Taylor Barton Releases a New EP and a New Novel

Singer-songwriter Taylor Barton has released a new EP titled “Get Off My Ship,” and on Friday, May 31, she performs as a special guest at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett in a show headlined by her husband, legendary guitarist G.E. Smith, and his band. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

“‘Get Off My Ship’ is an atmospheric meditation on challenging subjects,” said Barton.

Produced by acclaimed singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Joseph Arthur, the five-track EP wraps weighty lyrical messages in timeless melody, cultured arrangements, and layered textures woven around plaintive acoustic guitar. Featuring guitarist husband G.E. Smith (Hall & Oates, Dylan, Saturday Night Live Band) and drummer Josh Dion (Chuck Loeb, Candy Dulfer), “Get Off My Ship” channels sensations of sorrow, outrage, and isolation stirred by political and societal events.

Influenced by the quiet strength of Tracy Chapman, Joan Armatrading, and Joni Mitchell, as well as contemporary songsmiths like Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent, and Sarah Jarosz, in her songs, Barton displays a gift for making serious topics listenable and shaping political comment into deeply emotive art.

But Barton, who has released 11 full-length albums, is not only a musician — she has also a writer. Released in tandem with the new EP will be Barton’s new novel, “Condom Eddie,” which comes out May 24. The book is a searing psychological thriller told from the standpoint of a woman who discovers that she has a biological twin brother who is a convicted sex offender. Started by Taylor in 2006, she rediscovered the unfinished manuscript during the pandemic and resumed writing and research.

“It’s fiction, but a composite of many stories, so very close to me, some very far,” said Taylor. “It’s nature versus nurture; innocence versus violence; purity against a monster.”

The novel ties in with the EP’s opening song and second single, “Sleep in My Bed,” which is a ballad about a toxic relationship told from the perspective of the victim of a sexual predator.

“It’s got a huge message about the #MeToo revolution, and my new novel also takes that on,” Barton explained. “I wrote it as a theme song for the book, because it felt like the book could be a movie and it needed an anthem.”

Other songs on “Get Off My Ship” include the single “Crown of Thorns,” the wartime lament of a woman separated from her soldier husband, and the title track “Get Off My Ship,” which draws a line on governments acting as doctors, against women. Meanwhile, the EP’s closing song, “If Your Son,” is a call-to-action for the LGBTQ+ community, written as a letter to a prominent politician.

Both “Get Off My Ship” and “Condom Eddie” will be available on Spotify, Apple, Kindle, Amazon and all other digital retail outlets beginning May 31.

Tickets to the May 30 show at Stephen Talkhouse are $60 to $80 at stephentalkhouse.com or 631-267-3117. Stephen Talkhouse is at 161 Main Street in Amagansett.