Friday, October 16, 2009

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: JESSE PAYNE

“I grew up on Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys. I think Brian Wilson is one of America’s geniuses. Him and Aaron Copeland,” the dark haired and bearded Birmingham songwriter Jesse Payne said about his early listening habits. “I guess I also got into the Lemonheads. They led me down a path to A. A. Bondy and Duquette Johnston.” He also mentioned his current favorites which include, along with Bondy and Johnston, the White Oaks, another Birmingham-based alternative rock outfit. Though he admits his immediate family was not musically inclined, he picked up a love for the art from his cousins in Atlanta and eventually taught himself how to play guitar and piano.
When it comes to songwriting, Payne acknowledges relationships and “the dynamic of humanity” as the major recurring themes in his albums (2004’s Humming.the.tunes.of.luxury, 2006’s Ghosts.in.Mirrors, 2008’s Between the Leaves, and the recently released, Nesting.)
Several Chicago-based acts such as singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird and alternative country legend, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, provide the biggest influences for Payne. “I think those guys led me down a path to make me realize that music is not just a bunch of notes and sound manipulations. It’s gearing the ear towards where you want to go as opposed to letting the lyrics take the listener. I think they’ve been able to encompass not only the lyrical direction but also the color,” he said.
When he played at Eclipse last Thursday, I saw these influences come alive in a full wave of folk/rock Americana (if you want to put a label on it). A vocal range that encompassed Tweedy, Bird, and a dash of Five for Fighting lead singer, John Ondrasik, and a musical palate that echoed both the old and the new melodies of the American music tradition.
Payne played mainly tracks from his new offering, Nesting. He recorded the album at Capture Music, a Birmingham-based label/production company/studio, which is home to several other bands including The White Oaks
“I’ve been working on Nesting since Beyond the Leaves. I came into the studio with Beyond the Leaves,” Payne said. “Beyond the Leaves was supposed to be a sampler of Nesting and when I walked out of the studio, I decided ‘You know what? I’ve recorded these four songs. I’m gonna move on.’ I started late 2007 writing for Nesting. We were in the studio for 6 days but that was after countless demos, countless notebook pages of scratches.”
The album contains a total of 8 tracks, including “Yards of Paint,” “Manhattan Project,” and “Wes Anderson.” The last track mentioned holds a special place in Payne’s mind. He told me of his respect and admiration for the writer and director of such films as The Darjeeling Limited and The Royal Tennebaums. He said the director inspired him to acknowledge the “rough patches in my life” and allow the humor to “override the pain.”
Payne has also toured extensively throughout the Eastern United States and Midwest. He self-financed a two year tour that included shows in Boston, Virginia Beach, Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville. He’s opened for indie rock acts such as Tilly and the Wall, Gabe Dixon Band, and David Mead. Other successes include being featured on indie magazine, The Big Takeover’s “Top 40 Compilation” alongside Death Cab for Cutie and Band of Horses.
In the last few years, Payne has settled back into his place in the city of Birmingham, recording several demos and albums as well as gigs at Workplay Theatre, Urban Standard, City Stages, Charlemegne Records, and The Nick. “I think Birmingham has a great scene of musicians. There’s a lot of talent in this place. Not having a whole lot of music industry here to kind of pave the way made artists around town rely on their own innovations. I think everybody’s done a really good job,” Payne said.
Payne says his goals for the next year include selling some records and “sustaining the life of a musician,” a goal he feels is difficult if an artist does not discover and build on his own unique sound. “I think a songwriter has to find his specific sound and I think a lot of people will get out and have a hit record right off the bat and they can’t produce that again. I think it’s because they didn’t take the time and the steps to really hone in on who they are and what they’re trying to portray; what sound they want the listener’s ears to pick up on.”
He is slowly beginning to tour the Southeast Region again. Three upcoming Birmingham shows include a gig with Tim Brantley at Workplay on October 23rd, a free-to-the-public Capture Music showcase at Virginia Samford Theatre on October 29th, and a show with Live 100.5 favorite, Oceanship, at the Rogue Tavern on November 7th.
Finally, Payne urges appreciators of art and music to “learn how to listen” and not allow your favorite record or song to become meaningless background noise. “Because radios are always on and muzak is always going through the speakers of restaurants, people have just gotten immune to music and I think that’s a dangerous place to be in. Learning how to listen is a very hard talent to achieve I feel but it’s worth it once you get there.”
Check out Jesse Payne on his website www.jessepayneonline.com to listen to selections from Nesting and get more information about upcoming performances.
For the entire interview, check out the post below.

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