Justin Payne & Co is the culmination of a Nashville singer-songwriter who has been on a lifelong musical journey, searching for solace and solitude in what is an enriched folk-rock sound that travels far and wide. Through his solo ventures he came together with other like-minded musicians from his local scene and became renowned for their powerful and resonating live performances as a group.
Never stopping and relentlessly trying to capture more and more listeners with his music, Justin Payne & Co now return with their debut EP 'underrated/overstimulated', featuring tracks such as 'anything at all' and our favourite 'is this what it feels like?', as the outfit fully define their all encompassing offering in this epic 6-track body of work. We sat down with Justin and talked about the album, what he feels their music represents and much more. Check it out below, as well as the EP!
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Hey Justin! Sum up your music for us in three words please?
Incisive, Catchy, Rocknrollmusic
What do you want listeners to take from ‘underrated / overstimulated’?
I want the folks who hear the record to turn it up, move around, and have a good time. And, maybe if we're lucky, they will feel something close to inspiration and connection.
You really do seamlessly combine folk, rock, alternative and even soul into the opening track ‘You’re so subversive’, do you think you are drawn to one genre specifically when writing?
Wow! For a writer and performer like me, that is a huge compliment! Thank you. I don't really think about genre too much. Genre is more how the industry markets me. Seeing no place for myself in that fantasy world, I am just trying to synthesise my influences into what I think American music could be.
Favourite song on the EP? We know it’s a tough question!
"anything at all"
What was the recording process like for the album, who did you work with to produce it? Most personal song on the EP?
We fully tracked the whole thing to tape in 2 days, at Welcome to 1979, in Nashville TN. They have an incredible team there. We worked with a primarily analog process throughout, tracking live, full-band, takes. Made for a fun and powerfully effective recording experience.
For me, the most personal song is "together as one".
And finally, what do you plan to do to promote the EP? Any live shows in the pipeline?
I had the good fortune to make three incredible music videos, with a stellar team of creatives, all streaming on our Vevo channel (@justinpayneandvevo), in addition to the usual press releases, etc. I am really proud of how those turned out.
Our next live date to promote the record is March 27, at the Cobra, in East Nashville. More road dates to come in Spring – Summer 2023, as well, which you can find on the tour calendar at my website, justinpayneandco.com
Stream 'underrated/overstimulated' in full here: