Rock’s Future Arrives Early: Peyton Spears Electrifies RockNPod Nashville
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Peyton’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peytonspears_music/
Peyton’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PeytonSpears_Music
Transcription of the interview with Peyton Spears
00:00:10:00 – 00:00:32:04
Jason
All right. Hey, what’s up, you guys? We are at Rock and Pod in Nashville. The Nashville fairgrounds. Tons of metal stuff going on today. Tons of interviews. And we have with us today Peyton Spears.
Peyton
Hey, how are you doing?
Jason
And I’ve already warned him that I’m not. That I didn’t do my research. But the good thing about that is that I’m going to ask all the dumb questions so that you can learn who this guy is.
00:00:32:05 – 00:00:54:09
Jason
So? So, Peyton, tell me, man, give me the like the bird’s, you know, overview of how you fit in in the music industry right now. Well, I’ve been playing for about ten years now. I’ve been playing for 15, 15 nice! I started playing when I was five. I just got like the first three albums I got were Sabbath, REO Speed wagon, AC, DC, and I just, I.
00:00:54:10 – 00:01:09:12
Unknown
So you’re telling me you have cool parents? Yeah. Right there. Yeah. Oh, these are the parents. The parents are here, y’all. They’re here.
Peyton
And I got this little because I saw how much I loved it. They got me this, like, little like Fender Squire, like mock guitar. And I just started playing.
Jason
My first guitar was a Fender Squire.
00:01:09:12 – 00:01:27:14
Peyton
Yeah, it’s like this red bar golf. And I just started, like, strumming on that and just, like, trying my best because I didn’t really have, like, YouTube or like, phones or anything to, like, go off of. So I just listened to the albums as much as possible, okay, to learn all the different stuff. And I just fell more and more in love, and I ended up getting really, really inspired by Randy Rhoads.
00:01:27:16 – 00:01:49:19
Peyton
Here’s my absolute favorite.
Jason
God rest his soul.
Peyton
Rest his soul. Yes. And like T-Rex, Megadeth, like all those bands I just love so much.
Jason
I love that the next generation is coming up listening to the stuff that I listened to.
Peyton
Yeah. Yeah. That’s fantastic. And I am trying my best to, like, kind of like exposure. Like being here today is just like an absolute, like, blessing and honor.
00:01:49:23 – 00:02:05:20
Peyton
Just to even, like, be sitting here talking to you right now and just.
Jason
Well, the fact that you’re here means that you’ve made a name for yourself.
Peyton
Yeah. I can’t believe it. It’s it’s slowly growing with me.
Jason
Tell me why. I mean, so so you picked up a guitar and your parents introduced you to great music?
Peyton
Yeah.
Jason
You started to love it.
00:02:05:20 – 00:02:22:11
Jason
Started strumming the guitar. What was next?
Peyton
I ended up really getting heavily, like, inspired by, like, Blizzard, obviously with Randy and stuff. And I really put a lot of my time. Mainly I started to play just like seven hours a day, eight hours a day, just like religiously playing and like learning as much as I possibly can.
00:02:22:12 – 00:02:37:12
Jason
That’s amazing. And I can’t even do that. That’s why I’m still not any good. It’s still not good. I got I got two guitars in the house. I can’t play to one of them worth of crap.
Peyton
and it just became like a religion to me. I was like, okay, I need to play, but I don’t play my days.
00:02:37:14 – 00:02:56:10
Peyton
And I was like, it just became a love that. Yeah, it’s just became so much to me. And it means so much that it’s like 24 friends and you could do so much. Yeah. And I love that freedom. The different you can express everything. It’s just so much fun to make your own stuff. And it’s just I like to create and just do it and I love it and it keeps on growing every single day.
00:02:56:12 – 00:02:59:08
Peyton
And here I am now
00:02:59:10 – 00:03:06:12
Jason
That’s fantastic, man. I mean, for you to have picked it up as a child and been so dedicated to playing that much time.
00:03:06:12 – 00:03:31:04
Jason
Yeah. It’s just it kind of boggles my mind because I’m thinking, hey, if I. If I play for an hour, I’m good, and you’re just blowing that out.
Jason
So at some point, obviously you’re getting really good, right?
Peyton
Yeah.
Jason
Tell me how you started to make a name for yourself?
