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

We’re huge fans of London-based illustrator Sam Taylor, who we last covered in 2023 when he was experimenting with handmade techniques. Now he’s 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, so (relatively) normal. But what really caught our attention was that it was inspired by the band Phish.

Phish, an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont in 1983, is an idiosyncratic group that blends many styles, including rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion, funk, and psychedelia. They are known as a “jam band” due to their improvisational approach. And while we love their music ourselves, it’s not the kind of music you’d immediately associate with children’s literature.

So we asked ourselves, how could all this happen?

Psychedelic Essence

“The idea came from Lindsay and Sara from Banana Tree Books,” explains Sam. “They are huge Phish fans and had already written a children’s book about the Phish world. So they asked me to get involved with the second one, and that’s how All My Friends Reprise: Looking For Owls was born.”

Translating the psychedelic essence of Phish into kid-friendly illustrations was a no-brainer for Sam. He describes how he went about it. “The book is divided into sections, one page for the character and one page for the world she lives in,” he explains. “Everything is inspired by the music of Phish.”

“Lindsay and Sara made me a big document with all the details. Then I went through each section and picked out the most exciting and fun visual elements – there were a lot – and then I started drawing. My work is quite psychedelic and intense by nature, so I had no trouble coming up with how everything should look. It’s very busy and colorful.”

Creative process

Sam made the drawings using pencil, pen and paper, then added color digitally. “I do a lot of mockups and layouts before I draw so I know I can include every element I need,” he explains. I like to lay everything out and then have fun drawing; that way I can maximize the space and get every bit out of it.

“I always work like that,” 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 got everything in. Every little spot or fish is important. One mistake can have big repercussions and you have to move things around or redraw them. It can be very annoying and time-consuming.

“So I came up with a process that works for me,” he adds. “It’s given me more confidence and I’m more eager to work in this style in the future. There are a lot of layers and it can be scary, but I’m not scared anymore. It was daunting at first, but with each page completed I started to really enjoy it.”

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 document’ and then I’d disappear and draw. And sometimes they’d give me feedback afterward to make it even more Phish.

“There’s stuff from concerts, live performances and lots of backstory,” he adds. “I loved going through page after page, not knowing what was coming next.”

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

Despite the variety of elements, Sam had to maintain a consistent aesthetic throughout the book. “Technically, the book has a color scheme and there are some recurring minor 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 only 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. Made lists. I came up with my game plan and then checked things off as I went through them. I was in the drawing mine every day and just kept going. So that’s the most important thing I learned: to tackle something so big. Now I can see it all in one place and it’s very satisfying.”