Songwriter, Pelham native Taylor signs publishing deal

Published 11:34 am Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By SCOTT MIMS / Staff Writer

Pelham’s own Joybeth Taylor first burst onto the music scene in 2019 with the release of her EP, “I See Memories.” Now the Shelby County native has signed a publishing deal with Verse 2 Music / Sony Music Publishing and couldn’t be more excited.

“I have prayed for this for years,” Taylor said. “To be able to work with a team like Sony and Verse 2 surpasses everything I prayed for.”

Taylor first moved to Nashville at the age of 18, but she has been pursuing music for much longer. The singer, songwriter and performer has penned hundreds of tunes since age 7, and started playing guitar at age 14.

Her latest move takes her to Verse 2, the Sony Music Publishing joint venture helmed by Kane Brown and publishing veteran Kent Earls. It is a significant step toward gaining more exposure for Taylor’s songs.

“It will give me an opportunity to write for other artists and to be able to get my songs heard,” Taylor shared. “They (Verse 2 and Sony) just really believe in what I do, and I believe in what they do.”

The next step will be to focus on getting her songs cut and continuing to establish a name for herself.

For those who are new to Taylor’s music, she describes it as very “lyric heavy.” Her music is available on major streaming platforms, and information about upcoming and past performances may be found on her Facebook and Instagram pages.

“After listening to just a few of her songs, we knew Joybeth was destined for greatness and will add immense value to our roster,” said Kent Earls, president of Verse 2 Music. “We can’t wait for the world to hear many of her incredible songs. It is an honor to be her first publisher. Welcome to the family, JB!”