining momentum," HGTV president Judy Girard said. "(The new programming) is reflective of the original mission and spirit of the network yet continues to expand the definition of home and increases the brand's resonance with consumers."

The new HGTV series:

"HGTV Design Star," set to premiere 9 p.m. July 23, follows 10 aspiring designers trying to impress an expert judging panel and home viewers with their design expertise. The contestants will compete in challenges until they are whittled down to one winner, who will get their own show on HGTV.

"I Want That! Tech Toys," which premieres in the third quarter, focuses on technological innovations in the home.

"Hidden Potential," premiering in the fourth quarter, uses digital imagery to show home buyers what their potential purchase could look like before they buy.

"House Movers" (working title), set to premiere in the fourth quarter, is described as "an action-packed dramatic series where the home literally hangs in the balance." Each episode tells the story of one family, couple or person and their quest to save a home by moving it across the street or across town.

"Over Your Head," which premieres in the fourth quarter, features experts helping homeowners fix disastrous home-improvement makeovers.

In addition, new specials include such tentatively titled programs as "Toy Fair," "Stress Test," "Building Extremes" and "Hidden Rooms."

Meanwhile, DIY highlighted a new schedule and strategy to lead out every night of the week with home-improvement projects, followed on Thursdays with programming dedicated to gardening and on Fridays with automotive.

"We're opening every night from 8-9 p.m. with 'DIY to the Rescue,' one of our signature series," DIY general manager Kathleen Finch said. "This is the kind of programming that will bring in viewers and keep them coming back."

In addition, craft programming now airs weekdays from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and weekends from 3:30-6 p.m. Three new series join the lineup, including "Stylelicious," "Craft Lab" and "B. Original."

Country music network Great American Country outlined programming and marketing plans, including its largest grass-roots marketing effort to date, kicking off next month. The summerlong "Great American Country Tour" will visit 62 top television markets in 40 states, stopping at festivals, fairs and celebrations in an effort to connect with country music fans.

Other initiatives include "GAC Short Cuts," a blend of shortform programming and sponsorship that documents 16-year-old Taylor Swift's quest for stardom; the relaunch of GACtv.com on June 1; and various programming events to celebrate Grand Ole Opry Month in October.

"Country music viewers increasingly look to GAC to deliver to them the music they love, the artists they appreciate and the events they want to experience," GAC president Ed Hardy said. "That's what we do, and that's what we will continue to do."

Also on Wednesday, Food Network said the Season 2 finale of "The Next Food Network Star" was the most-watched telecast in the history of the channel. More than 2.5 million total viewers tuned in at 9 p.m. Sunday to see Guy Fieri chosen by an audience vote as the winner of the contest, which will see him debut in his own six-episode series at 10 a.m. June 25. The episode garnered a 1.9 household rating, a 1.3 in adults 25-54 and a 1.1 in adults 18-49.

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Prep-Country Road

15 June 2006, Broadcast News.

(COUNTRY-Taylor-Swift)

If new artist Taylor Swift is successful with her debut single, the charts will be pretty confusing.

Swift's new single hits the air next week, and it's titled ``Tim McGraw.''

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Chart Beat

By Fred Bronson, 22 June 2006, Billboard.

TAYLOR, TOO: Another Taylor debuts on a different chart, but this Taylor bears little resemblance to the "American Idol" winner. For starters, she's a 16-year-old girl.

Debuting at No. 75 on Hot Country Songs is Taylor Swift. That is the artist's name, but it would be understandable if there was some confusion about who is the artist on the song, which is titled "Tim McGraw."

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4th of July Celebration on St. Petersburg's Waterfront

19 June 2006, US Fed News.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 19 -- The city of St. Petersburg issued the following news release:

Celebrate the 4th of July on Tuesday, July 4, downtown on the waterfront with family activities, food concessions and fun throughout the day. Tune to Mix 100.7FM for the latest update on weather and fireworks information. Mix 100.7 simulcasts patriotic music to accompany the fireworks display scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. (or between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. as weather mandates). No rain date scheduled. Non-alcoholic event, free admission.

