Henry Taylor Turns Up the Volume With Hummingbird

Henry Taylor has never been one to play it safe. With his sixth studio album Sweet Thunder now out in the world, the Kitchener-Waterloo-based artist offers up Hummingbird as the record’s electrifying centerpiece—a track that buzzes with urgency, swagger, and an unexpected dose of backyard magic.

The song begins in a quiet moment. Taylor and longtime co-writer Monique Montgomery were sitting on a back porch, playing music with former bandmate Mark. It was an ordinary day, the kind that doesn’t seem to promise anything big. Then someone glanced at the hummingbird feeder. Within minutes, chords turned into a chorus. Lyrics arrived without being summoned. In less than an hour, the song was written. And not just any song—a live-show favourite that explodes with energy, connecting instantly with crowds.

The irony of its title is part of the fun. While the word “hummingbird” usually evokes something delicate or fragile, this track hits hard. It barrels forward with a full-on rock sound, shaking off any preconceived notions about what a song with that title should sound like. It’s high-octane, unpredictable, and utterly alive.

Taylor’s sound is rooted in the rugged traditions of Americana, rock, folk, and country—but it’s the way he bends those genres together that keeps things interesting. Hummingbird leans all the way into guitar-driven power, yet it never loses its sense of storytelling. It’s this balance that defines much of Sweet Thunder as a whole.

The album’s title was sparked by an encounter with a license plate. Montgomery spotted the words “SWTTHNDR” stamped across the back of a blue Corvette, and that unexpected moment ended up framing the entire record. Thunder and sweetness—power and subtlety. That mix runs through every track, giving the album its distinct shape and emotional palette.

Across the project, Taylor and Montgomery explore the spectrum of feeling with both volume and vulnerability. Songs like I Don’t Have a Name and Burn take on heavy topics—one inspired by stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, the other written in the days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. They are not easy listens, nor are they meant to be. They reflect the harsh truths of the world and the need to confront them head-on.

At the same time, Sweet Thunder makes space for levity and uplift. Tracks like I’ve Got the Guns and Hummingbird bring a playful energy to the record, without losing their edge. Taylor knows how to have fun, but he also knows when to get serious. That duality is part of what makes his work so compelling.

“Sometimes the only way to make a big noise is to speak softly and tell the truth,” Taylor says. “But sometimes you have to smash the pots and pans to be heard. Sweet Thunder does both.”

That philosophy rings loud and clear throughout the album’s 11 tracks, which were written and recorded between his home base in Kitchener-Waterloo and Nashville, Tennessee. In the southern songwriting capital, Taylor teamed up with industry veterans Corey Lee Barker, Mark Barnowski, and Ri’chard Trest to flesh out the record’s sonic landscape. The result is a sound that feels grounded in place yet universally relatable.

Taylor’s career has spanned over a decade, with performances at some of Canada’s most storied venues including Lee’s Palace, the Cameron House, El Mocambo, and the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. His partnership with Montgomery has been a creative anchor throughout, and together they’ve developed a catalog of songs that don’t shy away from the big questions—or the small details that often carry the most weight.

With Hummingbird, Taylor captures that spirit perfectly. It’s a song born from a fleeting moment, transformed into something loud, wild, and unforgettable. It may have started on a porch with a few friends and a glance at a feeder, but it now lives on stages, in speakers, and in the hearts of those who crave music that hits with both force and feeling.