SPILL NEWS: JULIAN TAYLOR RELEASES NEW ALBUM ‘ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2’ w/ FOCUS TRACK “HUNGER” OUT JANUARY 23

JULIAN TAYLOR RELEASES NEW ALBUM ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2 w/ FOCUS TRACK “HUNGER” OUT JANUARY 23

HOWLING TURTLE

After more than two decades of writing, performing, and recording his consistently potent, genre-defying music, acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor unveils ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2: A reflective, expressive, wide-ranging compilation that traces the evolution of an artist who’s never confined himself to a single lane. Featuring songs recorded over the span of 25 years, the album captures Taylor’s enduring commitment to storytelling, live musicianship, and emotional honesty. The focus track “HUNGER,” written by Graeme Williamson, will be released along with the album, on January 23, on all major platforms.

Across ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2, Taylor re-visits songs recorded in vastly different circumstances, from early-career material with his old band Staggered Crossing, to recent collaborations with the likes of Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), unified by recurring themes of love, resilience, kindness, nature, and perseverance. Much of the album was recorded live-off-the-floor, with real instruments, a deliberate choice that reflects Taylor’s belief in authenticity over polish. “It’s really important to venture in all sorts of new directions,” he says. “But you should always go back to see where you came from – so that you can forge a path to where you’re going.”

Anchoring the release is the single “Hunger,” a traditional-style folk song with a Celtic feel, written by Graeme Williamson (of 1980s Toronto band the Pukka Orchestra). Taylor was inspired to record the song after it was shared with him by his friend, and Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Davies. “When I first heard the song, it was the lyrics that really struck me,” Taylor explains. “With everything going on in the world right now, hunger remains such a devastating and unnecessary reality. There are people with enough money to eradicate it in 24 hours, but they choose not to. Frank and I decided that we would donate a portion of the song’s sales to the Band Aid Charitable Trust.”

Recorded in England with the longtime friends who comprise his U.K. band, Rae Husbandes, Siân Monaghan, and Michele Stodart, Taylor’s version of “Hunger” expands the original acoustic arrangement into a full-band performance. Recorded live and organically in the studio, the song creates a sound that feels at once timeless, gentle, and profoundly unsettling. “It was recorded in one day at a studio in Great Britain on a lovely property where we all got to stay for a couple of nights,” Taylor recalls. “We weren’t really sure which direction it was gonna take, but I’m really proud of the one that it went. It’s haunting, it’s mysterious, it’s touching, and it’s real.”

Tour Dates

w/ Julian Taylor and Logan Staats Songs and Stories:
Jan. 16 – The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts | Brantford, ON
Jan. 17 – First Ontario Performing Arts Centre | St. Catharines, ON
Jan. 19 – Capitol Centre | North Bay, ON
Jan. 21 – Shenkman Arts Centre | Ottawa, Ontario
Jan. 22 – Market Hall Performing Arts Centre | Peterborough, ON
Jan. 23 – Emmanuel United Church Waterloo | Waterloo, ON
Jan. 24 – The Mary Webb Centre | Highgate, ON
Jan. 28 – Kingston Grand Theatre | Kingston, ON
Feb. 28 – Celebrations & Revelations 2026
w/ Julian Taylor & band | TD Music Hall | Toronto, ON SOLD OUT!!

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