March 07, 2026 – The sold out First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia was packed as Syd Taylor walked onto the stage with the swagger and confidence of a superstar. I had the unique opportunity to cover an artist that is sure to rise to star status.
Photography & Review by Steve Cerf @stevecerf
Syd Taylor, the indie rock singer-songwriter and producer, is on tour to promote her debut album After the Fact.
In a stunning white dress, she set the tone with the opening song, “Love of Your Life.” With its playful groove and poppy sound, it made a great sing-along introduction, with the crowd quickly joining in.
After the rousing applause, she rolled into the heavy guitar-laden “Time to Go!”, showing the tougher side of her music as the energy in the room immediately picked up. On stage, Taylor moved with the confidence of an artist completely in command of the room.
About halfway through the set, she picked up her acoustic guitar and asked if there were any twins in the audience. Much to my surprise, several hands popped up. This led into the story behind what would become the most powerful and emotional song of the set, “Jane.”
Syd is also a twin and co-created the band Stereo Jane. But after being together for over a decade, Syd felt she needed to explore her own identity as an artist and as a person. Surely a difficult and deeply personal decision, and her choice to pour those emotions into her lyrics shows her yearning for honesty in her life and feelings.
Ending her performance with “Heaven,” she delivered a dreamy sound paired with powerful lyrics about self-empowerment and standing up for oneself. Syd Taylor is definitely an artist you want to keep on your radar, and her debut album After the Fact is certainly one you’ll want to check out.
