Bree Taylor Ignites Country Music with Fiery New Single “Wake Up!”
Bree Taylor has quietly but steadily built a reputation as one of country music’s most compelling new voices—an artist whose work cuts through the genre’s conventions with a blend of grit, honesty, and rock-infused energy. This summer, Bree made her landmark Nashville debut at the CMA Fest Spotlight Stage earlier this month, marking a major career moment and expanding her growing audience south of the border. Her latest single, “Wake Up!” out now, further solidifies her place as a force to be reckoned with, and with over 2 million streams across digital platforms, the momentum behind her career is gathering real steam.
“Wake Up!” is a sharp, high-octane track that blends punk-rock attitude with country storytelling. Its lyrics, including the evocative line “Saw you kiss her on a Tuesday / But you call me on the daily,” confront the rawness of unreciprocated love with a frankness that feels both personal and universal. Bree’s commanding vocal delivery cuts through the song’s driving instrumentation, making it clear this is your new breakup anthem and a call to recognize what’s right in front of you before it slips away.
Co-written with Alex Seier and Kelly McKay, the song emerged quickly, capturing a real-time emotional urgency. Bree has said she wanted to craft a song with an edge reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” but infused with her own unmistakable bite. The result is a vibrant, energetic anthem perfectly timed for the summer season and for Bree’s ongoing rise.
The single builds on the foundation laid by her breakthrough track, “Standing Still,” which garnered significant recognition, including a spot in CBC Searchlight’s Elite Top 50 and finalist placements in the Unsigned Only and International Songwriting competitions. Her raw vocal power and candid songwriting also earned her the Established Vocalist MARTY Award from the Mississauga Arts Council—a nod to both her artistry and her growing influence.
Bree’s music reflects a lineage that spans from the storytelling traditions of Carrie Underwood to the rebellious spirit of Joan Jett. Her sound embodies a genre-defying spirit, pairing country’s emotional directness with the raw power of rock ’n’ roll. Her journey, marked by overcoming a hearing impairment, informs the authenticity and resilience that resonate throughout her work.
This summer, Bree takes her music live at notable festivals including the Living Skies Music Festival, Barrie’s Kempenfest, Winona Peach Festival, and returns to the CNE Country Stage by popular demand. With her band, The Dauntless, Bree is poised to bring the energy and emotion of “Wake Up!” to audiences across North America.
With “Wake Up!” Bree Taylor’s voice is becoming impossible to ignore, carrying with it a promise of bold artistry and unflinching storytelling. She is charging forward with a sound and story all her own— and ‘Wake Up!’ is her boldest statement yet. Her debut full-length album is set for release on October 10, 2025.
Hi! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Hi! I’m Bree Taylor, and I am a country rock artist from Mississauga, ON. I have been releasing country music since late 2019 and have really found my authentic voice and sound in the last couple of years with this latest project that started with the release of my song “Dauntless” in March 2023. I started working with my production team at Saxman Studios at the end of 2022, and “Dauntless” was the first song in this new direction and was the start of my “rebel country” movement. I am not and have never been your typical country girl, but I have always had a love for country music and storytelling with my songwriting. I grew up a punk rocker and a misfit rebel myself, and never really fit in anywhere, especially in school. I always felt like an outcast and like I had to change myself to fit in or “be cool,” and the music industry felt a lot like that same narrative in my earlier years of my career, until this new chapter. “Dauntless” was me saying “this is me – take it or leave it” and not caring anymore about fitting in or making others happy – it was me just being myself unapologetically. Thankfully, the song was very well received, and it let me realize that being my authentic self was more than ok, and it started me on this journey creating the most authentic music of my career, and I couldn’t be more grateful for finally following my heart and just being my true self.
“Wake Up!” blends punk-rock energy with country storytelling—what emotions were running through you in the room when you first wrote it?
