by meghan brianna
photo by david mcclister
Louisiana native Payton Smith has been on the up since performing at the CMA festival back in 2018, where he was offered a record deal. His self-titled EP features four songs which were co-written by Payton himself. The EP also showcases his musical talent with Payton playing the guitar in each of the songs. Accumulating nearly one million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Payton Smith is making himself out to be a household name. We got the chance to sit with Payton to discuss his intro to music, his recent release, “Ready Set Summer,” as well as what’s to come in the future.
For our readers who aren’t familiar with you or your music, can you share how your musical journey began?
Payton Smith: “My musical journey began when I was 14 years old. My family and I went up to Nashville for a vacation and one day I decided to play in the lobby of the hotel we were staying at. I played for about three and a half hours and got a good little crowd watching. One of the people in that crowd knew a session player in Nashville, who I ended up meeting the next day and the day after that. That player ended up introducing me to Buddy Cannon, who produces all of Kenny Chesney’s records. He is such a great song guy, and for me I was just starting out writing songs by myself, so I really wanted to follow his lead on learning how to write songs. He started setting me up with co-writers and that’s where the journey began. Crazy how it can be right place and right time.”
How would you describe and classify your sound if you could fit it into a category?
P: “I truly believe that your influence is a reflection of your sound. Over the course of four years in Nashville, I was always trying to find that sound that made me stand out, yet still sound like me. Sometimes it takes a second. But I grew up with my mom playing 90s country, my dad playing rock ‘n’ roll, and I loved listening to Keith Urban and Eric Church. Anything that has energy and rhythm is what appeals to me. I’m all about finding things that make you want to move and when I go into the studio to record a song, I’m always thinking about the rhythm and syncopation.”
What is your writing process? What usually comes first when creating something new? A melody? A lyric?
P: “It all starts on guitar for me. I normally come up with a melody on guitar first or a riff that inspires what I’m going to say. Some of my favorite musicians always say that the music is trying to say something, so I feel like my job is trying to say what the music feels like. Inspiration can come from anywhere. I may have a title on my phone or a voice memo of an idea. A lot of times I like to start with a concept more than a title. The concept feels like the northern star when writing a song and I always try to follow that.”
Your most recent release, titled “Ready Set Summer,” was released back in February. Can you explain the creative process behind the song as well as the meaning behind it?
P: “‘Ready Set Summer’ is actually the oldest song that I’ve released yet. I wrote it back in 2018 with Larry Mccoy. To be honest, I just wanted to write a really fun summer song, but I wanted to add a lot of color and make it appeal visually when you hear the lyrics. Referencing things like ‘Oscar Meyer’ and ‘Coleman cooler’ really add a lot of imagery to the song. That track is rockin’. It definitely shows more of my rock ‘n’ roll side. Especially that guitar solo. We wanted to try to make it a straight up pontoon/lake/river anthem.”
We’re more than halfway through 2020, what have you finished already, and what are you looking to get done for the remainder of the year?
P: “Well, we had a lot of big plans for 2020. I had my debut single out ‘Like I Knew You Would,’ which has garnered over 20 million streams across all platforms. That’s been a lot of fun to watch. We were going to be out on tour with Chris Young and Scotty McCreery for most of 2020, but unfortunately that has been rescheduled. It’s been a lot of fun to connect with the fans on social media during this time. That’s what music is all about. Connection. And what I would love to do is to release as much music as we can over the course of this next year.”
Can you share some of your upcoming projects?
P: “We are definitely looking at playing some more drive-in shows. Even looking at doing some socially distant shows throughout the remainder of 2020. We played one drive-in show this year and it was so cool and amazing. I want to do a lot more of that. And get new music out as soon as possible.”
What song would you want new listeners to listen to first to get the best grasp of your sound?
P: “I love every song that I’ve recorded and released. All of them tell my story and is a huge representation of my sound. The two songs that I would say represent my sound the best though would be ‘Like I Knew You Would’ and ‘Creek Don’t Rise.’ They are both different from each other, but because I play guitar on those tracks and they say what I want to say, it still feels very much like me. I found that over the past couple of months, I’ve been writing very freely and not putting myself in a box. If it feels good, let’s roll with it.”
What is one lyric/line you’ve written that resonates the most with you, either from a released song or something unreleased?
P: “There’s a song that I played on my Grand Ole Opry debut called ‘Daddy’s Boots.’ That song is very personal for me because it talks about my relationship with my dad. There’s a line in the second verse that goes, ‘Moved from Louisiana to the middle of Tennessee. Ripped up the roots they planted for me to chase a dream.’ That says it all right there. That is my story. I have incredible parents that support all of their kids’ dreams. The first time I ever played that on the Opry stage, I got a standing ovation and it was the most incredible moment of my life.”
Where do you see yourself musically in five years from now?
P: “It’s so hard to say where I might be five years from now. Obviously pushing myself musically. Always trying to get better at writing, guitar playing, and pushing myself vocally. I love that we live in a generation where people see music for just music. Maybe not necessarily for the genre that song/artist might be. If it makes you feel good, you’re going to listen to it. And I love all kinds of music. I always see myself in country music.”
Do you have a message to your fans? Do you have any words for people who have yet to discover you and your work as a musician?
P: “To the fans, thank you for relying on music during these tough times. Music is a universal language. It can make us reflect, get excited about the future, and help us tell our stories. I cannot wait to get back on the road and see all of you soon. And to the people I have not met yet, or who not heard the music yet... when we are back out there... we’re gonna be coming with everything we got. So be ready. It’s gonna be good.”