We recently connected with Johnny Payne and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Johnny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Acting was my thing in high school and that is what I was going to do. I went to England to see if I wanted to go to drama school there, I wasn’t sure. I decided to go backpacking around Europe first. While staying in a hostel in Nice, France, there was a group of people sitting around a table outside drinking wine and smoking cigarettes and playing guitars. They were so natural and so themselves and I joined them and we sang an played all night. I realized that I didn’t want to pretend to be anyone anymore, I wanted to write songs and be myself. So right then and there my path changed and that’s what I did.
Johnny, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into the industry like most people, playing in bands when I was young. Eventually I moved to Vancouver and got a record deal, which eventually led me to producing.
As a producer, what I offer is confidence and direction. I have a strong understanding of how good records work and I trust my taste, so I can guide an artist from the very beginning of a song all the way to the finished product. I can work efficiently, especially when time is limited, and focus on getting people across the finish line in a way that feels exciting to them.
I don’t think what I am most proud of has happened yet. I feel like I am still growing and evolving. I am proud that the people I work with are happy with what we create together, but ask me again in twenty years.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
It is the only job like this. You are creating something out of nothing. There is nothing better than sitting there, having an idea hit you, and not even knowing where it came from. That spark is such a thrill. Taking that idea, shaping it, making it yours. Being an artist is the most soulful occupation because, at its core, it’s not about money or industry. Those are unfortunate by products of art.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
The Dharma Bums, Recording The Beatles, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fridays At Enrico’s, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johnnypaynemusic.bandcamp.com/music
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjohnnypayne/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCewjsSkSALXpQ2f-MtrCl7A
Image Credits
Alex Lange, Nicole Hawkins