For country duo Austin’s Rose, it was never about the ‘what’ and ‘where’. It was about the ‘how’ and ‘when’. Tim Gore and Taylor Cornilles both knew they would come to Nashville to become country music artists. But they never could have envisioned that meeting each other would forge the path to all their hopes and dreams.
Tim Gore has had music in his life for as long as he can remember. His mother was an early influence, playing guitar and singing country songs to him as a child. At the age of nine, Tim picked up the guitar and has never put it down.
Although athletics played a key role during his high school years, he never lost his desire to make and play country music. Looking back on the first two concerts of his life, Tim can still recall the impact it had on him. “The first one I attended was a Waylon show. The next one was Travis Tritt. My mind was made up. This is what I was meant to do.”
As a promise to his parents, Gore did go to college. While at the University of Kentucky, Tim continued to focus on music. He played at the Austin City Saloon, the same club that brought stars to country music like John Michael Montgomery and Montgomery Gentry. His next step would be Nashville.
Like Tim Gore, Taylor Cornilles always had music in her life. She grew up on a horse ranch in Wolf Creek, Oregon. Her mom was a traditional country singer and her father played guitar at church and in his band. Because her goal was always going to Nashville, she began preparing at a very young age. At the age of six, Taylor learned how to play the piano. At the age of nine, it was guitar. Fiddle came the next year and she took on mandolin at the age of 14.
At the age of 11, Taylor and her family put together a band and they spent the next few years playing fairs and community events. One year later, she sang an open mic event at the Bluebird Café in Nashville. “Playing the Bluebird should have been a satisfying ‘bucket list’ kind of thing for me,” recalled Taylor, “but instead it created a hunger that wouldn’t go away.” The day she graduated from high school, Taylor Cornilles moved to Nashville to become a star.
In 2014, after five years of playing on the Nashville club circuit on lower Broadway, Tim was about to give up his dream when he met Taylor. They began collaborating and found in each other what was missing musically. “Taylor’s early traditional female influences (Patty Loveless, Allison Krauss, Lee Ann Womack) combined with mine (Waylon, Tritt, Montgomery Gentry) play a key part in our sound,” explained Gore, “but it’s really our vocal blend in our harmonies that define us.”
Austin’s Rose spent the next three years doing several hundred shows and honing their unique sound. But it wasn’t until 2018, when they met and began working with producer Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum), that the musical vision came into focus. “They are both great singers in their own right,” explained Worley, “but when you put those voices together, they become something special.” When asked to explain the Austin’s Rose sound, Taylor Cornilles described it best. We take our traditional instrumentation and harmonies and balance them with a more contemporary mix. It’s the blend that makes us unique.”

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Friday from 6-8pm central.