North Straub Park. Children's activities, face painters, Lifestyle Family Fitness obstacle course, and more. Plus live music from Basic Rock Outfit, Charlie Hotel, and Rhythm Method. McDill Air Force Paratroopers are scheduled to land in North Straub Park at 6:45 p.m. Hosted by Mix 100.7

Vinoy Park. Spin da Pendence Weekend begins at 3 p.m. with 93.3FLZ & 95.7 THE BEAT broadcasting live, A & W Rootbeer floats, Long John Silver's stage, and lots of fun activities for the family. City of St. Petersburg's TASCO (Teen, Arts, Sports & Cultural Opportunities) activities include volleyball courts, flag football, stage games, entertainment, inflatable games and more.

The Pier. Star spangled day of country music and more fun for the whole family. From noon to 9 p.m. enjoy

face and body painting by Heather Flower and three characters from Fritzy Brothers Circus.

1 to 5 p.m. - juggling, balloon making, cycling and miming by One Main Circus

2 to 5 p.m. - Barbara Edwards as the "Statue of Liberty"

4 & 7 p.m. - 2 comedy/hypnosis performances by Eric Kand in the Dockside Eatery

3:30 to 6:30 p.m. - Live and Let Die Paul McCartney Tribute Band

7:30 to 9 p.m. - Suncoast Band

9 p.m. - Fireworks at Spa Beach

9:30 to 11 p.m. - Suncoast Band resumes

Clear Channel's Country Station 103.5FM, brings us the talents of these recording artists, at the Pier:

4 to 6:30 p.m. - "Tuf Luck"

6:50 p.m. - Taylor Swift

7:45 p.m. - Jeff Bates

Visit www.tampabaysmix.com for more information.

Free event shuttles circulate from 2 to 11 p.m. through the various activity sites - with stops at The Pier's parking lots, North Straub Park, and Vinoy Park. No parking shuttles will operate from other downtown parking lots or garages.

Special event fee to park in all city-owned parking lots and garages is $10.

Motorcycle parking is available in The Pier Parking lots, Lot 51 located east of Mahaffey Theater, and the Progress Energy Park parking lot. Special motorcycle parking also designated in front of North Shore Pool. Many privately owned lots also provide motorcycle parking.

Bicycle racks provided in four areas between The Pier and Vinoy Park.

Parking lots and garages offer accessible parking for people with disabilities. On July 4, additional disabled parking is designated in the parking lot south of North Shore pool (901 North Shore Dr. NE) and on portions of Beach Drive.

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Music hopefuls try to make it in Nashville

ABC News Transcripts, 4 November 2004, Good Morning America

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) Three voices, three dreams. Following their hearts and taking a chance on Nashville. 14-year-old Taylor Swift moved to Music City just six months ago with her passion for the guitar and angelic voice.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) She has a gift for songwriting. And in her eyes, the twinkle of a young woman born to be a star.

TAYLOR SWIFT, MUSICIAN Hey y'all. I'm Taylor. And I just moved here about six months ago.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) Tonight is Taylor Swift's very first time playing at Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe, where hundreds of hopefuls come once a week and show up with just a song and a guitar.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) Garth Brooks was discovered here, and so was Faith Hill. But the man whose record label helped Shania Twain rise to superstardom, says for everyone who makes it, there's thousands who don't.

LUKE LEWIS, CHAIRMAN, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE Lots of luck, talent. Stars have to line up, great songs. Probably more than anything, great songs.

TAYLOR SWIFT When I go through something, I have to write a song about it. I have to write a poem about it, writing is everything to me.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) This freshman in high school practices and writes songs at home and in the studio 30 hour a week.

TAYLOR SWIFT It's been what I have been living for, for my entire life.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) At least since age three when Taylor performed Lion King songs to anyone who would listen.

ROBIN ROBERTS (Voice Over) Then when she turned six, she heard LeAnn Rimes for first time.

TAYLOR SWIFT I was just dead set. That's what I'm gonna be, I'm going to be like her.

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At just 16, singer’s career is on track

By John Hayes, 23 September 2006, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Overnight success can take a lifetime, particularly when your life is only 16 years old.

For Taylor Swift, a singer-songwriter from a suburb of Reading, Pa., next month's release of her debut CD on a hot Nashville label will be the result of a lifetime of hard work and something a lot of kids her age don't have: patience. "It doesn't just happen," she says. "You have to get rejected a bunch of times and just keep on doing it."

