Julian Dean Ebonluwa Taylor, born January 5, 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian singer‑songwriter of Caribbean and Mohawk descent. He began performing as a child, playing piano at five and learning guitar on campfires, and his first public appearance was a 1994 Battle of the Bands gig with the Weeds. Taylor co‑founded Staggered Crossing in 1995, releasing their self‑titled debut in 2001; the single "Further Again" peaked at number 7 on Canadian rock charts. After Staggered Crossing’s 2007 breakup, he launched Bent Penny Records and later formed the Julian Dean Ebonluwa Taylor Band, issuing Tech Noir (2014) and Desert Star (2015). His solo career gained traction with The Ridge (2020), earning Juno nominations for Contemporary Roots Album and Indigenous Artist, and a Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist of the Year. Subsequent albums Beyond the Reservoir (2022) and Pathways (2024) also received Juno and Polaris nominations.
