Official Press Release: Today, Winnipeg's Taylor Janzen navigates through her imposter syndrome in “Designated Driver” out now on Arts & Crafts in Canada and Glassnote Records for the rest of the world. In what has become Janzen’s signature style, the song is the perfect mix of deeply personal lyrics with a cathartic pop beat and will feature on her forthcoming debut album, I Live In Patterns, to be released later this year. The single comes after a year spent sharing stages across the U.S. with Del Water Gap and X Ambassadors.
On the inspiration behind the new track, Taylor shares: "'Designated Driver' is about a fear of failure in your relationships. The fear that everyone you love has made a mistake by placing their trust in you. I wrote it when I was thinking about how my friends will make fun of my driving (I am notoriously an overly cautious and anxious driver), yet for some reason, they will still trust me to get them home safe when they're drunk. This song is pretty much my internal anxious monologue, convincing myself that the people around me will one day realize that they don't like me anymore."
"I think that one of the most powerful kinds of friendships are the ones that continue to believe in you when you think that the best parts of you have died. In times where I have felt chaotic and awful and like I am letting everyone around me down, I have always been able to find solace in a support system."
"Designated Driver" will feature on Janzen’s long-awaited debut album I Live in Patternsalong with previously released singles "Something Better," and "Push it Down" along with a host of new songs. Stay tuned for more information on the album release very soon.
Growing up, Taylor wasn't encouraged to speak through her feelings, so turned to songwriting as an outlet. As a result, with each song, we're granted an intimate and almost painstakingly brazen glimpse into the most heart-wrenching pages of her diary. She writes candidly, touching on the topics of mental health and emotional abuse, noting that, "the music that I write is very honest, so it speaks for itself."
Janzen’s debut EP, Interpersonal, garnered praise from the likes of Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and The New York Times. A year later in 2019, her second EP Shouting Matches gained recognition from Exclaim!, NYLON, Paste, Noisey, i-D and more. Taylor then kicked off 2020 as an Official Artist at SXSW where she performed at the Rolling Stone Emerging Artist Showcase and NPR featured her in their coveted Austin 100. She has since been heard across the Sirius XM Alt Nation airwaves and shared stages with Del Water Gap and X Ambassadors as well as slots on Lollapalooza.
"Designated Driver" is available to stream on all platforms now.