Taylor DeRousse welcomes herself with open arms.

The Metro Detroit singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist embraces her holistic self—both past and present—and the wisdom she’s gained on Running Back to Me.

“It’s a coming of age [tale] where I’m growing up and growing into myself,” said DeRousse about her debut album, which includes elements of indie rock, atmospheric folk, and guitar-driven pop.

“But that’s something that I hold very close to me. I think this record is the experience of trying to find your way through the world, figuring out who you are, and then coming back to yourself after everything and through the noise.”

What emerges are 13 compelling tracks about the evolution of youth to adulthood and back again. Collectively, the songs explore working through self-doubt and heartbreak to find relief and renewal.

“I continue to tell myself those messages and hold them true to myself,” said DeRousse, who released the album via Bird Fight Records. “The oldest song, I was probably 18 when I wrote it, and there’s a line in the song, [‘Outsider’], that says, ‘18 to 27.’ I’m 29 now, it just shows you how long it’s been taking me.”

DeRousse brings those experiences to life through vulnerable lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and cathartic instrumentation.

“I use songwriting as a way to process my experiences, emotions, and thoughts, so it’s super personal,” she said. “I hope listeners can relate to it and take that [away] from it.”

To learn more, I spoke with DeRousse about Running Back to Me ahead of a May 10 album release show at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan.

Q: The album’s closer, “Searching,” ends with the lyric, “Running back to me.” How did that lyric inspire the album’s title?

A: I didn’t have a title when we first started recording, and the guys started asking me about it. “Searching” didn’t have the last part in the lyrics, and I thought, “I think this works. I think I can write this into this song.” It was a cool moment to tie everything together and say what I wanted to say in these 13 songs.

Q: The opener, “Outsider,” explores listening to naysayers and dealing with self-doubt. How did writing this track help you confront that?

A: I think this one fits as the opener so perfectly, and it was one of the last songs that I wrote. It said what I was trying to say and was the song I think the record needed. It’s one of [the] more vulnerable songs that I’ve ever written. It stems from personal and professional experiences.

The one line that always sticks out to me, even when I’m singing it is: “They say they love what you do, but they don’t like you.” People will say, “Oh, you’re doing so well, congrats, and [that’s] so impressive.” But when it boils down to what it actually means to be a musician or to be someone who struggles with their mental health, you don’t fit inside this box that they have for you. That makes people uncomfortable because we want to understand and categorize, and we want things in boxes. It’s just how I’ve felt my whole life.

Q: “Growing Up is Scary” acknowledges the fear and uncertainty of adulthood. How did this song become an anthem for taking risks?

A: I had the idea for the title of this song, and I remember working hard for a week figuring out how the song would go in my head. It started with the line, “Make a whole lot of money just to drink it away.” I see so many people around me who make a lot of money, and I was figuring out my path professionally and how to find value in that and what I want. I was probably telling myself those words that I needed to hear at the time.

I remember as a little kid being scared of dying, and I should have been worried about other things. I also remember being in high school … and we were doing a career project. I remember having a panic attack and thinking, “I can’t fail. I want to do music, and I want this life that’s impactful to others. I want to be happy and make a difference.” At 17, you probably shouldn’t be carrying that [around]—that feels like a lot. I hope people can relate to that. I think it’s cool to have such a fun, upbeat, light-feeling song to process those emotions.

Q: “American Spirit” examines being addicted to someone or something toxic. What was it like to explore that theme on this track?

A: This song isn’t on the vinyl because the record would have been too long to press it with the sound quality. I feel like it’s the ugly duckling of the record, but it’s my favorite. I like how you can view it in the literal sense or the line toward the end where it says, “American spirit, such a mystery, find another way to slowly kill me / Always hurting, push it under, pick your poison, a million ways to suffer.” This is the culture of America, and [it’s about] numbing out or looking for the next best thing and the easiest way out. It’s always looking for that turmoil and the negativity in stuff.

Q: “Death of Me” is about losing your identity and self-worth in a relationship. How did writing this track help you reclaim your power?

A: I had a dream with this song in it, and then I woke up at 3 a.m. and put it in my notes app and in my voice recorder. I spent the rest of the day after that trying to put it together, and it evolved a lot to what it is now. The lines, “Now I know, this alone, might be the death of me,” “Now I know, this alone, will be the death of me,” and “Now I know, this being alone, won’t be the death of me,” … I grew up listening to country music, and The Chicks’ [song], “Goodbye Earl,” [reflects the] imagery in this [song]. It was healing in a way to write, and it’s not extremely explicit, but in the bridge, it says, “The ghost of you don’t hang around / Cause I’d rather kill you.” It was fun to put together and fun to sing.

I entered college super passionate about music and writing. By the time I finished, I couldn’t write a song with the emotions that I was going through in that toxic situation. I think a lot of that, too, connects with my music personally and professionally. There’s another musician in a different part of the state who had about the same situation with the same person. When this song came out, we reconnected after a long time, and she shared that with me and said, “It’s been good to hear this music that you’re putting out because it helps me to know that I’m not crazy or that I wasn’t alone in this.”

Q: “Chaos” is about finding comfort in self-doubt, negativity, and depression. How did your experiences with mental health inspire this song?

A: It’s different having a perspective now of the place that I’m in and looking back and thinking, “What was writing this song in the moment doing for me?” I still struggle, but I have worked a lot, and I’m still working a lot on myself and my mental health. Writing this song, I was processing things and wondering, “Why are things always so chaotic? Why do I feel this way all of the time? Why am I not seeing that in anybody else?” It was not knowing what to do with those feelings, and it was a cry for help. As adults, nobody is going to come and get us the help that we need … it’s on us.