Swift will perform tonight at Falconi Field in Washington, Pa., with Lonestar and Diamond Rio, and will sing the national anthem before tomorrow's Steelers game at Heinz Field. Her self-titled debut is bankrolled by Big Machine Records, which recently scored its first hit with Jack Ingram's "Wherever You Are." Big Machine is partially bankrolled by Pittsburgh financier Ray Pronto.

Swift has been cutting demo tapes since she was 10, wrote her first song at 12, and signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music when she was 14. Her family moved to Nashville to support her music habit, and Swift has published 140 songs, including the new CD's single "Tim McGraw," which isn't really about Tim McGraw.

"I came up with the title in math class," she says. "I was dating this guy who was going off to college and thinking of what would remind him of me. One of the first things that came to mind was Tim McGraw, because we like his songs. But [the song's] not about Tim McGraw. He doesn't have to worry -- I'm not a stalker."

Pittsburgh country fans were among the first to hear Swift on the radio. Froggy programming director Frank Bell says he's known Swift since he worked at a station near Reading and has been a fan since she was 11. He rushed "Tim McGraw" onto the airwaves as soon as she signed with Big Machine.

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Interview with Taylor Swift

ABC News transcripts, 24 October 2006, Good Morning America

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Look who dropped by. A friend at 'GMA." We're so proud of you. As I was saying to you earlier, back in November of 2004, we broadcast from Nashville, Tennessee, country music capital of the world, and introduced you to Taylor Swift, who was just 14 at the time, she was determined to make her mark. And boy, has she. Look at you then. Look at you now. Touring with Rascal Flatts?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) It's been unbelievable. I've been touring with Rascal Flatts and they're just so great. And it's been awesome to finally perform in, like, arenas and everything. It's so amazing.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) And you've got a new CD out today?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) I do. I'm so excited.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Named for Mister McGraw?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) Well, actually, the single is called 'Tim McGraw" but the album is just self-titled. And I've been counting down for so long for this album to come out. And I've written every song on this album. I'm just so excited for everybody to hear it.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Right. But the song about Tim McGraw is about the guy who used to listen to Tim McGraw with you?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) Yeah. It's about two people who fall in love and their songs are Tim McGraw's song.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Right.

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) It's really about how music can bring people together. And I always tell people who haven't heard the song, first of all, it's not really about Tim McGraw. And second of all, second of all, I'm not a stalker.

ROBIN ROBERTS (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Is it true that you actually wrote it while you were in math class?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) I did. I actually, you do your research. That's awesome.

ROBIN ROBERTS (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Thank you very much.

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) Yeah. I wrote the song, well, most of it, when I was in math class, my freshman year. So, actually, I ran into my math teacher the other day and she said, 'I heard your song on the radio." And I was like...

CHRIS CUOMO (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) And then?

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER)                                                                                  Yeah. And she's like, 'You weren't paying attention?"

ROBIN ROBERTS (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Well, again, congratulations.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) It's Taylor Swift. The CD out today. And we are so proud of you. We are.

TAYLOR SWIFT (SINGER) Thank you.

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CD Review of the Week

By Janis Fontaine, 30 October 2006, The Palm Beach Post

Fluke, I thought. One-hit wonder, I assumed.

Wrong! I admitted.

When I first saw the video of Taylor Swift's debut single, Tim McGraw, on CMT, I felt like I was being force-fed the sweet-voiced blonde. And I was skeptical. She's only 16. What could she have to say to me?

Granted, Tim McGraw grabs you with a solid first line: "You said the way my blue eyes shine/ put those Georgia stars to shame that night/ I said that's a lie." And it's got a lovely melody. But could this ringleted child reproduce that 11 times? Could I love an album of songs written by someone so young? Could Taylor Swift be the real deal?

Yes, yes, yes!

Swift's album hit stores this week and the quirky imperfections in her songs, the sweetness on Teardrops on My Guitar, the vulnerability on Tied Together with a Smile, make her catchy melodies work. Rosanne Cash said that melody is the tip of the arrow that lets the lyrics pierce your heart. Swift knows this instinctively. Swift looks at life with a simplicity I abandoned a long time ago, but the songs have a musical maturity that prevents them from becoming country bubblegum music.

