Carly Ann Taylor is an emerging Christian soul-pop artist and songwriter based in Southern California. She is a talented, petite, soft spoken young lady with a big voice and a bigger faith. Carly has quickly made a name for herself in the contemporary Christian music scene with her breakthrough, anxiety-soothing single "Why Should I Worry?"
Known for her soulful, soaring vocals and raw vulnerability, she weaves themes of mental health, redemption, and trusting in God's faithfulness into her work. She actively serves as a youth worship leader at her home church in Encinitas, California.
Her breakout single 'Why Should I Worry,' was not just another debut release, it is the soundtrack to a life-changing moment. Written in the middle of post-college anxiety and a season of depression, the song was born after her mum reminded her of Matthew 6 and God’s promise to provide. What followed felt, in Carly’s words, like a “download from the Lord” at her piano.
Taylor’s music is heavily rooted in her own life story. Here is her story as she tells it:
My name is Carly Ann Taylor and I am from San Diego, California. I was born on the Big Island of Hawai’i, but was adopted by my brother and his wife at 15 years old. My biological parents struggled with drug addiction, as did my older sister. The instability that came with the drug abuse made my life very a chaotic place. I was taken away by Child Protective Services when I was 7 years old and lived in complete dysfunction until I was brought out of that by my new family.
Music has always been a big deal in my family line with very big shoes to fill. Growing up, music was always first before anything else and that created a very toxic environment. There was a time in my life where I refused to pursue music because it became a nuisance. I was only treated kindly by my biological parents when they wanted me to sing and entertain their friends at parties. I was not raised in the church or had any association with church or religion of any kind. I was also never exposed to Christian music growing up.
My freshman year of high-school, my life started going downhill. I was hanging with the wrong crowd, getting into partying, ditching class, and my grades were tanking. I hit rock bottom. I contemplated suicide many times and lived miserably. My housing conditions were just as bad. I moved schools every single year of my life all around the island and never had any stability. The last place I lived was a broken down shack outside of my biological mother’s house. Whenever it rained, I got poured on, and there was no lock to my door, which in fact did not fit to the door frame. I was exposed to the elements and to danger. I had been living in disgusting conditions and had no idea it was not normal.
The summer after my freshman year of high school, in 2017, I got a random call from an older brother who I didn’t grow up with. I didn’t even have his number saved as a contact. We share only a biological father and are 16 years apart in age so naturally we were in different stages of life and never really connected much. That day he called me saying, “Hey Carly! It’s your brother Randy. You’ve been on my heart and I want you to come to California to visit.” Little did I know that conversation would be the beginning of my life completely changing forever. Randy flew me out to California almost immediately. They had a room and a clean bed for me in a house I thought, at the time, was a mansion. I felt like I was in a movie!
As time had gone on during that trip, I began telling Randy and his wife little pieces of things that were happening to me back in Hawai’i. I told them why my clothes smelled like mold and how I had never had a room and bed all to myself, along with other things that I now know made for dangerous living conditions. My life was in danger and I didn’t even realize it. I begged them to stay, and they knew they couldn’t send me back.
That was the trip that changed my life forever because they ended up taking me in as their own child, bringing me to church and I immediately accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Randy and his wife are now who I confidently and joyfully call MY MOM AND MY DAD! Throughout the years of lots of heartache, trials, healing, and recovery, I have been restored and have seen the Lord redeem my story! Immediately after accepting Jesus in 2017, I knew I was created solely to use my voice for Him! To lead others into a meaningful and deep relationship with the Father.
On top of all the blessings I’ve already received from the Lord, I got a scholarship and graduated from college in May 2024 with a degree in Commercial Music Production, with an emphasis in Vocal Performance. I released my first single called “Saved My Soul” in 2023 and have been on an amazing journey as a Worship Artist. I believe God wants me to share my story with others through song and I know He allowed me to go through all these things for a reason. I have only just scratched the surface of what God is going to do in my life.
Want to know more about Carly? Here is a great interview from a couple weeks ago:
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