Peyton
I tried to make a name for myself, like late 2020 or early 2021 when I decided to, like, okay, I want to at least do something to contribute to the music, the music industry.
00:03:31:04 – 00:03:49:18
Peyton
So I decided to make a YouTube channel and grow that a little bit. And that’s reached over five point 2500 subscribers right now, and it just keeps on like growing. My audience is just like growing more and more and the fan base.
Jason
So tell me what you’re doing on YouTube. I’ve never seen it, so, you could describe it to me.
00:03:49:18 – 00:04:08:21
Jason
What’s going on? What’s your what’s your, I would say stick, but what’s your theme and base?
Peyton
My theme is basically anything rock and retro because I just love the esthetic and like style of like the.
Jason
So a lot of like what’s going on in a lot of social media channels where people are picking, like a cover or something and just playing the cover for social media.
00:04:08:22 – 00:04:24:23
Peyton
Yeah.
Jason
And that’s how you kind of grow.
Peyton
Yeah, I start I started slowly putting out like more original content right now. I got a lot of stuff on my back, but I get that. I want to post soon. Okay. So that’ll regional stuff. Yeah. Original stuff. Yeah. And yeah, just stuff like that. Like covers. I don’t put anything on Spotify and that kind of stuff.
00:04:24:23 – 00:04:55:00
Peyton
No not yet, not yet. Okay.
Jason
But you’re headed that direction. Yeah. Very. Hopefully you should be.
Peyton
Yeah, yeah, yeah I hope to be in a band relatively soon, but it’s like my age. It’s kind of hard to find the same people with the same like vision.
Jason
I would imagine that. Yeah, but imagine that. So how would you feel if a band came to you and they were like, hey, you know, we play softer rock than what you’re used to playing, but you’d be able to easily play what they want to play.
00:04:55:02 – 00:05:17:19
Jason
Would that be satisfying for you?
Peyton
I think it would be very I think it’d be satisfactory to to be able to be more comfortable with musicians and play with the with the band.
Jason
Yeah, that chemistry with the band is more important than necessarily the music they want to play.
Peyton
Yeah, exactly. Then they can.
Jason
They’re probably not. If you’ve been playing this long, you’ve been playing that many hours, you’re probably going to be more talented than most people your age.
00:05:18:01 – 00:05:38:19
Peyton
Well, I wouldn’t say that. I’m good at that. I can’t put it at that. Okay. But, I think if I do run into a band that, like, wants to have me there, and they play not exactly what I’m looking for. I think the connections from them maybe might lead to something that would lead to something that would be more in my field of vision.
00:05:38:23 – 00:05:57:00
Peyton
What I wanted to make.
Jason
And are you are you wanting to be part of the more part of the writing, part of the band, or do you just want to be the the guitarist who shreds kind of both?
Peyton
I really am inspired by a lot of like, like poems and like songwriters. Okay, like Marc Bolan, a T-Rex. He is of genius.
00:05:57:00 – 00:06:24:08
Peyton
And, Ronnie James Dio like that songwriting is marvelous.
Jason
Oh yeah. And also, like, always makes me think of Jack black, too, because there is. Yeah, there’s a whole segment of his career that’s dedicated to those guys. Yeah, those kinds of lyrics like Destiny and the gods fighting each other and, you know, all these kinds of things and and their shine, the shining demon, you know, these kinds of lyrics that are epic in nature, almost.
00:06:24:10 – 00:06:46:14
Jason
You know, I don’t want to say cartoony, but but very, very animated. Animated, you know, novel ish, like these, these killer, comic books that, you know, we grew up looking at and enjoying and that kind of thing. And the lyrics that would describe those kinds of epic battles or what we’re talking about.
Peyton
Yeah, I love Jack black.
00:06:46:14 – 00:07:06:00
Peyton
He’s amazing. He’s a gem. And I also of like like I said about the songwriting, but the composition pieces of like, like I said, Randy Rhoads and like Marty Friedman of Megadeth, it’s not like that. Oh my God, those are. Yeah, that’s like very inspiring. And I want to like, hopefully combine the two and make something like, like the people like, you know, listen to him.
00:07:06:02 – 00:07:22:12
Jason
Right. Yeah. Yeah. So let’s go back to your your dedication to the music. So what does a day look like? You said earlier that, if you didn’t play in a day, something was wrong. It wasn’t a good day if you didn’t play right. So. Yeah. So if you sit down to play or don’t even sit down, maybe you’re standing up.
