Premiere: The Pocket Queen Embodies Hustle and Groove in ‘We Came To Move’ Video
New Orleans drummer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Gordon has so far shared the stage with Beyonce, Dua Lipa and more
Los Angeles-based drummer and multi-instrumentalist The Pocket Queen aka Taylor Gordon. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
A drummer with a penchant for high-energy and aptly in the pocket rhythms infused into hip-hop, jazz and soul songs, New Orleans/Dallas-bred, Los Angeles-based Taylor Gordon has steadily gained thousands of followers via performances with heavyweights such as Beyonce, Fifth Harmony and Dua Lipa, plus via drum covers on platforms such as YouTube.
More recently, she’s released her own material and is working her way to release a debut EP called Groove Theory Vol. 1, starting with the instantly hip song “We Came To Move,” featuring a guest verse from Ryck Jane. While the audio released on February 1st, there’s now a vibrant music video directed by Richard Turrentine and creative directed by Kharmony Fortune.
With thousands of streams coming in to support her debut song, Gordon – who got her first drumkit at age three – says she’s been especially moved by a few comments. “Ones that absolutely warm my heart is seeing women jamming, working out it in the morning as an anthem to get them pumped and get their day going. It truly makes me feel that I’m making a difference in their self-esteem, which is important to me,” she says.
Cleverly employing a sample of the jazz standard “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” by Cecile McLorin Salvant, Gordon infuses glimmering, loud and groovy music into “We Came To Move,” also throwing in a cheeky voice sample that takes down racial insensitivities. Featuring flautist Ian Roller to make the track even jazzier, Gordon says he likely came across her music since they were neighbors. “I believe he heard me blasting the track one day while walking past my apartment and decided to come through and lay down some flute on the track, which I believe ended up being the magic that glued the energy and smoothness of the track seamlessly.”
Groove Theory Vol. 1, which is expected later this year, sees Gordon cover ground on self-empowerment and self-love. She adds, “One of the songs addresses trauma and mental health as it’s something that we all had no choice to face in some capacity last year and it was important for that element to be a part of it, to let people know that they aren’t alone and can come out on top of whatever darkness they may be facing in their lives.”
While shooting the video for “We Came To Move” was an adrenaline rush and likened to a rollercoaster, Gordon is keen to expand her identity beyond just a multi-instrumentalist and producer, while keeping her YouTube channel going strong as ever. “I would love to dive more into acting, advertising and modeling,” she says.
Watch the music video for “We Came To Move” below.
