Carly Ann Taylor

In this candid conversation, Curbs Records newcomer Carly Ann Taylor opens up about the personal journey behind her single “Why Should I Worry (Remind Me Version)” and the uncertainty that shaped it. 

Written during a season of anxiety about her future after college, the song became an unexpected turning point. 

From a difficult childhood in Hawaii to rebuilding her life in California, Carly reflects on how her past informs her artistry today. With honesty and depth, she shares how songwriting became her way of processing change, reclaiming her voice, and creating music that reminds listeners they’re not alone in their struggles…

Hi Carly, how are you? 

I’m doing FANTASTIC!! Thank you for asking!!

Your latest single, 'Why Should I Worry' (Remind Me Version), is deeply uplifting. Can you walk us through the story behind the song and what it represents for you?

Thank you so much! Why Should I Worry was born from a place of heavy worry, anxiety, and fear of my future. I was really struggling to understand where God was leading me in a specific season of my life. The fear I had was so numbing that I cried out to God to show me a way out.

 

At that time, my mom encouraged me with scripture from Matthew 6. If God takes care of the lilies and the birds in the air, why wouldn’t He take even better care of me? He holds the whole world in His hands, yet cares for me and holds my life and my future. So if this is the truth, then Why Should I Worry?

I had just graduated from college and found myself full of fear for what was ahead of me. I knew what God was calling me to, but the road seemed extremely uncertain. I graduated with a degree in Commercial Music Production, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music. 

After I graduated, my parents gifted me the production of a song with a dream producer of mine, Splash Of Soda. I brought in 3 songs to show him, and he loved Why Should I Worry. We finished writing it with my dad and worked on finalizing production over the summer. The song was set to be released in November of 2024 when my dad asked me to open for his band, Hopeful, at a show in Sacramento, California, which ended up being when Why Should I Worry was scheduled to be released. It was my first time ever doing my own music live outside of college performances. I closed the show with Why Should I Worry and it was incredible!

That night, there happened to be two A&R reps from Curb Records at the show. Long story short, I was offered a deal with them shortly after. It felt like God said “See? Why should you worry? I told you I’m taking care of your future.” 

After my signing, we decided to re-release it as a shorter version with some additional production elements. We debated what the new release should be called, and I chose to name it the “Remind Me Version” because the Lord was SO faithful to remind me of His goodness through this huge faith-building season for me. I wrote the song about being afraid of my future, and God had a plan the whole time.

Your voice carries incredible depth and soul. Do you consciously draw from your life experiences when you sing, or does it naturally surface in your performance?

Thank you!! I definitely think that my life story plays a huge part in my passion for singing. I was rescued from complete dysfunction, and my entire life has been redeemed, so I feel like I really have something to sing about! I really believe what I am singing, and I want the audience to feel that. I can’t help but pour all of my heart out when I perform! Jesus changed my life… why wouldn’t I shout it from the mountaintops?!

You’ve been singing since you were young, but music became more than just passion - it became survival. When did you realise that?

I have been singing since I was 3 years old, and music was definitely an escape for me as I was experiencing some really tough things. When I was 15, my biological half-brother, whom I did not grow up with, invited me to visit him and his wife during the summer in California. During my visit, I started opening up about some of the things I was going through in Hawaii. As they started to learn about a lot of the things that were happening in my life at that time, they knew they couldn’t send me back.

 I never returned to Hawaii. They ended up taking me in and finished raising me as their own daughter. They are now who I call my mom and my dad. They took me to church the very first Sunday I was visiting, and I accepted the Lord into my life immediately. That is when I was introduced to worship music, and everything made sense to me. Today, music isn’t an escape for me, but it is something that brings healing, and I can express my gratitude for how God rescued me and changed my story!

How does songwriting help you process emotions you can’t put into words?

I’ve always been a really reflective person so songwriting has felt natural to me. It’s honestly the primary way I process my thoughts and emotions. Sometimes I can’t fully say what I’m feeling in conversation, but when I put words to melody and rhythm, it reaches somewhere deeper.

Every song I write comes from a real place in my life. Writing them has helped me heal, and it’s my prayer that when people listen, they find that same hope and healing in the lyrics.

Growing up in Hawaii in a dysfunctional household at such a young age must have been challenging. How did those experiences shape the voice and artist you are today?

When I look back now, I can see that God was with me the whole time, even on the hardest days. He had his hand of protection on me and had a plan for my life even though I did not see it then. Growing up in a dysfunctional home shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand then, but I see it now.

I’ve chosen to look at my childhood, even the trauma, through a lens of gratitude. Not because it was easy, but because God has redeemed it. Those experiences definitely gave me a depth and sensitivity that show up in my voice and in my writing. 

My story is woven into every song I create. And if there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that no matter what they’ve walked through or what they’ve done, there is nothing the Lord can’t redeem or restore. Your past doesn’t disqualify you. Your story can be the very thing God uses to bring light and hope to someone else.

As a teenager, you made the life-changing decision to leave Hawaii for California to live with your brother. Looking back, what did that leap represent for you emotionally?

Leaving everything behind and coming to California was the easiest and the hardest “yes” of my life. I was desperate for a new life and salvation. I did not know any different, but I longed for stability and love. When I arrived, I was embraced by a new family, and by the love of a Savior. 

As time went on, I knew I had to make certain decisions in my life in order to break the cycles in my family history. Simply changing environments without changing habits and behaviors wouldn’t bring me any new results in life. Moving away from the dysfunction gave me the opportunity to reshape my mindset and behaviors. 

The Lord gave me another chance. A chance to change the trajectory of my life and my family line. My new family loved me back to life, and from that point on, I understood the assignment and the gift that was given to me. 

Your unique brand of soul-pop blends emotional storytelling with accessible melodies. How do you balance personal vulnerability with creating songs that you hope will resonate broadly?

I think that the human experience is deeply interconnected. My own problems, thoughts, and emotions have always felt huge and isolating to me, but after meeting so many people in my journey as an artist, I have come to realize that people are quietly carrying some of the same burdens. When I write, I just try to tell my story honestly, without watering it down. I think vulnerability is actually what makes a song resonate so broadly. The more specific and vulnerable I am, the more universal it seems to become. 

I am so grateful I get to write these songs and have a platform to share it with the world so people know they are not alone in their pain and problems, and that there is hope for them. 

When writing and performing, do you start with lyrics, melody, or emotion? How does your creative process work?

Every song starts from an emotion. I usually think about the emotion I want my song to convey, and then develop lyrics and melodies that embody that emotion. The melody usually comes next because it carries the feeling, and then the lyrics bring what the melody is already saying into words. I want the production, the rhythm, and the words to all feel like they’re telling the same emotional story.

I also love writing with other people because it opens up creative horizons. Other writers bring perspectives and melodies I might not have found on my own, and that collaboration often takes the emotion somewhere even deeper or more expansive than I imagined.

You’ve said you hope people see themselves in your story and feel less alone. What do you most want listeners to take away from your music?

I hope my music communicates to the listener that there’s hope in Jesus, and that no one is too far gone!! The Lord is in every detail of their life and has a beautiful plan for them. When we surrender our futures and our plans at the feet of Jesus, He is so good and so faithful to remind us that He holds it all, and that He is ready to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever think or imagine!

This chapter feels like just the beginning - what's next for you creatively and personally? 

There’s a lot of new music coming, and I’m so excited about it!! This next chapter of music goes into different parts of my story… different seasons, different sounds, and it stretches across a few genres in a way that feels really authentic to me. I’ve also been working on some really special collaborations that I can’t wait to share!! Stay tuned!!!!

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