Swift has essentially produced a soundtrack of teenage angst: On Picture to Burn, a angry break-up song, she sounds a little like Natalie Maines (in a good way) when she sings, "I hate that stupid old pick-up truck you never let me drive." On Our Song, she skillfully stretches a metaphor about first love.

Tim McGraw - which isn't about Tim McGraw but about a boyfriend who liked his music - jumped four places this week to No. 17 on Billboard's country chart, and she recently earned a coveted spot opening for Rascal Flatts.

This country concoction is contagious.

The grade: A

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Big Machine Gets Bigger

By Deborah Evans Price, 25 October 2006, Billboard

Taylor Swift Is Ambitious Nashville Upstart Label’s Latest Success Story

In less than a year, Big Machine Records has made the leap from scrappy startup venture to successful record label with a No. 1 Jack Ingram single under its belt and teen newcomer Taylor Swift currently climbing the chart. 

The Big Machine roster also includes Danielle Peck, Dusty Drake and former DreamWorks artist Jimmy Wayne, whose new single, "That's All I'll Ever Need," is gaining momentum.

Country label vet Scott Borchetta opened the doors at Big Machine in September 2005 with a high-profile joint launch with Toby Keith's Show Dog Records. Both are distributed by Universal. Initially structured as sister labels, the companies shared marketing and radio promotion, but as each expanded, they decided to separate (Billboard, March 11).

"The only way we could address our priorities was for us to have our own promotions department," Borchetta says. "Toby is really a brilliant business guy, and he understands that. We're great friends, and we've got two separate labels, but it was fun to start everything with him."

Borchetta is proud that exactly eight months and eight days after Big Machine launched, the label was enjoying its first No. 1 with the Ingram hit "Wherever You Are." "It was a big day," he says proudly. "It was one of those things where we were literally working seven days a week -- and we still pretty much are -- but that was a pretty darn cool moment when we rang the bell."

Borchetta is president of Big Machine. He started his career in 1985 with a three-year stint at Mary Tyler Moore's MTM Records, moved to MCA Records in 1991 and in 1997 left to launch DreamWorks Nashville with James Stroud. DreamWorks merged into Universal Music Group in 2004, and Borchetta stayed with Universal until leaving to launch Big Machine last year.

Andrew Kautz is Big Machine's GM, Jack Purcell heads the promotion department, and Penny Lazo is head of sales and marketing. Cynthia Grimson handles public relations. Other key staffers include Borchetta's wife, creative director Sandi Spika Borchetta, and director of national promotion John Zarling. The label opened its doors Sept. 1, 2005, and by Sept. 26 was going for airplay on Peck's single "I Don't." "We didn't waste any time. We literally started with that song on day one. We went for airplay on the 26th and then we went for airplay on Ingram on the 31st of October. Jack's first album came out Jan. 9," Borchetta says, recapping the label's first efforts.

"I did not want to sit on our butts and wait for six months for the first record to come out," he says. "I've seen so many startups, and after six or eight months, you're staffed up and you're just burning away money and literally nobody is working anything. They are just waiting on A&R to get up to speed. I just refused to launch the label like that, because I think it instills a certain amount of laziness upfront, and I wanted everybody here to bring brand-new running shoes ready to run on the first day."

Borchetta's criteria for signing an act is simple. "I either fall in love with an artist's music or I don't."

These days Big Machine's priority is the debut album by 16-year-old Swift, which streets Oct. 24. Swift is climbing the chart with "Tim McGraw," which is No. 17 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and has sold nearly 90,000 digital downloads. When he heard her perform, Borchetta says he just had to have her on the label, but admits he knew it wouldn't be easy because country programmers are hesitant to play teenagers.

"That's probably one of the things I love about it," he says. "She's one of the best songwriters in Nashville period, and we were able to get people to see that and the fact that she plays guitar and the fact that she does sing that good, and she does write that good. She's witty and charming and all the things that a superstar artist should be."

Swift grew up near Reading, Pa., but now lives near Nashville. "I've been trying to do this since I was 10," she says. "So many people tell me that radio won't play me because I'm too young. Because of that, radio is the biggest priority for me and building those relationships."

Swift chose Big Machine because of the creative freedom Borchetta offered. "I needed a company that would let me be myself and would let me write my own music," says Swift, who signed a publishing deal with Sony at 14.

