Talon David was raised by musical parents in Nashville, TN, who introduced her to a vast array of musical styles, including Journey, the Eagles, the Beatles, Cindi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, and the original Broadway cast album of Wicked. Talon David loved them all, preferring song over speech any day, but wasn’t to fully use these influences until finally, at 14 years of age, she wrote her first song. When she was 17, she got a call that she had won the GRAMMY Foundation’s Teens Make Music Contest with her song, “Deep Snow,” and got to attend the GRAMMY Awards in LA that year. Suddenly, her music could be for other people—there were strangers out there that would listen to what she had to sing. Since then, she has gained a Bachelor of Music from Belmont University, been privileged to perform and record numerous projects with friends and colleagues (most notably her performance as Mary Magdalene on Neal Morse’s prog opera Jesus Christ: the Exorcist), made the move across the pond to London, and released two self-produced and self-engineered albums of original music, one Christmas album, three EPs, and a myriad of singles. As division seems to reign supreme, Talon David believes music is uniquely capable of uniting people—just as it has in the past—through their shared pain and general hope for a better tomorrow. Talon David looks optimistically toward the summer release of “Paradise State of Mind” and the fairytale era that comes next.
With “Paradise State of Mind” out now, we took some time to hear from Talon David. Read below to learn more about Talon David, the story behind “Paradise State of Mind,” and what’s to come.
Hi Talon David! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Believe it or not, that’s my actual name! My parents desired for me to have a strong, slightly wild perhaps, presence that was difficult for kids to make fun of. It’s led to so many interesting first impressions, and I couldn’t imagine going by anything else.
What city are you from and where are you based now?
I’m from Nashville, TN in the US, but now I’m based in London, UK.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I think if I was honest, music was always what I saw myself doing when I got older. I grew up in a musical family, so it has always been a part of my life. Nothing but singing gave me that thrill, that burst of satisfaction, that drive to get better and do more. However, I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just wanting the fame or notoriety that sometimes went along with it, and I didn’t want to be labelled a diva kid. So, it wasn’t until high school that I felt confident enough with my reason to do music to actively pursue it in the open.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
My music currently bounces in the realm of neo-soul and cinematic pop. Lots of vocals, pushed grooves, and jazz chords.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Unfortunately, I’ve made most of my hobbies into career paths (HAHA), so in nonworking time, I take nature walks, play Minecraft, wander around London, try to learn new languages, and going to fancy cafes with friends.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Stevie Wonder, Adele, Taylor Swift, Journey, and Jacob Collier.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Releasing my first album. Done all by myself and received so much support from those who mattered most.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
Be extremely careful who you choose to listen to about your music, positive or negative. If you have opinions about a certain part of the process, learn how to implement them. Music is not an identity; it is only an expression of human life, not the life itself.
Now onto your release, ‘Paradise State of Mind.’ What inspired this song? What is ‘Paradise State of Mind’ about?
I wrote this song during COVID, while I worked at a bougie cafe that had opened up in the Nashville Airport. I watched people fly to other destinations every day, masked and sterilized, and I wondered if things would ever get better. If I would be able to fulfill my dreams of traveling (especially abroad) with all these seemingly endless restrictions. I began humming ‘paradise, paradise state of mind’ during that shift, knowing that I needed to find some sort of contentment in the present if I ever hoped to be able to achieve the dream, like the law of attraction. As I wrote the verses, the song also addressed the anxiety and fear infecting the world during that time, how I wanted to reject the tendency to worry about what we couldn’t control, and instead, spend time with the people that matter.
What was the creative process like when making ‘Paradise State of Mind?’ How long did it take to complete ‘Paradise State of Mind?’
The first draft didn’t take too long, as it’s quite a simple and quick song, but it sat on the digital shelf for a long time (five years). I had gotten it pretty close to finished in 2021, as I wanted it to be on my debut album, but I decided to include ‘Not My Problem’ instead. About a year ago, I was looking through old demos, and I was surprised at how good it sounded! I did some re-singing and polishing, and let it sit a while longer, ready to go when I needed it. Then after the death of my grandmother in April of this year, I pulled the song back out, and it’s simple meaning deepened even further. It felt absolutely right to release now.
What is your favorite lyric in ‘Paradise State of Mind’ and why?
‘With one foot in front of the other, we just take it all in stride.’ I love this line because it acknowledges that things will happen and befall you, and to not shy away from them, but to keep moving forward.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from ‘Paradise State of Mind?’
Your brain is the greatest battlefield that you will ever face; make an effort to fight against anxiety in order to find true contentment.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I’m actually knee-deep in a giant album project now, slated for release at the beginning of 2026. Fairytale-ish retellings of life events.
Where can we follow you on social media?
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/talon_liketheclaw
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talon_liketheclaw
Before you go, let’s ask you something off topic. What is your least favorite food?
If I could banish one food from the earth, it would be celery. It is the equivalent of wet cardboard to me, and is one of those childhood displeasures that I’ve never grown out of. The texture, the smell, the look, the taste (or perhaps lack of taste) makes me want to rip my tongue out. I can eat half a cabbage, but I will never eat celery, HAHA.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
