On March 8, 1979 Phillips demonstrated the compact disc publicly for the first time. At the time, Jenny Taylor was too busy giving birth to her son to pay that any attention, but later it would seem like fate that Drew was born on the same day as such an important advance in music. Drew Taylor was born into a musical family. Jenny had harbored dreams of being a concert pianist, although she had eventually settled for being a piano teacher instead. Some people might have grown bitter after having their dream taken from them, but Jenny always maintained that watching her students develop was one of her greatest joys in life. In contrast, Andy Taylor had dreamed of becoming a drummer for a rock band - although a discovery in his teens that he actually wasn’t very good led him to conclude that perhaps his talents lay elsewhere. Although Andy eventually pursued a career as an electrician his love of music remained. Growing up, Drew was subjected to near nightly disagreements about what music should be played in the house, with Jenny preferring classical and Andy arguing for classic rock. When he got old enough Drew would join in the debate pushing whatever pop album he’d spent his allowance on, although he usually lost out to his parents. His early childhood was a mixture of different musical influences and genres, giving him the opportunity to appreciate most styles from a young age.

Although he loved listening to music, Drew never really had the discipline to play an instrument. His mother taught him rudimentary piano but soon gave up, frustrated by his laziness when it came to practice. It wasn’t until he was fourteen that he picked up a guitar for the first time and suddenly everything changed. Whether it was being able to play chords instead of notes or something much deeper he wasn’t certain - all he knew was that he’d found an instrument he loved and wanted to master. Although he still only thought of it as a hobby, music gave him something reliable and familiar as he navigated his way through teenage relationships and the soul destroying adventure that was high school. Although he had a few friends he mostly kept to himself, focusing on getting good enough grades to go to a good college, positive he’d know what he wanted to do with his life by then.

Drew’s decision to attend a college in LA and major in Political Studies came as a surprise to his parents and, if he was honest, himself. He’d chosen his major on a whim and perhaps it wasn’t surprising that after a semester of college he was left feeling bored and frustrated. Boredom led to him seeking more opportunities to play guitar until one night a conversation with a stranger changed his entire future. Like most good stories, it all came down to a girl. Brunette and gorgeous, she cornered him after he played an open mic night and convinced him he had to at least try to make it as a musician. With the help of some friends back at home Drew recorded his first EP.

Although Drew didn’t expect anything to happen, it seemed the universe had other ideas and before he knew it he was signed to a major label and was making a career as a musician. Of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing but for the first time in his life he had clear ambition - and a determination that he was going to make it, whatever the cost.