ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT
Press photos
Testimonials
"Taylor Steele has one of those unique expressive voices that come from an old soul - Her range and timbre bring an authenticity to each song that should get the attention of any fan of Americana roots music. There's a purity and simplicity to the Love Preachers that reminds me of Sunday morning gospel services in the South."
- Chris hensley
itinerant music executive - retired
Elektra, rca, bmg, ua, emi
"Taylor Steele was born with the name of a rock star and the soul of a troubadour. Her voice embodies a peace and love that will lift you up from the prairies to the highest mountain tops."
- Chain Station
Mountain music
"Taylor's voice has a spellbinding power that can break your heart and heal it simultaneously. This electrifying band belongs at the top of everyone's "must see' list."
- Micahlan boney
singer/songwriter
multi-instrumentalist
"The Love Preachers bring a sense of honesty and comfortability to their music. It makes me feel good when I listen to their album. Taylor's raw, incredibly soulful, and delicious vocals make you feel like she's singing directly to you. Audio Xanax."
-ace lutz
audio engineer for "Searching" at County Q productions
recorded artists Ty Herndon, Kellie Pickler, Colt ford
"Taylor and The Love Preachers came into the studio in Nashville and blew the hardened studio veterans away! Taylor was nailing vocals and guitar in one take. The whole band had a very cool vibe as players and people, individually and collectively. They made a great record. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do."
alison prestwood
nashville studio bassist / recording artist
credited bassist on George Benson's recent album "Walking to new orleans"
cma awards show house band 2019
four-time nominee for ACM Awards bass player ofthe year
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"I have followed Taylor Steele’s musical career very closely since I first heard her play and sing two or three years ago. She is such a gifted and emotional performer, hitting all the right dynamics, notes, and notes between the notes. Now Taylor has a dynamite band, the Love Preachers, who can’t help but get you tapping your feet and dancing. Oh, and Taylor writes beautiful songs, too. I have played every one of Taylor’s recordings on my radio show, every song. I highly recommend the new record, Searching. It is major league great from start to finish, presenting a breadth of overlapping genres, from rock to blues to country to R&B, sometimes all in the same song. But, the best way to listen is LIVE! Always right on the money ... and so soulful."
- Kevin Elliott
WEFT Champaign Community radio
Host of 'From the Joshua Tree Inn'
BAND BIO
Taylor Steele & the Love Preachers are a five piece Americana band with a powerful woman singer/songwriter as its driving force. Based out of Effingham, IL, they perform a powerful blend of roots rock with soul, country, blues, and funk influences. The group performs original music written by Taylor Steele, 26 year old rhythm guitarist and vocalist, along with their interpretations of eclectic music by their favorite artists.
The Love Preachers have a way of sneaking up on you. The music is soulful, but sublime. The songs are smart and original, with roots that take you through rock and roll back to the blues of the old south. The vocal quality of Taylor Steele is reminiscent of great legendary singers like Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples but also modern stars like Susan Tedeschi and Gillian Welch. Stemming from these influences, she has immense control of her voice as she belts out notes and improvises, all while finding a beautiful balance between vibrato, tone, and projection. Just when you think you have it figured out, the Love Preachers start preaching, Taylor’s voice starts soaring, and they take you for a ride you won't soon forget.
Searching, the new album from Taylor Steele & the Love Preachers, brings it all together and tells Taylor’s story in musical and poetic fashion. The songs are listed on the album chronologically, starting with the song Jeremiah that she wrote when she was 13. The band traveled to Nashville, TN to record this record of ten Steele originals and one Jimmie Rodgers cover. They roped piano legend Catherine Marx into the project, which was recorded at County Q Productions and co-produced by Alison Prestwood. The result is an R&B inflected Americana album that sounds far beyond Taylor Steele’s 21 years.
Taylor Steele started singing when she was a young girl, joining her family on stage singing old time country music, 60's/70's bar band blues, and classic rock. She has covered a lot of ground since then and has spent a lot of time developing her self taught finger picking style. Growing up, she would get lost in discovering and covering folk/rock, old country, and soul/blues artists including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Band, Hank Williams Sr., Son House, Jimmie Rodgers, Neil Young, and Bonnie Raitt. This has informed Taylor’s songwriting and provided her with a wide range of excellent influences from which to draw.
The band consists of lead vocals, acoustic resonator, and electric telecaster by Taylor Steele, lead guitar and vocals by James Stewart, bass and vocals by Garrett Burris, and drums and vocals by Kyle Heynen.
They have performed at Moccasin Creek Festival 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Summer Sundown Music Festival, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, Wander Down Music Festival 2019, Framily Fest 2018, 2019, Beesonstock Music & Arts Festival 2018, 2019, Little Grassy Get Down Festival 2022, 2023 - and have performed all across Central/Southern Illinois & St. Louis.
Taylor and her Love Preachers have performed alongside touring artists Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Poltz, Chicago Farmer, The Mighty Pines, Aaron Kamm & the One Drops, Neil Francis, The Wild Feathers, Ana Popovic, and more.
Past Shows
Festivals
Moccasin Creek Festival (Effingham, IL) 2018/2019/2021/2022/2023
Summer Sundown Music Festival (Effingham, IL) 2018/2019/2021/2022/2023
Wander Down Music Festival (Makanda, IL) 2019
Little Grassy Get Down (Makanda, IL) 2022 / 2023
Framily Fest (Effingham, IL) 2018/2019
Make Music Normal (Normal, IL) 2019 / 2021
They have opened for
Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters from Asheville, NC
Neal Francis from Chicago, IL
Ben Miller Band from Joplin, MO
The Mighty Pines from St. Louis, MO
Aaron Kamm & the One Drops from St. Louis, MO
Ana Popovic from Serbia
The Wild Feathers from Nashville, TN
Recent collaborations include
Chicago Farmer
Micahlan Boney
LS Express
Taylor had the opportunity to sing "You Gotta Move"
with Ray Wylie Hubbard at Moccasin Creek 2017.