00:07:22:15 – 00:07:41:15
Jason
Yeah, but if you decide, hey, I’m gonna play right now, what is the what does an average day session look like to you for your practice?
Peyton
Average day session? I usually start out with scales like fringy and then like like the classic stuff like that.
Jason
So you’re not just playing tab or chords, you’re learning the actual music. Yeah.
00:07:41:17 – 00:08:01:03
Peyton
Because I want to go hopefully go to college for.
Jason
And do you, do you have an instructor now?
Peyton
I do not. I’ve never been, professionally instructed. And although I’ve always been, like, self-taught.
Jason
Okay. But and you’re teaching yourself skills like that.
Peyton
Yeah. I try my best to rock and roll. Yeah.
Jason
That’s great. Awesome.
Peyton
I just, I just start off, like, maybe 30, 45 minutes, just what, the scales.
00:08:01:05 – 00:08:15:08
Peyton
And then usually about an hour or two, just like jamming. Okay. Writing my own material and about an hour, just like fiddling with like with it with, like whatever.
Jason
Coming up with cool tones.
Peyton
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what I love most of the time. It’s it’s so much fun.
Jason
And that’s a basic day of playing the guitar.
Peyton
Yeah.
00:08:15:08 – 00:08:36:09
Peyton
Pretty much. I usually wake up the morning.
Jason
Do you have time for school?
Peyton
Oh yeah. Sometimes this is when you get home from school like.
Jason
And so in between getting home from school, getting yourself a snack and Yeah. And guitar.
Peyton
Yeah. Pretty much it like I get home school immediate. Yeah. There. And even when I’m at school and like in class if I get bored or something, I usually have like a, I know plug like 2 or 3.
00:08:36:09 – 00:08:52:14
Peyton
No. Those are just like, like band names.
Jason
Are you taking music in school?
Peyton
No, no no I’m not. No, they don’t really have like, programs like that.
Jason
They can’t handle you. They can’t handle a musician like this at a school.
Peyton
Yeah, but I would love to.
Jason
So what are your buddies like?
00:08:52:14 – 00:09:14:12
Like at school. I mean, are you. I mean, you’re 15, my son’s 14, so. Yeah. You know, are you all wrestling around and and beat each other up and stuff and and and farting and all that kind of stuff. Where have you are you like an adult in a 15 year old’s body?
Peyton
I feel I feel like a very old soul when it comes to that, because everybody tells me like, dude, like why he’s like this.
00:09:14:16 – 00:09:33:11
Peyton
Yeah, because I feel like the outlier. But I kind of take pride in that a lot. Me, me and my buddies, we joke and goof around and do what? Like, you know, teenagers do.
Jason
And are they musicians?
Peyton
No, they’re not, they’re not, they’re
Jason
you’re the. Yeah. You’re the stand out in the crowd.
Peyton
Yeah, yeah. There’s like 2 or 3 musicians, but they’re seniors and they’re getting ready to graduate and doing their own like, projects and stuff.
00:09:33:13 – 00:09:54:20
Peyton
So I feel like I’m just here like, like in deep water trying to figure out, like trying to surface. Yeah. Well, and yeah, I just feel I mean,
Jason
but but you’re getting feedback from the internet. Yeah. What is that like? So obviously this is going to be on YouTube.
Peyton
Yeah.
Jason
Well what has your YouTube response been like?
00:09:54:20 – 00:10:11:08
Jason
It’s since the beginning. Since you everybody’s first video is garbage.
Peyton
Yeah.
Jason
It was all everybody’s first video is garbage. So if you want to do YouTube, don’t worry about your first video. Yeah, it’s bad to be bad. So what is the feedback been like? Because I know there’s people that are like, you suck. You should never do this ever again.
00:10:11:10 – 00:10:27:08
Jason
Go kill yourself.
Jason
You know, I’ve I’ve actually seen people comment that on and
Peyton
that’s awful.
Jason
It is. It is awful. So how has that changed from when you started your first video to where you are now?
Peyton
When I first started my first video, I mean, it’s as always, do you get like negative feedback and then you get positive feedback.
