Pop artists sometimes get a bad rap these days, but Payson is fighting back. Armed with his intoxicating positive energy, Payson delivers music that you can’t help but move to. Payson’s brand is a garden of 80’s and 90’s influenced pop hooks, feel-good vibes, and live-your-best-life mentality.
A Philly kid born and raised, Payson was brought up on a steady diet of his older brothers’ old cassette tapes and mom’s gluten-free cooking. Eventually, he found his way out to Los Angeles to study music at USC. During his studies, Payson honed his craft as a member of the internationally acclaimed collegiate a cappella group, SoCal VoCals.
Payson’s infectious charisma and natural knack for show business led him to plenty of television appearances in LA. As a tenor, Payson’s ability to hit the high notes landed him a spot on NBC’s “The Sing Off”, a show that ran for 4 seasons and launched the career of the multi-platinum and Grammy winning group PENTATONIX. This role not only served as a major gateway for Payson as a singer but also as an actor. His acting credits include episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Revenge, The People vs. OJ Simpson, Rules of Engagement in addition to various theatrical performances.
While acting is certainly a powerful asset within Payson’s wheelhouse, his first love and ultimate mission is music. Payson has generated an impressive buzz, not to mention thousands of subscribers, through his popular YouTube channel. This channel showcases Payson’s artistic spirit through his numerous cover videos. Among the most viral of these videos was his cover of Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods” and a creative mashup that combined Zayn Malik’s “Pillowtalk” with Rihanna and Drake’s “Work.” These two covers made their way to a wide variety of press outlets, including features from Perez Hilton.
It’s clear that Payson Lewis is a jack of many trades. Most recently, his talent is flourishing as an artist and a songwriter. Drawing on the influences of his youth and inspiration from his life and the world around him, Payson is creating a new band-driven pop sound that simultaneously feels new and yet, familiar. Somewhere between Coldplay, Walk the Moon, and the 1975 is where you’ll find Payson. And when you do, you won’t want to leave.