"Scott Borchetta has not only encouraged me, but has insisted that I write my own music, and it's been really, really great, and I'm just so glad that I'm here," she says.

Swift is slated to appear on "Good Morning America" on street date. Her debut has also gained exposure on GAC's "Short Cuts."

"I've had the good fortune of breaking everybody from Trisha Yearwood all the way up to Sugarland with big stops in between," Borchetta says. "This feels as big as any of them."

In general, Borchetta credits the experience and enthusiasm of his team for fueling Big Machine's success.

"I never told my staff that they were [an] independent," Borchetta says. "I think that's part of it, that we didn't come out saying, 'We're a little indie'; that was never our point of view," Borchetta says about his staff of 13. "It was just kind of blind belief that we were going to do this, and the advantage that we had is we've done this before. Jack Purcell has done this before. Cynthia Grimson has done this before. So it wasn't a person coming in from outside of our business just trying to figure the business out.

"We didn't expect to come out here and be kicked around like some little imprint," he continues. "We came to play. Failure is really not an option, and I've got people around me that really understand the vision."

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A half-dozen cool things in the world of music

By Jon Bream, 1 October 2006, Star-Tribune.

Taylor Swift, the Myth. This 16-year-old is going to be a big star. I'm always impressed by artists who write their own music. She is a very clever songwriter, and she put on a great show as part of K102's Class of `06. I can't wait for her CD to come out. Also, her website is done in a very cute scrapbook format.

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New Recordings

N.C., 12 November 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Taylor Swift Taylor Swift (Big Machine ***)

So she likes Tim McGraw, and even uses the name of the hack superstar as the title of her (quite good) first single. It's hard to hold that against Taylor Swift after hearing this impressive debut.

Just 16 years old, and from the Reading area, Swift wrote or cowrote all the songs here. She displays a maturity beyond her years while retaining the freshness of youth, just as her slightly husky voice balances between open-hearted innocence and life-scarred experience. There's a feistiness to country-rockers "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No," but no bubblegum angst or melodrama. Much of the music has a bracing acoustic country texture that reflects the taste and restraint of the singing and writing.

"Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission, but I'm ready to fly," Swift declares in "A Place in This World." She's got that right. Here's hoping the commercial pressures that success brings don't pull her back down.

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Berks Native, 17, shakes up country with 'Tim McGraw'

By Keith Groller, 3 February 2007, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. 

Feb. 3--It's hard to believe now, but when she was growing up on a farm in Wyomissing, Berks County, 17-year-old Taylor Swift, one of country music's most in-demand rising stars, lived in relative isolation.

"I went through some tough times," she says. "I didn't really have a lot of friends. I didn't have a lot of people to talk to, so I had to find an escape to fill that void, and, for me, it was music."

Swift needn't worry about a lack of friends these days, especially since her song "Tim McGraw" hit No. 6 on Billboard magazine's country charts and her self-titled debut CD reached as high as No. 3 on various country lists.

Country star Toby Keith and veteran label executive Scott Borchetta made her one of the first signings to their new Big Machine Records label. Rascal Flatts and George Strait have tapped her as an opening act, and later this year she will hit the road with Brad Paisley.

So even though 2006 was a breakthrough year for the teenager with long-flowing, curly blond hair and cover-girl looks, she is more excited about 2007.

"Last year was unbelievable, because I saw the results of all of my hard work begin to materialize," says Swift, who on Thursday night will make a rare solo appearance at Allentown's Crocodile Rock Cafe. "But now that 2007 has rolled around, I've got a Top 5 song and the No. 1 music video on CMT and more exciting things are about to happen."

Swift may be a favorite to collect some best new artist trophies at awards shows this year, but she shuns the "overnight success" label. While it's natural to compare her to other young stars of the past such as LeAnn Rimes, her first idol in country music, and Tanya Tucker, Swift is hardly naive or unprepared. When you talk to her, her poise and certainty makes it easy to forget that she should only be a high-school junior. She sounds much more like a polished veteran.

"You're doing interviews all of the time and I like talking to people," says Swift. "You learn how to be on the radio and express your thoughts. If you're not comfortable, it's a problem."

