Illustrator Sam Taylor on his psychedelic children’s book inspired by the band Phish

We’re big fans of London-based illustrator Sam Taylor, who we last talked about in 2023 when he was experimenting with handmade techniques. He is now behind a new children’s book called All My Friends Reprise: Looking For Owls.

This colorful adventure, published by Banana Tree Books, takes young readers on a whimsical journey. So far, it’s (relatively) normal. But what really caught our attention was that it was inspired by the band Phish.

An American rock group formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983, Phish is an original group that mixes many styles, including rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion, funk and psychedelia. They are known as a “jam band” because of their improvisational approach. And while we love their music ourselves, it’s not the sort of thing one would immediately associate with children’s literature.

So how, we wondered, did this all happen?

Psychedelic essence

“The idea came from Lindsay and Sara at Banana Tree Books,” says Sam. “They’re big Phish fans, and they had already done a children’s book based on the world of Phish, so they asked me to get involved for the second one, and All My Friends Reprise: Looking For Owls was born.”

Translating Phish’s psychedelic essence into kid-friendly illustrations was a no-brainer for Sam, who describes how he went about it. “The book is divided into sections, one page for the character and one page for the world he inhabits,” he explains. “It all comes from Phish music.

“Lindsay and Sara made me a big document detailing everything. I then went through each section and picked out all the most exciting and fun visual elements – there were a lot – and then started drawing. My work is naturally quite psychedelic and complete -, so I had no difficulty finding what everything should look like. It’s very busy and colorful.

Creative process

Sam made the drawings in pencil, pen and paper, then added color digitally. “I do a lot of mock-ups and layouts before drawing, so I know I can include all the necessary elements,” he explains. I like to lay it all out and then have fun with the drawing; this way I can maximize the space and squeeze every moment out of it.

“I still work this way,” he adds. “But I don’t always do that many crowd scenes, which was quite overwhelming at first. I had to make sure I planned them well and put everything into it. Every little drop or fish is important. Making a mistake can have serious effects, and you have to move things around or redraw it can be very annoying and time consuming.

“That’s why I developed a process that works for me,” he adds. “It has made me more confident and willing to work in this style in the future. There are many levels, and it can be scary, but I’m not afraid anymore. At first it was intimidating, but I I started to really enjoy it with each completed page.”

Music and mythology

Sam adds that the book is deeply rooted in the band’s music and mythology. “Every little detail is heavily inspired by Phish. Lindsay and Sara would give me ‘the handout,’ and then I would disappear and draw. And sometimes after that they would give me feedback to make it even more Phishy.

“There are things from concerts, live performances and a lot of stories,” he adds. “I loved taking it one board at a time, not knowing what was next.

“As an illustrator, it was a great way to keep things fresh, because one day you’re drawing an underwater world, and the next day it’s in space. Then it’s just lizards, then insects. I also drew some really cute little gummy bear characters that I love.”

Despite the diversity of elements, Sam still had to maintain a consistent aesthetic throughout the book. “Technically the book has a color palette and there are recurring B characters,” he explains. “It’s all part of the same world.”

Overall, Sam found this project rewarding and a valuable experience for his development as an illustrator. “It was a big project for me,” he explains. “I started it in October last year and it’s just finished.

“There are a lot of pages, a lot of characters and a lot of crowd scenes. A lot of drawings. It’s chaos. But I compartmentalized it. I made lists. I decided on my plan for match, then checked off items as I went through it.