The new year has barely begun and rising country star MaRynn Taylor is already experiencing things she only could have ever dreamed of. She has been named a female powerhouse by Country Now, Next Women of Country by Country Music Television, and has been called a notable artist to watch by many others. Taylor released her EP album Get To Know Me in May 2024, a Christmas EP in Nov. 2024, and will be sharing her newest song “same girl same” in Feb. 2025. This artist toured with Dylan Schneider last year and played some solo shows.
Now, she’s playing in arenas, opening for Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini during 36 shows of “Kelsea Ballerini LIVE ON TOUR.” I am grateful to have had the opportunity to talk to MaRynn Taylor about her experiences, inspirations, and excitement as her Feb. 14, 2025, concert at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut approaches. While interviewing Taylor, I realized why she is rising to stardom in the world of country music, as she radiated so much kindness and enthusiasm while chatting with me.
From Ideas to Final Songs
Creating a song or album takes time, energy, and inspiration. For MaRynn Taylor, she began her journey as an artist by listening to other musicians. Taylor names artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, and Taylor Swift as inspirations. She emphasizes how they are mostly 1990s and 2000s women in country since she can see herself in their shoes. Kelsea Ballerini is also a major inspiration for her. “[I admire] the person she is backstage and onstage” and sees her as the “big sister that [I] never had,” Taylor says to me. MaRynn Taylor is already playing shows where some of her idols performed and is cementing herself as a notable woman in country music.
As Taylor discusses her process of making music, she dives deeper into her song, “Season 2 of Friends,” and what that song means to her. If she could only play one of her songs live for the rest of her life, Taylor would choose this song. It’s based on the show Friends, which she adores. “It’s so fun to sing,” Taylor tells me enthusiastically. She gets to pick up her acoustic guitar and have her own “singer-songwriter moment.” Looking at her songwriting process for “Season 2 of Friends,” Taylor specifically had “so much fun writing that song.”
Taylor usually grabs from things happening in her life when crafting her music. For this song specifically, Taylor tells me about being on a Facetime call with her cousin and talking about feeling so behind in life in their 20s. “Society has standards, especially for women, that you need to have your life set up,” Taylor tells me. “You have time though to figure life out at your pace,” is the advice she gives to her cousin during their call, saying that they’re only on Season 2 of Friends and have more time to grow and live. That call led to Taylor pausing the Facetime to write down the potential song name, which she later worked on when she was in a writing room creating new music, inspired by other experiences in her life.
Touring Arenas Across The Country
While creating and releasing new music has been exciting for MaRynn Taylor, she’s also been bringing these songs to life by performing shows. She was on tour in the fall with Dylan Schneider (playing venues such as Los Angeles’ Troubadour) and has also played one-off shows. Currently, Taylor is opening for Kelsea Ballerini for her arena tour alongside artists like Sasha Alex Sloan, Ashe, and The Japanese House. “It’s a whole different ballgame,” she tells me while comparing playing arenas to smaller venues. Describing it as “such a dream come true,” MaRynn Taylor goes on to describe the joy she feels from seeing arenas fill up so quickly, especially for an opener. She has also been doing meet-and-greets which are going well with so many people wanting to say hi.
Playing to large crowds is exciting for Taylor, but she has many other favorite parts of touring with Ballerini. Chatting with MaRynn Taylor, I learned more about how the start of the tour involved one of her favorite parts so far. At their first show on tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Taylor’s hometown), she was nervous. Before Taylor’s opening performance, Ballerini texted her encouragement to ease her nerves. When Taylor was going to walk to the stage, Ballerini appeared, linked arms with her, and they walked to the stage together. MaRynn Taylor emphasizes how Kelsea Ballerini has “big sister energy” and how important her support has been throughout the new experiences on tour.