As a youngster, Swift learned about country music by listening to Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline. Her desire to sing and perform led her to join a children's theater group in Wyomissing, and while playing Sandy in "Grease," she noticed something about her singing style -- it was country, and it came naturally.

"I always think back to the time before this success happened and I'm 10 years old and nobody knows who you are, and you're just going to festivals, fairs and karaoke contests," she says. "You remember that it really took a long time to make this happen."

Taylor made her first trip to Nashville looking for a record deal when she was 11, walking up and down Music Row with her mom, handing out a demo tape of her singing along to karaoke songs. Not surprisingly, she didn't get a deal, but after returning home, she picked up a guitar and wrote her first song, "Lucky You."

The next time Swift returned to Nashville, she was 14. She arrived with a demo of songs she had written and a resume that included an Abercrombie & Fitch ad campaign. Sony ATV publishing signed her to a songwriting deal, and eventually she came to Borchetta's attention.

Borchetta, who helped orchestrate Keith's rise to stardom, saw her perform at the Bluebird Cafe, and inked her to Big Machine soon after.

The "McGraw" single took off in part because the title featured the name of another artist. But once country fans give it a listen, they discovered it was really not about Faith Hill's husband and that it was actually a likeable tune with catchy lyrics.

Swift starred in the song's video, which was filmed at Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's cabin. "That was unbelievable to be doing our makeup in Johnny Cash's old recording studio," Swift says.

Swift wrote all of the songs on her debut, but says those 11 represent just the ones she liked the most out of the nearly 250 she has written. "I realized when I got to Nashville that there were a lot of young girl singers," she says. "I figured that I needed a way to stand out, so I got out my 12-string guitar and started to play my own songs. By writing my own songs, I figured I wouldn't need to depend on other songwriters."

If "McGraw" is any indication, Swift can rely on her own instincts when it comes to delivering a hit. "The song is about what's so beautiful about music and what's so dangerous about music," Swift says. "As you go through life, you'll never forget certain moments, both good and bad, and what song was playing in the background at that particular time. It could have been that first date in high school, the special song when you fell in love or when you got married. ... Music defines so many moments in life and when you hear them, they take you back to that time or that person. That's really what this song is all about."

Swift's music delves heavily into the intricacies of romantic relationships, but she insists she's not in one at the moment. "I'm really into being independent," she says. "If you listen to my songs, you'd think I've been in relationships with 500 boyfriends, but I really haven't. Right now, I can't think about anything else but my career. With my schedule and everything that's going on, I'm just too busy for a relationship right now."

But Swift would like to build relationships with her fans. She is looking forward to the solo gig, which will give her an opportunity to go well beyond the 30-minute set she normally uses to open for Strait or Rascal Flatts. And she is happy to return to Pennsylvania, where she once played venues like the Bloomsburg Fair and Pat Garrett's Roadhouse as a complete unknown.

Pennsylvania is better known for producing football players than country stars, and while she is entrenched in the Nashville area -- she lives in Hendersonville, 20 minutes north of Music City -- she wouldn't mind a return visit to Berks County.

"If Wyomissing ever wants to put up a sign that says 'Wyomissing, Hometown of Country Star Taylor Swift,' that would be just great with me," she laughs.

[oldtaylorswiftarticles]

Face to face with stardom

By Cathalena E. Burch, 1 February 2007, Arizona Daily Star.

Taylor Swift excited to be opening for the legendary George Strait

The buzz was just starting to swirl around country music newcomer Taylor Swift when super trio Rascal Flatts tapped her for her first tour last fall.

A few months later, her debut album still hot from pressing, she got a phone call to join George Strait's winter tour, which pulls into Phoenix Friday.

This spring, she and her bus join the convoy with Brad Paisley, and this summer, she'll head out for 10 dates on the Faith and Tim - as in Hill and McGraw - Soul II Soul 2 tour.

How will the 17-year-old top that?

"I have no idea. Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban, I guess," Swift joked during a phone interview last week.

Swift can thank her self-penned coming-of-age song "Tim McGraw" for her out-of-the-box success. The song went to No. 5 on Billboard's charts and pushed sales of her Big Machine Records debut, "Taylor Swift," to gold (500,000 sales) in three months.

