Hailey Brighton and Don Miller of the band Taxicab Preacher recently stopped by Live & Local, following the release of their debut EP “Solid Ground.”
“Solid Ground” is not a new release – it actually dropped in October of 2024 – but their lead single “Better” became a beloved staff favorite at 97.9 The Hill all through 2025, not to mention a crowd favorite (one of several) at their increasingly popular live shows.
And while “Solid Ground” is technically a debut, Taxicab Preacher is far from a brand-new band. In fact their origins date back over two decades: guitarist Patrick Vernon and drummer Don Miller played together while attending graduate school together in the early 2000s. (“It was a business school band,” Miller says. “We went by ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’.”)
Ten years later, Vernon and Brighton found themselves playing in a separate band: “we played Sundays at the Crunkleton, for four o’clock fun,” Brighton says. All three (plus Chris Zagar) played together for the first time in 2017, at a block party that Miller was hosting – and they’ve been together ever since.
Follow Taxicab Preacher on Instagram.
In addition to their recorded output, Taxicab Preacher has also developed a reputation for being one of the Triangle’s not-to-be-missed live bands. They have several shows just in the next month: Saturday, March 7, at the Sonark Barn north of Chapel Hill; Friday, March 20, at the Speakeasy in Carrboro; and Saturday, March 28, at Sidetrack Lounge in northern Chapel Hill.
Click here for a full list of their upcoming shows.
As for that band name? “Taxicab Preacher, to me, is about inclusivity,” Brighton says. “No matter where you come from, no matter your background, you can talk to people and always find common ground. That’s really what it is to me.”
Hailey Brighton and Don Miller of Taxicab Preacher stopped by Live & Local and played recordings of recent live performances of two songs: “Wait Wait Wait” and “Taxicab Preacher.” Listen:
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