Time moves fast, and Taylor knows that she won’t be on this tour forever. One of her songs, “We Could Be In Love Right Now,” references how it’s impossible to slow time down. While chatting with the singer about this song, she tells me about another memory from the tour that she wants to remember forever. At the Milwaukee tour stop, fans turned the crowd into a sea of waving phone flashlights during “Get To Know Me.” “It was insanely beautiful,” Taylor tells me while reminiscing on this moment. “It was like looking at the night sky,” she says.
This was MaRynn Taylor’s first time seeing lights in an arena for her, and since “Get To Know Me” is a very vulnerable and emotional song for her to sing, the flashlights made her smile more than she ever has during that song. Moments like this on tour remind Taylor of how far she’s come. As Taylor tells me, “This Time Last Year” by Kelsea Ballerini is the song that she’d use to describe her life right now because quite literally, this time last year if she knew what she was doing now she would be stunned.
Connecting With Her Fans
As Taylor continues to release music and perform on tours, her fanbase is rapidly growing. This artist cares about her fans and connects with them, from trading friendship bracelets to meeting them at shows. With Get To Know Me being the name of her EP and the title track, I ask Taylor what she wishes that fans knew about her. “[I want them to know] that they have a friend in me … [and that I] truly care for the people who listen to my music,” she tells me. Opening up to me about the importance of friendship to her, Taylor says that she didn’t have a lot of friends in high school, leading to her moving to Nashville to find friends who liked the same things as she did. She especially wanted to “find others who thought that being a country singer was not a dumb career choice.” Talking more about the meet-and-greets going on while touring with Ballerini, Taylor emphasizes how she gives hugs like how best friends give hugs. She cares about her fans through both her music and through her as a person meeting them.
Chatting with MaRynn Taylor shows me just how genuine and authentic she is. She doesn’t talk like she’s answering the questions on a difficult exam — she speaks like we’re best friends having a regular conversation. When “Season 2 of Friends” comes up, I mention that I’ve never watched the show and she starts recommending her favorite Friends episode to me. In case you’re wondering, it’s “The One Where No One’s Ready.” “[There are] so many lines in that one episode that are iconic,” Taylor says while explaining the episode.
Besides discussing TV shows, we also chat about desserts. With the Connecticut show of her and Ballerini’s tour occurring on Valentine’s Day, I ask what her perfect gift would be for this love-centered holiday. “I am a chocolate girlie, I love me some chocolate,” MaRynn Taylor says first. Then, she starts talking about her love for another dessert: ice cream. Her first job was at an ice cream shop at 16 years old, and she mostly got the job just because she loved this treat so much. Her overall favorite desserts all involve ice cream: ice cream cakes, milkshakes, and sundaes just to name a few. “My favorite is the classic half fudge sundae … [or the] turtle sundae,” Taylor tells me. With the University of Connecticut having an award-winning Dairy Bar, I made sure to recommend that she check it out when she’s in Connecticut. Fans of MaRynn Taylor will quickly discover just how down-to-earth and relatable she is.
Plans For The Future
Looking at what’s next for the singer, Taylor is excited to keep releasing new music. She’s been playing her song “same girl same” on tour with Ballerini before it’s released on Feb. 21. “It’s a really fun song,” she tells me. “On stage, I get to play electric guitar and feel like such a badass,” MaRynn Taylor says before telling me about the story that inspired it, which you’ll get to hear if you see her on tour. After touring with Kelsea Ballerini, Taylor also said that it would be insane to play a headlining show at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan (her hometown). “It’s where I fell in love with music,” she tells me.
MaRynn Taylor isn’t just a singer: she’s the next star of country music. Her connection with fans, creative and lively songs, and overall relatability make her an artist ready for growth. I am so grateful that I had the chance to hear from her about her journey in music, and I can’t wait to see her perform at her Feb. 14 show in Connecticut with Kelsea Ballerini and to continue watching her growth after that. Listening to her songs and watching her music videos feels like someone gave her a page of my diary, and I’m sure many other fans will feel the same way. Be sure to give Get To Know Me a listen and see this phenomenal artist either on tour right now or during her future headlining shows!