Swift's quick rise is three-parts chutzpah, one part determination, and a legacy of parents believing so strongly in their little girl's talents that they packed up and moved to give her a shot.

Swift was 11 when the family uprooted from Redding, Pa., to Music City. Armed with a recording of Swift performing karaoke, they marched into every major label on Music Row.

Of course, they laughed her back to the curb.

"I think I realized I had to be different," Swift said. "There are thousands of girls on Music Row who . . . want this just as much as I do."

So the girl with wavy blond locks picked up a 12-string guitar, learned to play and began writing songs.

"If I can walk into a room and play guitar for myself and sing songs I'd written, I wouldn't have to depend on anyone creatively," she reasoned.

At 13, she snatched a publishing deal, which led to her Big Machine record deal. She was 16 when her debut was released.

Swift wrote all 11 songs on the album, songs rich in stories about teen love and longing, the lure of independence, the mystery of what lies ahead. There's a streak of sass running through the break-up song "Picture To Burn" - "So watch me strike a match / On all my wasted time / As far as I'm concerned / You're just another picture to burn" - and the memorable hook "When you think Tim McGraw / I hope you think of me" from the song that set this ball in motion.

Swift has yet to meet McGraw, but she spoke with him on the phone during a live radio show. He told her the song made him feel old but that he was proud of her.

In the weeks she's been out with Strait, she's met him once. From the schoolgirl giddiness in her voice, you could tell she was starstruck.

"He goes, 'It's really great to have you on tour. Everybody just loves you.' That was it. I was like, 'Oh my God. That was George,' " she said, then laughed.

Friday will be her second Arizona performance. She sang the National Anthem at the Phoenix NASCAR race last fall. About 180,000 folks watched from the stands and millions were watching on TV.

So where would she like to take this? Everywhere, she says with confidence. She would love to see her debut go platinum (1 million in sales), hopes to move up to second opening act and, with luck and a little more of that chutzpah, land a headlining tour in a year or two.

"If you believe this is where you belong, then other people will, too," she said.

[oldtaylorswiftarticles]

Ten Minutes With Taylor Swift

By Janis Fontaine, 27 January 2007, The Palm Beach Post.

Country artist Taylor Swift is touring with George Strait and will tour next with Brad Paisley. The self-confident teenager talked her parents into moving to Nashville 'because that was where I needed to be.'

Taylor Swift, who plays the KISS 99.9 Chili Cookoff in Pembroke Pines Sunday, has passed a couple of important milestones recently: She turned 17 ("just another syllable"), and her first album has gone gold ("time for a party!"), racking up sales of more than a half-million since its release in October. Her debut single, Tim McGraw, is No. 6 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, and the video hit No. 1.

So, you're home-schooled?

Yes, it just got too busy, I couldn't go to school anymore. I set aside some time every day when I'm going to do my home schoolwork. I've got to stay motivated because I want to get it over with.

What about college?

I can see myself later on down the road taking some classes. College seems to me that you're learning how to live on your own, learning how the real world operates, and I've been learning that since I was 14.

Do your parents travel with you?

My mom travels with me, but my dad is out on the road with me this week, which is odd, because he never comes on the road, but yeah, I usually have a parent with me.

Have the adults around you tried to change you?

I haven't had any adults try to change me. My parents have raised me really well, and the morals they've instilled in me, I really look up to them. When you're growing up, you don't really realize it, but I see how my friends have been treated and how they're growing up.

My parents empowered me from day one. Literally, if I wanted to be something, they honestly believed that I could be. I think there's a difference between telling your kid "you can do whatever you want" and actually believing it.

For about three years in Pennsylvania, I was singing in bars and karaoke contests every single weekend, and at 13, I convinced my parents to move to Nashville because I knew that was where I needed to be to make a go of it.

Why does your music appeal to adults when you're just 17?

I think the reason for that is me being a fan of music; I've never ever been a fan of anyone who I didn't believe what they were saying. If I didn't buy it, if I didn't believe it, then I'm not going to listen to it.

But I'm the first one to stand up and say, "I'm 17, I've never had a kid, I've never been married, I don't think I've ever been in love, but you know what, I'm going to sing about the stuff I do know."

Was it hard to get people to take you seriously at 14?

If it was, I didn't pay attention to it. I think if you take yourself seriously, other people will, too. And if you have confidence, but not cockiness, then they'll believe in you a little bit.

