Taylor Acorn is One Hundred Percent that Emo Pop Punk Rock Girl Next Door
The Knockturnal sat down with pop-punk artist Taylor Acorn—just one night after she embarked on her solo tour for her second studio album, Poster Child. Taylor isn’t your average emo girl next door, but she will satisfy all your nostalgic musical needs. Her sound and her career trajectory prove she’s only growing—and going up. Starting off in country and making her way into the emo pop punk rock scene seems to be exactly where Acorn should be. Adding her own mix of music that will make you jump and/or headbang with songs like Hangman and Crashing Out. It’s safe to say Taylor Acorn is here to stay, and also, please don’t leave us, we need more, like a lot more.
Taylor Acorn Gramercy Theater
The Knockturnal: What is something you’re really proud of since starting your career?
Taylor Acorn: To be honest, all of it. For nine years, I was an independent artist. Everything we got to do—like traveling to the UK or playing a festival in Germany—were all amazing stepping stones. I really try to take everything one day at a time and be grateful for it. Especially with how social media works, you never really know what’s guaranteed tomorrow, so I’ve always been adamant about staying in the moment.
Being able to write, record, and release a second album is a really cool achievement for me, because with the first one I genuinely thought, “This might be the only one I ever get to do.” The fact that I got to make another one—and this time while signed to a label—is amazing. I’m still wrapping my head around it.
The Knockturnal: You’ve done so many festivals since starting your career. How would you describe the difference between your personal shows and festivals?
Taylor Acorn: They’re both wonderful. I love headlining shows and intimate settings because I get a longer set, which is always nice. Festivals are different—you have about 25 minutes to put on the best show possible, show your character, everything. It’s hard, but it’s also great because you can grow your audience.
Sometimes people who might be haters online see the live set and completely change their tune.
At my own shows, I know people are there for me. So if I stumble or trip over my words, we laugh—we have fun. We get to do more out-of-the-box things. On this tour, for example, we have a giant spinning wheel with songs we don’t usually get to play. Whatever it lands on, we perform. It makes the show really personal.
Festivals, on the other hand, are just so cool because you get to see so many different bands you’re inspired by. They’re both very different but in the best ways.
The Knockturnal: Was it intentional having “Home Videos” on the album, placed between songs mostly about relationships?
Taylor Acorn: Yes and no. I’m a very nostalgically driven person—I love nostalgia. I still listen to the same bands I’ve loved for years. Before I play a show, I listen to Counting Crows.
When we wrote that song, I didn’t expect it to take the turn it did. But it felt important to nod back to that part of myself that craves the earlier parts of my life. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if anyone would think it meshed with the rest of the album. I was nervous to send it to the label, but when they said it was one of their favorites, I was excited because I love it.
There are a lot of layers to my life. My dad passed away when I was very young, and there are parts of me that still crave those times before that happened. You don’t understand the weight of that loss until you’re older and start unpacking the trauma. So the song felt necessary. It’s a nod to other millennials who feel the same, and a piece of myself I wanted to share.
The Knockturnal: Did you purposely name songs on the album with childhood-related titles like “Hangman,” “Theme Park,” and “Masquerade”?
Taylor Acorn: It didn’t start that way, but by the end, we were choosing songs that really fit the theme, and the titles aligned. I think it’s important to harness your inner child. Being able to reference your past while also talking about the things you’re going through now felt like a fun way to tie everything together.
The Knockturnal: Were you a “poster child”?
Taylor Acorn: I was the exact opposite—which is why it’s so funny. I’m a middle child with two siblings. My sister and I are close in age, so it felt like growing up with a twin, and my brother is six years older. I was always the one who got myself into trouble. I always had good intentions, but I tended to learn things the hard way.
My sister is super level-headed—I don’t know how she does it. She’s literally saving lives every day as a nurse. My brother is successful in his own way. I always felt like the one in the middle who didn’t know what I wanted to do. I dropped out of college and pursued music, which is a tough path. I worked with people I shouldn’t have, stayed friends with people I shouldn’t have, and constantly felt like the black sheep.
Now, it’s crazy to see people listening to my music and using it to get through their day. In that way, I feel like their poster child. And as an advocate for mental health, it feels fitting in a funny, full-circle way.
The Knockturnal: What message do you want listeners to get from this album?
Taylor Acorn: This album is very emotional. There’s a lot of vulnerability in it, and I hope people get to know me better if they didn’t already. If someone listens to any song and can relate it to their own life, that means everything to me.
