Life & Work with Josh Payne of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Payne.

Hi Josh, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story began when I started writing songs around the age of 12. I loved the idea of telling stories through song and dance and finding a hidden meaning inside every word. As I listened to the folklore of Robert Plant while also trying to understand the political anthems Billie Joe Armstrong belted, I quickly learned the spectrum of songwriting was very broad. Not long after, I discovered The Beatles and Bob Dylan and began to understand just how far and how deep songwriting could go. The possibilities were endless. I wondered who else was out there just waiting for me to discover. As the mediums for listening to music evolved through streaming services like Spotify and YouTube, I found the world at my fingertips. I found myself diving into the catalogs of prolific songwriters beyond “Greatest Hits” records. Artist like Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits – they blew me away! It was music that was so simple but elevated through what seemed like poetry to me. I wanted to be a part of it. I started researching the backstory of these songwriters trying to understand where they came from. I wanted to know who influenced them and how it affected their storytelling and I found one common theme amongst them all – poetry. I took that knowledge to heart and started reading anyone I could find, new or old. I started crafting my songs with the words at the forefront. I found that my best songs were songs that really came from someplace inside. Something that was real to me. If I wanted to write a love song, I’d stop and ask myself, “what about love?” The topic of love is so broad, I’d have to be specific. Same with politics – what about it? When I started thinking beyond the surface, I found a deeper understanding of what I wanted to do. After 20 years of working at it, I’m still learning and working on my storytelling. I’m about to release a 5 song EP that reflects recent points in my life that I hope will resonate with others.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For me, the road of songwriting has been rough. Words didn’t come naturally like it may have for some so I began to study different artists, poets, and writers. I found they weren’t writing to just write anything and make nonsense – they all had something to say. From Hemingway and Kerouac to Tolkien and King – I took it all in. I studied poetry (though admittedly I found it boring at first) and immersed myself with poets like Charles Baudelaire, Arther Rimbaud, and Allen Ginsberg to name a few. Writing became much easier. Somedays when inspiration strikes, words flow like water. Other days, the fog is so thick, nothing comes to mind. I do my best not to force anything because that’s when it’ll be empty. I’ve found myself rewriting a song several times trying to find something that feels right, but I’ve found peace in knowing it’s okay that not everything will have substance. But that’s what practice is – just keep swinging for the fences until you knock one out of the park.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I play guitar and sing, and I enjoy writing songs. I enjoy writing folk songs but I’ll write anything that comes to mind. Over the past several years, I’ve really began to understand the experiences I’ve had up to this point in my life, and it’s become easier to put onto paper how I’ve felt about those things. The past five years of my life have really shaped and helped create some of the best work I’ve ever done. I’d like to think what sets me apart from others is the stories I’m telling. The songs I write come from a real place inside and can be interpreted differently to everyone. If I can make someone feel something different or see something in a way they haven’t before, then I feel I’ve done an alright job with my songs.

How do you define success?
Success would be finding a way for my music to reach a larger audience and play it full-time. When it pays the bills, I’ll know I’ve done something right.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshpayne/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@MrJoshPayne
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/josh-payne-332396894
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2CxGtd22jFZc5qrWwKFp6N?si=qFB3KU-nS3q_tj8F3CtQcQ