Blues maven Cassie Taylor’s “Desire” signifies a musical return and unapologetic queerness

Cassie Taylor uses she/her and they/them pronouns. For the sake of clarity and readability, this article will use they/them pronouns.

When Cassie Taylor came out of the closet in their thirties, they experienced an artistic resurgence.

“I’ve never felt so uninhibited by creativity,” says Taylor, a blues bassist and singer-songwriter. “When you figure out who you are, it just clicks.” 

Now, Taylor is gearing up for a release of a new single, “Desire,” on December 21. The release comes after a decade-long hiatus. 

But before their hiatus, they spent the bulk of 12 years touring, first hitting the road at just 16 years old.

Taylor’s career was initially propelled by their father, trance blues musician Otis Taylor, when his bass player dropped out of a national tour. They didn’t play much, but after three weeks of crash-course learning, they joined him to begin what would evolve into a five-year stint.

From there, Taylor attempted to take a break from music, but soon formed Girls with Guitars alongside Dani Wilde and KC’s own Samantha Fish after moving from their hometown of Boulder, Colorado to Memphis. Following an extensive year-long tour primarily throughout Europe, they then established their own band.

Despite the acclaim, including a nod from The New Yorker on sophomore album “Out Of My Mind”, Taylor faced a turning point at 28 when the relentless touring took a toll on their mental health.

“It was either my music career or me,” Taylor recalls, confiding in their then-husband and tour manager. “And one of the things I had wanted forever was a family.” 

Relocating to rural Missouri and later to Overland Park, Taylor started a family and quickly found solace away from the limelight.

“I thought I would never come back to music,” Taylor says. 

But two years ago, Taylor’s music resurfaced in an unexpected way. While a friend of​​ Taylor’s was going down a rabbit hole of their discography, they stumbled upon a video of a pole dancer dancing to their song “Spare Some Love.”

Soon after, Taylor embarked on their own search and discovered that “Spare Some Love” was on the brink of hitting one million streams on Spotify.

“That inspired me to start writing again,” Taylor says. 

Simultaneously, Taylor was navigating what they call “a period of transformation,” realizing they were queer.​​ But they were concerned how coming out would affect their career.

“In order to be publicly out, you have to choose authenticity over ease,” Taylor says. 

Coming out hasn’t been easy for Taylor: the journey has included a divorce, followed by what they describe as a heart-wrenching breakup with their first girlfriend, and navigating intolerance in professional settings. While many of history’s most revered blues women––including Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Lucille Bogan––openly sang about their sapphic romances, they recalled a once-beloved venue branding their performance as “too loud” and “too gay.” 

While Taylor wasn’t trying to hide who they were on stage that night, the goal wasn’t to make a bold statement. But as the parent of a non-binary child, they’ve realized the importance of being loud and proud.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t have queer people to look up to in my inner circle or in the media,” Taylor says. “I am visible for my kid, for other queer kids, and for my own safety. There’s strength in numbers.”

Taylor’s upcoming single “Desire”––to be released on December 21––is a testament to their authenticity.

Marking a departure from their previous releases, the track embraces a more electronic yet equally soulful sound. The sultry, sapphic slow jam is an ode to the aforementioned former flame––and the inspiration is just as steamy as the track.

The spark for “Desire” was ignited over the summer at the West 18th Street Fashion Show, where Taylor took the runway adorned in “leather kink gear.”  

“There was an interesting power play between the two of us,” Taylor says. “It was a very powerful, sexual exchange.” 

Now recovered from burnout, when Taylor thinks about what’s next in their musical journey, the focus has shifted away from external achievements and towards a more sustainable career. And while they have plans to hit the road for a week or two this summer, there are no big tours on the horizon.

“I don’t want to choke hold accolades as a gatekeeper for my happiness––my goal isn’t to be on a Billboard chart or to release a full length album in this season in my life,” Taylor says. “I want to feel accomplished. I want to feel joy.”