We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Peyton Shay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Peyton below.

Peyton, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

For many of us, being a singer or working in entertainment has been a dream of ours from the start. When I was nine years old, I enrolled in a local theater program as an after-school activity, I quickly fell in love with the art of performing and storytelling. After shifting from musical theater, I went into acting for most of my childhood. I learned so many key values that ultimately shaped the artist and person I am today. Around the age of 12, I randomly wrote my first song on a keyboard which, at the time, I had no clue how to play. It’s funny looking back on it because I wrote my lyrics on the back of my homework that I later had to turn in. Music instantly spoke to me, and I knew I had a deeper purpose.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! My name is Peyton Shay, and I’m a 19-year-old artist from Los Angeles. I grew up in a small town isolated just outside the city, which inevitably led me to boredom and discovering my passion for music and storytelling. I went from the girl who was always cast in horror shows to writing sad, happy, and just about any other type of song. I now use my music almost as a coming-of-age diary, mixed with some fangirling over modern and classic musical figures. I’ve spent the greater portion of this year writing, performing, and making music. I’m pretty impatient when it comes to releasing music, so holding this new music in has definitely been a challenge. I have new songs, videos, and more that I’m releasing this year. I’m also performing a collection of unreleased songs with Writers Block at the end of this month, which I’m really excited about. Tickets are actually on sale now!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Music, to me, is all about speaking the truth in a way that sometimes were too afraid or unable to speak on directly. I’m a dreamer, so creating stories about my future before I fall asleep is a part of my nightly routine. In the big picture, my main mission is to create art that has the power to connect, heal, and communicate for the greater good. Art shouldn’t have an expiration date, which is why I could only ever hope that my words and messages I communicate through my songs have some form of longevity. When someone listens to my music, I want them to create and build their vision and the world around it, just as I did when I sat down to write it. Honestly, it’s for this reason that I always feel so insanely connected to the audience when I perform.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve come across so many artists, including myself, who are major perfectionists. I like to think it’s because we care so much about the message and art we are putting out into the world that the thought of it not being exactly representative of who we are, is terrifying. However, in the past several years, I have had to pivot from this mindset. When you create such strong expectations prior to action, you really limit yourself from growing, learning, and experiencing change. Also, you create the avenue to be disappointed when things don’t go exactly as you planned. However, I do think there are many positive qualities of perfectionists; it’s all about a healthy balance.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peytonshayofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peytonshayofficial/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeytonShay
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ASCFTkBFRrX6KDFju42Xd?si=QaKJMSTXTcieHZuVVoll0g

Image Credits
Personal Photo: SmileForMyFriends Additional Photos 1. Baeth 2. SmileForMyFriends 3. Baeth 4. Jordan Margolin