Life is hard. Being human can really suck sometimes. But we’re all growing, and we’re all getting through it together. That’s the message I want to send—I just want to help.
The Knockturnal: How would you describe your start as an artist and your recent major growth?
Taylor Acorn: That’s tough. Part of me still feels so new to all of this. But when I look back at old videos, I’m like, “Why did I do that?”
When we started—especially in this genre—everything was so new. I met my guitarist, Ricky, through TikTok, and he had never toured before. He’d never worn in-ears. I had some experience from country, but not enough to call myself a touring artist. My tour manager is a good friend who’s been with me since the beginning, and we were all learning as we went.
I’ve always had a punk-rock energy, even in country. Having people who appreciate that now has helped my stage presence so much. The stages have grown. Touring with Boys Like Girls and Dashboard was a bucket-list moment. I literally manifested touring with Dashboard.
It’s surreal. I still watch videos from yesterday and think, “I look terrified!” But the growth has been incredible. We’re just a few kids from small East Coast towns trying to make it.
The Knockturnal: Since starting in country, is there anything you brought with you into pop-punk? And what made you switch genres?
Taylor Acorn: My songwriting definitely stayed rooted in storytelling. The structure of country music is still how I write. I even have a bit of a country inflection in my voice. Some people can’t tell whether I’m country or pop-punk, and honestly, I think that makes me unique.
I tried to run as far as I could from the country world, but now I realize it’s part of what makes me me.
I grew up on rock—Disturbed, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Alien Ant Farm. Then I found pop-punk and Paramore. I was obsessed with Hayley Williams’ live videos. I loved those powerful vocals and energetic performances.
I got into country because people told me it was an easier start. I felt influenced by the people around me and the image they thought I fit. But I was always more inspired by artists like P!nk, Hayley Williams, Alanis Morissette.
During COVID, I almost quit music. I wasn’t touring much and wasn’t happy. Even back then, I’d sneak pop-punk covers into my country sets. Eventually, my partner encouraged me to post covers on TikTok. I did “Jamie All Over,” and it just blew up right in time for the emo resurgence. I did a new cover almost every day.
That launched me into the genre I wanted to be in anyway. I was scared my country supporters wouldn’t follow me, but they did—they were more excited. A lot of them are elder emos like me.
I’m so happy making the music I make now. The crowds, the energy—it’s just more well-received. Genres are blending more now, too. It’s been a great shift.
The Knockturnal: Do you write all your own music? What’s your process like?
Taylor Acorn: It really depends. We spend a lot of time on the road, and I’m a very melodic writer. Sometimes Ricky will play something during soundcheck, and I’ll record it to use later.
When I’m home, I love writing alone—it’s how I started. Then I met Dan Swank, and we wrote together for years. He knows my brain so well. Recently, I’ve been bringing in more writers. It’s nice having extra minds in the room.
When you write alone too much, things start to sound the same. Collaborating keeps things fresh. But for this project, I also wanted to sit with myself and process everything I’ve been feeling.
Sometimes I’ll have the first verse and chorus—like with “Poster Child” and “People Pleaser”—and we build from that. Other days, Emma and I will finish all the lyrics, Dan builds the track, and the whole song is done by midday. It just depends.
The Knockturnal: Any dream collaborations?
Taylor Acorn: I’d love to do something in the nostalgic realm—Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty. I’d also love to do something with Mayday Parade. That would be full-circle because they were one of my absolute favorites in high school.
The Knockturnal: What’s on the Taylor Acorn vision board for the coming days, months, or years—after tour?
Taylor Acorn: My brain really focuses on one thing at a time. I try to take everything one day at a time and appreciate where I’m at. Nothing is ever guaranteed.
This tour is exciting. I’d love to play arenas one day. I’d love to tour with Mayday Parade or Paramore. But anything can happen, so I don’t want to put too much out there. Still, those are definitely on the bucket list.
Taylor Acorn Gramercy Theater
You can catch Taylor in concert in these cities and dates below.
11/18 Austin, TX
11/19 Dallas, TX
11/21 Phoenix, AZ
11/22 Los Angeles, CA
11/23 Roseville, CA
11/25 Seattle, WA
11/26 Portland, OR
11/28 Salt Lake City, UT
11/29 Denver, CO
11/30 Lawrence, KS
12/02 Chicago, IL
12/03 Detroit, MI
12/05 Columbud, OH
12/06 Cleveland, OH