When I wrote “Wake Up!” I was in a co-write with my friends Alex Seier and Kelly McKay, and I brought a couple of ideas into the room like I usually do during my co-writes (I am very intentional with my writing). I wanted to write about all these boys that I have had in my life who haven’t realized what they had right in front of them when they could have had me, and who’ve realized once it’s too late, or I knew WOULD realize once it was too late. Alex had the title and idea of “wake up/you’re sleeping on a good thing” before I had arrived, as he was sitting on the porch sipping his morning coffee, and it totally just fit together with my ideas. Through the conversation, we landed on the same page, and I thought it would be cool to go in a direction of a “You Belong With Me” (Taylor Swift) type vibe, but give it my pop-punk-country edge that we’ve been working on. The emotions in the room were a lot of excitement at this cool, fresh idea that was flowing so organically between us and coming together pretty effortlessly. Alex is also a producer and comes from a punk rock background so when we write we both think of the song on a production level of how it’s going to come together and sound live as well as in the studio so we could already hear it coming to life and it was a lot of excitement happening overall. I pulled a lot of stories from different guys I have had this type of history with into the song throughout different lines, and it was a lot of fun and really therapeutic, as I usually find songwriting is for me.
How did it feel to step onto the CMA Fest Spotlight Stage for the first time? Was there a moment during that performance when everything just clicked for you?
It was a true honour to be asked to perform at CMA Fest. I was a last-minute addition to the lineup, and when they contacted me, I couldn’t even believe that it was real at first! I was shocked and excited and felt that I had manifested the entire thing because I had planned to go down to Nashville that same week, already a month or so prior, to do some writing and networking, and it just worked out that now I was actually going to be performing! I am also very alternative with my country music, so I was pleasantly surprised that the CMAs chose me out of SO many artists they could have chosen to add to that lineup. I felt truly honoured to get that support from the heart of the country music industry itself – it really made me believe that what I am doing with my sound and incorporating so much of my authentic self into my music, is being embraced. The entire experience really clicked for me that I am on the right path and doing the right things.
The performance itself was surreal! I was honoured with being presented a pin celebrating my CMA Fest debut before I went on stage, and the production of the overall show was amazing for an acoustic stage. Everyone was so nice, and the entire process was so professionally handled, and it felt amazing to be able to showcase my songs on the Spotlight Stage and make/meet new fans! I hope that was just one of many future performances for CMA Fest for me – I would love to return again next year!
You’ve built your career with a kind of quiet persistence. What’s something about your journey that listeners might not realize at first?
Thank you! For sure I have! Listeners might not realize how transformative this journey has been for me. The music industry is not for the faint of heart – that is for sure. There is SO much that goes on behind the scenes, so many struggles, sleepless nights, tears, building, creating, and so many down days and days that you want to give up along the way. My journey has not been an easy one, but I do believe that everything that I have been through has made me stronger and helped shape me into the artist that I am today. I have come a long way but I also still have so much more that I want to achieve and build as well, but I have realized that I am working on the bigger picture and that often takes longer than a “15 minutes of fame” type moment that going viral can bring some artists these days. I am building a strong brand and have a vision for what I am working towards that extends into so many other areas, other than just making music, so that often takes longer and is a harder road. I’ve started a movement with “rebel country” that is a community for the misfits of the world, the ones who feel like they don’t fit in or belong. They fit here with me, with us. I want to give a feeling of belonging to those people because I have always been one of them myself.
Your live shows this summer stretch across major festivals—how does your band, The Dauntless, help translate that raw emotion and energy from the studio to the stage?
My band has become my family. They’ve been a huge support system for me in navigating this career, but also in translating my songs into my live show in a way that captures the energy of my music. Most of my band are from a rock/metal background as well, so they help me really capture that rock energy that we’ve created in my song’s production. Also, our friendships translate into great band chemistry on stage – we really get to have fun and rock out together, and that makes all the difference! We are so excited to have some great show opportunities this summer and hope for even more in 2026!
Upcoming Shows:
July 20, 2025 — TD Music Series, Oakville, ON
August 2, 2025 — Kempenfest, Barrie, ON
August 10, 2025 — TD Music Series, Oakville, ON
August 23, 2025 — Winona Peach Festival (opening for Freedom Train), Winona, ON
August 24, 2025 — CNE Country Stage, Toronto, ON
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