Taylor Hollingsworth Tells the Tale of “Tap Dancin’ Daddy” (premiere)

Mystic Valley Band man Taylor Hollingsworth steps out for the first album under his own name since 2011. "Tap Dancin' Daddy" tells of the struggles of parenthood and the struggles of staying true to one's self.

“Tap Dancin’ Daddy” is the title tune from Taylor Hollingsworth‘s new LP, which arrives 2 August via Flower Moon Records.

Having spent a decade on the road, including time as a member of Conor Oberst’s Mystic Valley Band, Hollingsworth returned to his native Alabama, bought a home, started a family, and began playing local gigs. Along the way, he tracked Tap Dancin’ Daddy in his basement. The titular song is a quiet, understated song about a father trying to make ends meet and holding together the illusion that he’s above doubt and defeat.

Says Hollingsworth, “A child sees his or her father as Hercules, even if in reality, the father’s footprints are really small. In this song, the struggling father wishes to keep it that way. There’s also another layer going on, where the father desperately wants to provide but fails due to his own ailments or weaknesses.”

There’s something beautifully fragile in Hollingsworth’s performance on a song that calls to mind a ’70s solo record from former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman or the country colors of Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance. And though it’s a contemporary song, not a throwback, there is something about Hollingsworth’s sincerity and the familiarity of the tale he tells that makes this a tune for any time.