It’s always been about the music.

Born and raised in rural Maryland, Talbot grew up listening to her family play bluegrass, gospel, and traditional folk music; usually late into the night, usually on their historic farm, and always surrounded by family and friends. At the young age of 4 she joined her dad, her mom, her older brother, and her aunt and uncle in the family band playing the washboard and jug; by 6 she had started on the fiddle. Talbot quickly became a proficient fiddler and that remains her main instrument, but at the age of 14 she bought her first guitar (a Blueridge dreadnought that she still uses today) and taught herself how to play, kicking off what has become a lifetime of writing her own original songs. In 2019 Talbot co-founded the all-original Monkton Road Band with fellow singer-songwriter Susie West; that group went on to release two EPs of original music. Talbot still plays fiddle with her family bluegrass band (The Mayo Family) to this day but her main focus has turned to performing her original music, either as a solo act or backed by the Talbot Mayo Band.

Drawing inspiration from such varied sources as Robert Browning poems or school nights spent playing bluegrass in smoky bars, Talbot’s songwriting doesn’t easily fit into any one genre. It is, however, strongly grounded in the old-time bluegrass sounds of her roots. Her love of traditional country and honky-tonk music adds an easily noticeable twang to many of her songs, and a passion for alternative rock ‘n’ roll lends a gritty edge wherever it’s needed. With often-witty lyrics and peerless vocals that have been described as a mix of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, it’s easy to find the appeal in a Talbot Mayo Band performance.

Throughout her musical career Talbot has collaborated with various Baltimore-based artists in the form of session work (providing vocals and fiddle) and songwriting. She released two studio EPs with the Monkton Road Band; “Fireball Sessions” in 2022 (self-produced) and “Hometown Poets” in 2023, which was recorded in Nashville and features music legends Matt Rollings (producer) and Ron Block. In early 2024 Talbot returned to Nashville, this time to record “Big Shot”, an EP of her original songs which was released in late 2024. Again produced by Matt Rollings and with associate production by Monkton Road Band co-founder Susie West, “Big Shot” features such stellar artists as Matt Rollings, Fred Eltringham, Kris Donegan, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Jenee Fleenor, Buddy Miller, and more.

With a lifetime of experience already and a burgeoning solo career leading her in new directions, there is one thing about Talbot Mayo that will never change; it will always be about the music.