Veteran singer James Taylor is taking a year off to find inspiration for new music.

The "Fire and Rain" hitmaker sang at President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Monday, which is likely to be his last performance until his next album is completed.

Taylor insists he has no plans to tour for the remainder of 2013 as he wants to focus his efforts on writing fresh material.

He tells Rolling Stone magazine, "It's funny to say, but you actually have to be bored in order to write. So I'm looking forward to some empty time in front of me to really focus on the music again. That's what I'm meant to do."

However, Taylor was more than happy to sing "America The Beautiful" to help Obama celebrate his re-election, adding, "I like so much about this president, I have a good deal of faith in him."