TSTourTips - Our Swiftie Hero

Being a swiftie means having to stay on top of things all the time, like ticket sales, surprise songs and time zones for shows and that can be a LOT to take in. Thankfully, some of the most dedicated fans help us stay updated on everything we need to know through social media! One of those fans is Autumn Kennedy who we all know as TSTourTips, one of the biggest Taylor Swift fanpages.

I wanted to see what it is like to run one of the biggest fanpages that offers the quickest updates and easily accessible information so I asked Autumn if she was willing to do a little interview! Here is an insight into TSTourTips.

Autumn Kennedy meeting Taylor Swift after the Reputation Tour @tstourtips

How did you discover Taylor for the first time?

I first discovered Taylor in 2006 when I heard Our Song. For 7 year old Autumn, it was like a switch was flipped and I was immediately hooked.

What was it about her and her music that made you like her?

I think what I’ve always liked about Taylor is how much grace she has. She has always been such a good role model and someone I felt I could look up to. There has been several adversities that she has faced and she always has taken those setbacks in stride. Not to mention her philanthropy, and how she is such a vocal presence in campaigning for artists and women’s rights. Her music is so relatable and there’s so many important lessons she’s been able to share with us within her catalogue. Like how time can heal almost anything, that our bad experiences lead us to better ones, or to try to not let people’s criticisms affect you because you aren’t the opinion of someone who doesn’t know you. I kind of view her as a big sister or a best friend.

What do you see in Taylor that you think non-fans would miss?

A lot of people who aren’t a fan of Taylor miss how much she actually cares about her fans. From interacting with them on social media, to inviting fans to her home for secret sessions, donating money to help support them, or sending huge gifts to her fans homes. There is so much time that she invests to foster this connection with her fanbase that she absolutely doesn’t have to do, and most celebrities don’t. But that’s just how Taylor is. She knows that she wouldn’t be where she is now if it weren’t for her fans, and she wants to make it known that it is a two way street.

What made you want to start TS Tour Tips?

Tstourtips is actually not my first tour account. It was @loft89tips and I first made it in 2015. My goal for the 1989 and Reputation Tours was to help fans to get selected for Taylor’s pre-show and after-show meet and greets as well as seat upgrades. For The Eras Tour, I really wanted to expand on what I had been doing to encompass all aspects of tour. Presales, getting resale tickets, tour tips, know before you go posts, fan projects, ticket contests, livestreams, ALL the tour and show updates- and more. The goal is to be the ultimate resource for all things Eras Tour and TS. It is so incredibly fulfilling to know that I’ve made a difference in people’s tour experiences- and that’s why I’ve been doing this for over 8 years!

You have helped so many fans with everything to do with tour - why is it so important for you to help other fans?

Tour information isn’t super widely known or accessible and that’s why I wanted to make sure that I could make things as easy as possible for those who came across my account. A lot of people have never gotten the opportunity to go to her shows before and know nothing about how it works. And knowing the insane demand the tour has, I knew I needed to step in and do my part. I want them to have the opportunity that so many fans dream of experiencing.

How do you balance running a huge fan page with the quickest updates and your personal life?

It can definitely be overwhelming especially given the different aspects of my life that I have to maintain outside of my account. I work full time, I’m in a long distance relationship, and I’m chronically ill. My partner and family have been really supportive of what I do. They know that if there’s a show happening that I’ll be busy updating. I think we all have this understanding that tstourtips IS my second job. It’s most important for me to make time for myself outside of my existing obligations so that I don’t get too frazzled. I know I can take breaks or step away from my phone for a bit if I need to.

You met Taylor! - what was the process and experience like?

Taylor saw the costume I made for the Reputation Tour on my Tumblr and requested to meet me! It was a super surreal experience and going on 5 years later, I still don’t feel as though I’ve fully processed it yet. She wrote out my favourite lyric from State Of Grace so that I could get it tattooed, grabbed my hand when I got barricade later that night, liked the photo of us together, and then played Come Back Be Here the following night after I requested it. It’s another example of something that Taylor went out of her way to do just because she wanted to. I’ll never forget that night.

I saw you had Taylor write out the lyric “this is the worthwhile fight” from State Of Grace and got it tattooed - what is the importance of the lyric for you?

That lyric means so much to me because I’ve struggled a lot with mental health in my life and it’s Taylor’s way of saying that all these hard things we deal with are worth it. So if I ever get to feeling like I don’t want to keep going, I can look down at my arm and have that personal reminder from Taylor that she wants me to keep going. And that I should want that too, because someday I’ll look back at that situation and be thankful that I pushed through it.

In what ways do you think people should be more like Taylor in life?

There are so many qualities that Taylor possesses that I think people should adopt into their lives. Knowing your own worth, fighting for what you believe in, not accepting anyone who treats you less than you deserve, giving back to the people that you love, taking setbacks as opportunities to grow, and learning to accept and love the qualities in yourself that you used to dislike. We could all learn some things from Taylor Swift.

What is your favourite part of being a swiftie?

My favourite part of being a swiftie is definitely the community she’s built. I’ve made so many lifelong friends through running my account and I continue to make more as her fanbase has grown. It’s been really surreal to see how much success she’s garnered since the pandemic started. I’m so glad more people are discovering her!

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I want to say thank you to Autumn for doing this and thank you to all the swifties out there who help us all out running accounts like this, the community Taylor has built from her music is truly incredible and I am so grateful to be part of it!

Thank you for reading and follow @tstourtips if you don't already!