I [also] like the production that we did at the end and how it felt chaotic and then we bring it back. It’s a restart and the melody is just in the piano. I like the visual of that representation and [how] it’s coming back together. While it’s chaotic, it’s got this prettier sound. So much of this record … has the theme of pain, but it also has the good that came out of it, and the growth that came out of it.

Q: “Ruins” explores feeling hopeless and directionless while facing uncertainty and monotony. How was writing this track cathartic for you? 

A: The line, “always searching through the ruins,” was my way of saying all the mental health struggles [that I was facing] were clouded by that. This song zeroes in on that perspective of finding a path for your life, even if there isn’t one that looks clear and set out for you. I was processing that for myself, and at the end, it says, “It always feels like I’m crawling through the ruins / But with arms wide, my dear, you look like you’re flying.” That line was healing and a gentle reminder for me, and hopefully, for whoever listens to it.

Q: “Searching” encourages looking internally for strength, courage, and confidence. How does this song reflect the growth that you’ve experienced over the past decade?

A: It felt like a good way to wrap everything up and close it out. I think it’s come full circle because it was the first song written, and it’s the last song [on the album]. I had no idea why or what I was writing or what it would mean to me throughout the years. I think it’s cool in music when that can change. It’s that theme of searching or finding yourself.

Growing up, we’re searching for validation, we’re searching for love, or we’re searching for something that feels like it’s missing in us. What a magical thing to know this song existed in 2015 … and it has become this whole new song with a [new] meaning that people can relate to, and it’s exactly what I need to say now.

Q: How long was your writing process for Running Back to Me?

A: I have worked on this for so long—and all the songs that I wrote—the oldest is from 10 years ago. “Searching” is the oldest, and they’ve all been spread out over the last [decade]. “Outsider” is the last song written, and “Growing Up is Scary” is the second most recent one. Some of them got facelifts or rewrites as we started production.

Q: Tell me about the recording process for the album. How did the 13 tracks come together at JK (Not Kidding) Studios with producers John Katona and Tom Mihalis? 

A: As a singer-songwriter, I came to them with guitar or piano and vocal melodies. The songs were all bare bones, and I said, “In my head, these are the references I can give you of what it sounds like and what I want it to sound like.” Some of the artists I was giving to John, he was super into, so he could see the vision from the start. John’s good about finding these different sounds and [adding] a lot of layers.

Listening to [the album] back throughout the process, there were a couple of years that we were working on it. I would get it back and think, “I couldn’t have even imagined it sounding better, but this is exactly at the same time, what I would have hoped this to sound like.” I was lucky that they wanted to add to the landscape of all the songs and help me shape those. I was honest and [said], “I’ve never done anything like this before.” I think it will affect how I write and whatnot in the future because I have learned so much.

Q: You feature several guest musicians on the album, including Bryan Pope (electric guitar, bass, keys), Eric Ashby (drums), Danny Kimosh (drums), John Katona (synths), Aaron Snyder (sax), Quentin Jensen (trumpet), Cassidy Chaisson (vocals), and John Piatek (vocals). How did they help you shape those tracks sonically? 

A: Bryan and John were the biggest influences on the record because Bryan sat down with me even before we started recording it. He went over the songs structurally [to] finetune everything and recorded bass, guitar, and other things—so much of it is him. I felt like once we started working together, I said, “This is the sound that I want, and you’re getting where I’m going, so let’s just keep going.”

Cass sang background vocals, so that was fun once we got through all the instrumental stuff. She would sing a lot of harmonies there. My good friend John Piatek came down [from Traverse City] and sang vocals on a few songs. I was adamant and said, “Would you please sing on this?” It felt like the sound I wanted, and it was another full-circle moment to have him on the record.

Q: You’re having an album release show on May 10 with Kylee Phillips and Jackamo at The Loving Touch. What plans do you have for the show?

A: I’ve never played there before, and I’ve never played a venue of that size, let alone headline a show like that. But I’m all for proving people wrong and doing it big. I’m probably not going to put out a record for a long time—if ever—so we’ve gotta do as much as possible.

My live band includes Sean Mallare and Nick Press, they play together in The Fruits. Sean is the drummer and Nick plays bass. Kevin Teller has been playing lead guitar with me. He teaches at my studio and is in a couple of other bands. And Andy Maitland, his band is The Pandys, he’s awesome, and it’s cool how it all came together. I love playing with the guys from The Fruits, and then Kevin came in. He knew Andy and Nick knew Andy. He’s been singing with me and playing guitar as well. It’s been a good fit.

I’m going to have the same band with me there [at The Loving Touch]. I’ll have Cass [Chaisson] singing background [vocals], and I’ll be bringing in some of the horns guys. I’m hoping to be able to play it pretty close to how the record is and just have everybody out.

Q: What’s up next for you after the release show?

 A: I have [set] small goals for myself for the record, but I do hope to play more shows with my band and play my music out. I worked so long as a cover gig musician, and I’ve stopped doing that. I hope this record helps in that way because realistically I don’t care about streams or anything like that, I just want to play more shows. That’s the part that feels good.

Taylor DeRousse performs May 10 with Kylee Phillips and Jackamo at The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, Michigan. Doors at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit The Loving Touch’s website.