Taylor Carson hails from the land of the Dave Matthews Band, Virginia Coalition and O.A.R. While he built his musical chops on the shoulders of these acoustic rock superstars, his lyrical inspiration comes from timeless wordsmiths like Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and Martin Sexton.

On the heels of two acoustipop full band records, Carson was hit with a wave of inspiration that led him to write nearly 30 songs in a matter of months. Right around this time he began performing at colleges and opening for folk-rock troubadours Ellis Paul, Willy Porter and Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers. These audiences demanded a more intimate recording and Carson delivered with Standing Alone in 2008.

The fan-favorite of those 10 solo songs is "Fly" -- an affirmation about overcoming adversity with a steady eye on lofty goals and a healthy dose of self-belief. The song showcases his intricate finger-picking style and his sing-a-long hooks and reads like a "Best of the Conclusions" from a lifelong diary.

Taylor has spent the last 18 months writing and recording his upcoming album, Defending The Name, with Todd Wright (Getaway Car, Pat McGee Band, Chelsea Lee) producing. The album is set to release in March of 2010.

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