00:10:27:10 – 00:10:46:21
Peyton
So I’ve obviously when I first I got a lot of that negative feedback because nobody knows who I am. And they’re still trying to get to know me. So I used to get like a lot of homophobic comments and stuff like that. Like just like trash. Yeah. And like awful. Like it’s like he’s stuff, it’s awful. And but it’s got a lot better a lot better.
00:10:46:21 – 00:11:03:15
Peyton
Like, I’ve been doing YouTube for about 3 or 4 years now. Yeah. And like I said, like the first video is awful is when I did a trash.
Jason
I will never hold that against you. I did a trash cover for the moon that I deleted. Yeah, I delete it. It’s bad. It’s awful. The tone was like screechy was bad.
00:11:03:17 – 00:11:21:14
Peyton
And I did that and like, oh,
Jason
Your buddies are like, hey man, I saw your video and uh delete it. You’ve still got time to think that.
Peyton
Yeah. And I just started making more videos and like, honing my craft a lot more. Yeah. And it’s just been so much fun, I guess.
Jason
How often are you, releasing a YouTube video?
00:11:21:16 – 00:11:38:03
Peyton
I try to every try to every day, but usually like, every time with, like.
Jason
So that’s gotta be good for the algorithm, right?
Peyton
Yeah. I usually like the past.
Jason
How many videos you think are on your account?
Peyton
I think last time I said there’s like a 405, 405, which is pretty, which is pretty decent for like four years
Jason
100%.
00:11:38:05 – 00:11:54:11
Jason
Yeah, that’s great.
Peyton
But like now you can’t really do it every day because I guess, like plans like trips and stuff.
Jason
So what’s your setup at home? Obviously there’s YouTube, you got video going. You got a camera?
Peyton
Yeah, I got a camera.
Jason
What’s your what’s your camera you’re using?
Peyton
My phone I don’t
Jason
okay. Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that, a lot of my intros are on the phone.
00:11:54:12 – 00:12:10:14
Peyton
Yeah, I just use a phone. I use like a galaxy. It’s not nothing fancy. I just have, like, a cheap.
Jason
And is that how you’re getting your audio to just straight through the phone?
Peyton
I actually use a really good, like, hooked up mic I got from like I think Amazon for like, $50
Jason
Straight on your amp or do you have it in the room?
Peyton
have it in the room in one on my amp too.
00:12:10:17 – 00:12:26:07
Peyton
Okay. Yeah. And my setup is just kind of like
Jason
doubling up. Yeah.
Peyton
I guess I don’t know.
Jason
Sounds good dude.
Peyton
Yeah, I have a little I have a line six spider three, which is just a basic combo amp. I want like a really good Marshall stack. Yeah. Maybe a Les Paul soon. Yeah. But yeah, my background is.
00:12:26:07 – 00:12:39:10
Jason
So you just get on. I’m imagining your YouTube channel right now. So you just get on and say, hey, I got this on, and I’m going to play this. Let me know if you like it, but is that kind of what you get?
Peyton
Pretty much, I like it. I view it as like a promo for like something I saw.
00:12:39:10 – 00:12:58:07
Peyton
I use like an ad, like say, oh, today I’m basically just going to do this. Do you guys like it? Like a, like the basic stuff like that. Right. And people apparently like it, you know,
Jason
I guess you said you had what, 25, 5000 subscribers. 5000 subscribers?
Peyton
Yeah,
Jason
that’s pretty damn good.
Peyton
It’s pretty decent
Jason
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:58:09 – 00:13:17:02
Jason
So you’ve passed the 1000 subscribers. Have you passed, what, 3000 hours is, what it is. Are you into monetization yet?
Peyton
I am in in monetization. I just got monetized. Yeah. So I’m starting to make money.
Jason
Okay?
Peyton
And it’s amazing.
Jason
What are the first checks look like?
Peyton
I mean, I mainly do shorts, though, like, they’re not that much.
00:13:17:05 – 00:13:32:00
Peyton
I mean, I make $10, like, a week. Like, I think last week, I made, like,
Jason
dude, as a high schooler, and all you’re doing is shred, and that’s pretty damn good. And it’s only going to get better.
Peyton
Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And hopefully it gets I’m I’m sure it will like some more higher end money with like the more videos I put out and stuff.
00:13:32:00 – 00:13:56:21
Jason
So all the people who are doing YouTube channels like let’s talk about this because he’s basically giving you the formula that I’ve discovered as well from other, topics on YouTube is that if you’re promoting yourself on a regular basis, you’re consistent, you’re posting more and more videos, you’ve got, a set time when you’re going to be putting these videos out.