My publisher was really good, and he'd say, just give her a chance, and I'd come in with about 10 song ideas every single time, and I kind of set out to prove to these people that I could do it.

How do you handle rejection or bad reviews?

I think it's self-destructive to dwell on things that don't go well because there's so many things that do. In my case, I can look at all the other things that are going well.

I've never gotten a horrible review, but if anybody's taken any jabs, the jabs usually are taken at my age. And for me, it's like, you know what? If that's all you've got for me, then I'm all right. So you toured a lot at the end of 2006. What's 2007 looking like?

I've been on the road pretty much for 10 months straight, and my voice has been holding up pretty well. I haven't gotten sick at all.

I'm out with George Strait now, and I toured with Rascal Flatts earlier this year. In the spring and summer, it's Brad Paisley. And then - this is on the DL - I'm touring with Tim McGraw after that.

[oldtaylorswiftarticles]

Country newcomer seems ready for the big-time: Taylor Swift opens for two musical legends

By Charity Apple, 18 January 2007, McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

Jan. 18--GREENSBORO -- Taylor Swift sounded like any other 17-year-old girl, giddy about a wearing a gorgeous gown.

"I can't wait for you to see it," Swift said in a phone interview from her home in Hendersonville, Tenn., on Tuesday afternoon. "It is going to be so cool." Swift was talking about the 21-foot-long bluish-green chiffon gown she wears in her latest video, "Teardrops On My Guitar." It is the second single from her self-titled album on Big Machine Records. The video shoot was Monday night. "It is such a fantasy dress. One that girls like us would love," Swift added, still sounding bubbly.

But there's another side to this gorgeous curly-haired blonde. She's tough.

She's determined.

"I never expected to be given anything in this business. I wanted to work for everything I've gotten, and I have." Those qualities, along with her amazing talent, have land ed her a place among other up-and-coming country music artists. Swift is currently the opening act for country music's heavy hitters, George Strait and Ronnie Milsap. The three will perform at the Greensboro Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are still available.

Her self-titled album has sold more than 300,000 copies, and it was just announced last week that she would be part of the Brad Paisley's 2007 Hershey's Presents Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour, a tour including Jack Ingram and Kellie Pickler, of "American Idol" fame.

"I really do feel blessed. It's just unbelievable that here I no surprise when she started singing at age 10. A year later, she sang the national anthem in front of thousands of fans during a Philadelphia 76ers NBA game. Swift began play ing guitar and writing her own songs at age 12.

"When we visited Nashville, I saw all these beautiful girls living in apartments ... they could all sing higher and hold notes longer than I could. I immediately thought 'what can I do to make myself stand out?' Playing guitar and writ ing my own songs seemed like the natural choice." Her parents saw their daughter's hard work and determination and decided to make the move to nearby Hendersonville. A perform ance at the Bluebird Cafe caught record producer Scott Borchetta's eye. Borchetta signed Swift to the Big Machine Records label.

Swift recently celebrated her 17th birthday. In between studying (she's a straight-A student), gigs, video shoots and various radio, newspaper am, sharing the stage with two legends. Ronnie Milsap and George Strait have something like 100 No. 1 hits. To be added to their tour is such a huge thing," she said.

Then again, Swift will tell you that she's worked for this. She grew up on a farm in Wyomissing, Pa. Her maternal grandmother was a professional opera singer, so it was and television interviews, she doesn't have much time to hang out with her friends. But she does have opportunities that most teenage girls don't.

On Monday night, she invited some of her cousins, friends and even her younger brother to be part of the video shoot.

"It was really cool," she said. But her brother didn't agree. "I asked my brother if he liked it and he said it was the dumbest thing he'd ever done," Swift laughed. "So I guess he won't be pursuing a career in country music." That aside, Taylor Swift is enjoying this whole experience. She wants to be noticed when she walks into her area Wal-Mart. And it's not a bother to talk to fans or sign autographs.

"I've wanted this life since I was a little girl," she said. "I've been that girl in the meet-andgreet line. I've been that girl at a country concert, wishing that was me on stage. I'm still such a fan, too. When Ronnie Milsap told me that he's listened to my entire album, I was shocked. I'm having such a great time."