A recent online campaign to fund a portion of folk rock artist Tom Taylor’s new album struck a chord with his fans. This past February, Taylor took to Kickstarter, an online fundraising site, to raise $2,000 for studio time on four songs.

“It was a rough time,” Taylor said. “At the halfway point I was nowhere close. I got to the point where I had to give it over to God and then determined I had to swallow my pride and ask people for support.”

But Taylor’s fans, family and friends stepped up to help him accomplish the goal.

“I believe it was a miracle,” he said.

Soon thereafter, Taylor began recording four songs with Carlsborg producer Jeremy Cays, using them to begin his fifth album “Taking Me Back,” due out on Taylor’s website www.tomtaylorministries.net on Sept. 28.

Like his previous efforts, he recorded the other eight tracks at home to round out the album.

Cays mastered new songs “Lord You Are,” “Taking Me Back,” “When I Say That I Love You” and “Defeated.”

Taylor said the producer suggested some changes he found for the better, such as changing “When I Say That I Love You” from a finger-picked acoustic guitar song to a piano ballad.

The album brings in guest musicians Hayden Pomeroy, formerly of Abby Mae & the Homeschool Boys, on upright bass and violinist Mary Moon on the title track. Taylor’s former bandmate Brian Douglas also plays guitar on two songs.

With the new album, Taylor says the four fully produced tunes are crossover songs in that they aren’t necessarily Christian in lyrics but written by a Christian and could still appeal to a lot of listeners.

Notable tracks include “When I Say I Love You,” which he wrote for his wife and “Learning to Forgive,” a self-produced song that is a fictionalized story about a couple who choose to go their own ways.

On the road

Taylor continues to choose his own path musically. So far in 2012 he’s performed at two county fairs, and learned his songs are receiving airplay in Australia. The opportunity down under came from a connection between a fan and a radio producer for a Christian station in Tasmania. Taylor said he was able to listen to a live

stream of his song “You Are Here” from the new album.

Another Australian station has agreed to play his music, too. Unfortunately, Taylor said it’s cost-prohibitive for him to fly there and play unless he were to have a hit song and the money to fly.

He plans to promote the new album by entering either a few songs or the album into the Independent Music Awards for a chance at more exposure. More touring and submitting albums to radio and record label remains on his to-do list as well.

Next year, Taylor plans to release a collection of selected tracks from each of his previous five albums, including rerecording some of the songs from his first self-titled album. His hope is to tentatively release it five years after his first release, in April 2013.

Taylor’s other albums “Tom Taylor,” “New Arrival,” “Solid Rock” and “Back Home for Christmas” are available at www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TomTaylor3.

Learn more about Taylor at www.tomtaylorministries.net and Facebook.com/ttmrecords.tomtaylor.