00:13:56:21 – 00:14:14:07
Jason
People can predict when you’re going to do it. You have 400 something videos and you just now made ten bucks. Yeah, but it’s only going to get better. So yeah, this is the real YouTube right here. Yes, yes, there are people out there that make one video and it blows up and they start making money. They get monetized.
00:14:14:07 – 00:14:30:16
Jason
Yeah. Right. Yeah. That’s few and far between. The real YouTube is people who put the work in and continue continue work both like that’s what you’re doing
Peyton
Thank you. Yeah, yeah.
Jason
I mean I consider that kind of a job. I mean yeah, I do wonder how do your parents feel about that.
Peyton
Oh they love it
Jason
like you’re about to turn 16.
00:14:30:16 – 00:14:53:10
Jason
Are they gonna make you go cut grass or what seriously?
Peyton
Yeah, I’m probably going to get a job relatively soon, but, right now with, like, why you do doing so well and, like, all these fantastic connections and being here today. Yeah.
Jason
And possibly if you get some collaborations on your YouTube. Yeah. If you work, you know, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I watch Kiki Wongo.
00:14:53:10 – 00:15:19:05
Jason
Have you seen her? Oh, she’s on social media. She’s the guitarist now for Smashing Pumpkins. Yes. Well, she made herself. I think she made herself well known on her Instagram. Yeah, just by getting on there and playing, cool riffs. Yeah. Right. And, but then she started collaborating with other creators. Yeah. Right. And someone with some other YouTube star that made their name playing the drums.
00:15:19:06 – 00:15:36:13
Jason
Playing the drums? Yeah. To, a beat that they’re both. And then she shreds over the top of that. And then that, you know, just naturally. Yeah, she got more and more followers, more and more followers. If you did something like that, find you some other kids your age on YouTube that are doing the same thing, hey, let’s do a collab.
00:15:36:15 – 00:15:50:17
Peyton
Yeah, it’d be amazing. I know Tyler Lawson from Music Could Win. Okay, he’s going to be here today. I’d love to conversate with him and talk to him.
Jason
That’s what these events are for, talking to people. Yeah, I’d love to meet him.
Peyton
I remember, I remember starting out watching art of the guitar and like Stevie T and music is win.
00:15:50:17 – 00:16:08:10
Peyton
And that was like being like really big inspirations. Yeah, yeah. And the fact that he’s here today is mind blowing.
Jason
That dude. That’s fantastic. He’s got nowhere but up to go. How are we doing on time? We’re good. I don’t want to run you over your next interview. Are you good? I’m just running my mouth over here.
00:16:08:10 – 00:16:12:20
Jason
What? I’m to. What’s it say?
00:16:15:16 – 00:16:35:05
Jason
Couple minutes over. All right. Well, so I don’t know where YouTube is. What is your YouTube?
Peyton
Its Peyton Spears music. You just go to a Peyton Spears music on YouTube. Instagram. It should be like one of the first thing that pops up. Yeah, check it out.
Jason
Add to his audience. And if you’re somebody who wants to collaborate, are we talking about that?
00:16:35:06 – 00:16:51:19
Jason
We’re gonna say, yeah, yeah,
Peyton
Somebody wants to collaborate with me. Yeah, make some new cool collaborative videos, man. You can email me, DM me on Instagram. Absolutely. If you guys love rock and metal, just check me out. I think you guys like it.
Jason
Rock n roll. That’s a great way to end. That’s great.
Peyton
Subscribe to them too they’re [Nashville Rocks] awesome.
00:16:51:19 – 00:17:06:22
Jason
What’s that?
Peyton
Subscribe to them [Nashville Rocks] all. Freaking awesome. Nashville Rocks. That’s right. We probably have you back if you want to come back.
Peyton
Oh, yeah man. Yeah.
Jason
Oh, we could probably use some of your videos in the show and it would make a full show.
Peyton
That would be amazing.
Jason
Yeah, that’s it, all right, dude
Peyton
thank you so much, man.
00:17:07:03 – 00:17:13:08
Jason
Yeah, we’re out.
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Nashville Rocks is a music promoter in the Nashville area focusing on independent musicians and much more. From producing music videos to producing live shows, to multiple media outlets on the web, social, podcast and more.
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