Life & Work with Will Payne Harrison

Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Payne Harrison.

Will Payne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started playing bass in middle school and by the time I was in High School, I switched over to guitar. I was really into punk rock and started a band. No one else in the band had songs or wanted to sing, so I decided I’d just do it. Can’t be that hard right? By the time I was in college, I was in multiple bands and going on tours. I ended up in a band that signed to an indie label and toured 100+ dates a year for about 5 years.

Later on, I started getting into Folk, Bluegrass and Country music which led me to songwriting. I started a duo in Lafayette, Louisiana with another local singer-songwriter that became a full-fledged band.

In 2014, I moved to Nashville to initially become a Publicist in music. I had been working with local musicians in Louisiana such as Feufollet and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and decided I wanted to further my career in Nashville. Once I hit Nashville, I fell even more in love with songwriting.

I began touring and have since released multiple independent albums such as East Nashville Blues and Living With Ghosts. This year, I will be releasing my first self produced/engineered (mixed and mastered too!) record “Tioga Titan”. It features Adam “Ditch” Kurtz on pedal steel, Gabe Tonon on electric guitar, Tim Kuras on drums, Meredith Krygowski on fiddle, Caleb Edwards, Fawn Larson, Layla Frankel and Zach Russell on harmonies and pretty much me on everything else (bass, acoustic, electric, keys).

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never easy. I lost a lot of money in 2020 having to cancel most of my Spring and Summer gigs. I haven’t really started booking again yet, so I’ve spent the last two years not making any revenue off of live performances. On top of that, the greatest joy of my life, my daughter, came at the beginning of this year which totally shifted my priorities.

These songs have been written for almost two years now, however, I had to find work outside of music to make ends meet and this has really held up the process. My hope is to release the new record late summer/early fall, however, this is a completely self-funded process, so I can only work with what money I have available.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’d like to think that my tongue-in-cheek lyrics and heartfelt exploration of different topics are what set me apart, but it’s more than likely my stage and Twitter banter. I also come from Louisiana and those rhythms are in my bones.

What matters most to you? Why?
My daughter matters to me the most. And being kind. This world is full of hateful people trying to tear each other down. I think it’s important to show unbridled kindness and empathy.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.willpayneharrison.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/willpayneharrison
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewillpayneharrison
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/willpharrison
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/1eXcPrThP60

Image Credits:
Joelle Grace Taylor
Will Payne Harrison