Up and coming musical project Your Friend starring Taryn Blake opened for Vile at The Tower District’s Strummer’s Aug. 10.
The woman behind the project, Kansas native musician Blake, played the venue as a stop on Vile’s summer tour.
The two acts brought in a large crowd of about 100 people quickly filling the small venue with energy.
Vile, well known musician with over 750,000 subscribers on Spotify, invited Blake onto his tour. The invitation is one of her bigger accomplishments.
“I’ve been listening to his records for a really long time so it’s kind of crazy to get to watch him every time we get to play together,” Blake said, “It’s an honor.”
Blake’s background includes a childhood home surrounded by music.
“Growing up, my dad played a lot of classic rock and my grandparents played a lot of soul music,” Blake said. “At a certain point, I remember wanting to play an instrument, and I was really drawn to playing guitar and there was one always around.”
The solo project Your Friend was created by Blake in 2012 as a creative outlet that evolved into something larger than she had envisioned.
“I hadn’t played music in a long time, and I thought in order for me to be happy I have to at least be playing,” Blake said. “So that’s when I started playing again and started this project. I didn’t expect any of this.”
Blake says she has been floored by the feedback from fans. “It’s been really crazy,” she said.
The project’s dynamics shift depending on the tour’s circumstances.
“It started off as a solo project. For a while it was a duo, then it was a four piece. Then it turned into a five, and now it’s a three piece” Blake said.
Blake played on stage alongside drummer Josh Halpern and guitarist Nathan Dixey.
“I guess what I like about the project is that it is very adaptive. Whatever the situation is I can adhere to it in a unique way in the way the songs are played. It’s always different,” Blake said.
Being so musically inclined and adaptive gives Blake an edge in a tough industry. She can put on an entire show by herself ”” she need rely on no one but herself.
With two albums on the market, “Gumption” and “Jekyll/Hyde”, Blake’s goal is to continue creating music.
“I’m always thinking about the next thing,” Blake said. “Maybe to my detriment. My goal right now is to get in a space where my output will be a little bit more exponential and have more songs to pick through and really get into the production.”
Blake’s passion for music drove her performance, and all eyes were on her that night.
“Music should be fun. It should mean something to you,” Blake said. “Just being genuine in what you do, no matter what it is, is so huge and far between and those are the people I see doing really well.”