Payson Lewis Shares ‘Nothing To You’ Music Video + Q&A
CaesarLiveNLoud
I am really enjoying his passionate vocal delivery that soars over the upbeat indie-pop production packed with groovy guitar riffs and infectious chorus. The music video was directed by Collin H. Duffy (Superfruit, Hunter Hayes, Toly) and follows Payson as he laments about being only a doormat (quite literally) for his lover!
I was lucky enough to get the chance to ask Payson a couple of questions about this music video, his musical influences and what he has in store for us this year. It was a lovely Q&A and you can check it out below!
- First of all, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed your debut EP, Take Me Apart, which is packed with infectious pop gems. Now, You’re kicking off 2020 with a video for your energetic new single Nothing To You? Can you tell us a bit more about the song and the video concept?
Thank you so much. I'm really glad you dug the first record. Yeah, I'm really excited about this video. The concept of it matches pretty closely to that of the song. It's about a relationship I was in where I was just constantly giving and giving and getting nothing back in return. At times I felt like I was fading into the background or becoming just like, part of the furniture. So when I decided to make the video for it, we tried to portray that in a literal sense. You know, I become a mannequin, and literally just like an object around the house. Just a prop basically.
- Is this the first taste of a full-length studio album to come out soon?
Well, I don't know that it will be a full-length release, but it's definitely the first taste of a full-length's amount of music. It most likely will become just a steady stream of new releases. I'm aiming for at least 4-5 songs to come out this year and at least that many more ready to follow on their heels.
- What are your musical inspirations and how do they influence the way you make your own music?
I really just draw on the music I grew up on. I was the youngest of four boys so I was always listening to music from things “before my time” and then integrated their influence into my own artistic experience. So everything from the Beatles to early Phoenix to the new Harry Styles record. I always try to learn and add to my reservoir of influences.
- You were a contestant on NBC's "The Sing-Off". How did the show shape you as a singer and performer? What lessons did you learn (if any) from it?
Oh man, that was so long ago. But it was my first real taste of the business and of national exposure. I learned so much about just what it takes to excel in this industry and how fleeting your “fifteen minutes” can be. So because of that experience I've always been inspired to try and build a foundation for something that would stick around longer. Ever since I've been trying to build a lasting body of work.
- What message, if any, do you want to convey with your music?
Well, my main focus in my music is to identify with my listeners and connect as part of this overarching human experience. There are so many shared emotions in our existences. So when I'm making music, I want to make music that people can identify with and find some refuge in. I think life is so much easier when we realize we're not alone and that there are others that share in our joy and our suffering. So I hope my music can shelter people, even if only momentarily for the run time of the song, from some of the loneliness and isolation we can all feel at times.
- Are you planning to tour any time soon? What can fans expect from your shows?
Tour is a major goal of mine. I'm working on some of the logistics to make that happen. But in the meantime, I have a number of shows coming up in LA. And at those, you can expect a high-energy night of fun. I like to get the crowd moving and singing along. It's definitely a shared experience. I like the audience to feel like they are part of the show...because they are. They're the reason, and it's all for them. So I try to connect with everyone in the house and create a moment and memory that lasts beyond just that night.
- If you were given the chance to pick an artist to collaborate with which one would you choose and why?
I've always been such a huge fan of Beck. Honestly, I think I'd be too intimidated to really make the most of it, but Beck is definitely an artist I've always looked up to. But beyond just artists, there are so many songwriters that I'd love to work with and collaborate with. The king of kings, of course, being Max Martin. But again, I'd probably die if ever given the chance.
- What was the first album you ever bought?
Green Day – Dookie. I'll never forget it. That record floored me...and I recently just listened again...and it totally holds up. That record rules.
- What music are you currently listening to?
Well like I said, I've been digging the new Harry Styles record, and I love Julia Michaels, FINNEAS, Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, Maggie Rogers, too many to name really. But I tend to skew towards just like a really well-written pop tune.
- If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
Oof this is always such a brutal question. How could you possibly live on just one album and I'm going to cheat and name a few that it would be between, but the first few that come to mind are The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Prince's Self-Titled Album, Coming Home by Leon Bridges, or maybe Sgt. Pepper's. I don't know. This is an impossible question...ask me tomorrow and I'd have 5 more that I'd tell you I can't live without.
- What was your favourite song to listen to in 2019?
Again, you keep hitting me with these impossible questions. So much great music came out last year...but the songs I probably listened to the most last year were the entire Billie Eilish record, that was on repeat for like a month straight, or this song by a lesser-known artist, Ginesse. Her song, “Noise” was just a super fun fresh change of pace.