Photo credit: Leah Lewis
Your new single, “Bad Influence” has gotten an amazing reaction from your supporters. What has been your thought about the reaction of the song?
I have been so stoked about the reaction to the song. It’s a song that’s supposed to make you feel good and get a little wild, and that’s exactly what people have been telling me about it. So really I couldn’t be more pumped.
How did the idea for this song come about? & Can you tell us the meaning behind the name “Bad Influence”?
This song is all about guilty pleasures. Doing things that make you feel good but also a little “bad.” I had the idea when I was in Mexico City. I was walking around, drinking a bunch of tequila, and I just kept thinking about how all the best stuff in life is stuff that’s a little bad for you. Or that we’re told we’re not “supposed” to do. So I wanted to write a song about how we break out of our day-to-day rhythms by like, causing a little trouble, you know? I mean, I’m not a total wild child, but I like to mix it up, party, and have a good time. If ya can’t have a little fun, what’s the point, right?
What’s the process of writing one of your songs?
Well, “Bad Influence” is a pretty good example of my process. I had started writing this song with a general feel. The vibe of the song started with the melody of the chorus and the beat. And that was kinda stuck in my head when I was in Mexico, and then this idea that I had fit the vibe of this melody. So from there I just sat down and started fitting in the words and then the rest of the song started to take shape around that. I tried to craft a verse and pre-chorus that would lead naturally to this destination I had created with the chorus. That’s kinda how I usually go. If I know where I’m aiming to land on the chorus, the rest of it all sort of just fits into place.
We are so excited to be premiering the music video for “Bad Influence”. How did the idea for this music video come about?
First of all, I’m so excited that you’re premiering it! I mean, that’s awesome. But the idea for this video was pretty simple. I just wanted it to capture the “energy” of the song. I wasn’t really going to a narrative video, just something that visually matched the vibe and intensity of the track. Outside of that, I just wanted it to be fun and have the clean white “pop” that you’ll see when you watch the video.
Any fun moments while creating the music video?
This video was such a blast to make, it’s hard to think of a moment that wasn’t fun. But if I had to narrow it down, I think the craziest part was that a lot of the shots in this video were shot on a drone that we were flying inside this little studio. So it was crazy when it would like zip by, blow your hair like crazy, make you want to duck for cover! But seriously, this was such a fun group of people to make a video with. We were pretty much laughing non-stop.
Do you have a creative say in your music and videos?
To be honest, I’ve got pretty much all of the creative say! That’s one of the joys of being an indie artist. My producer Ben Soldate and I work side by side on pretty much every musical element of the song, and I directed and edited this video. So yeah, pretty much every creative decision on this one came from me!
Are there any other projects in the works you can tell us about?
Oh man, I’m working on so many things right now. The next few things to look out for though are a new single, and a video to go along with that one. Then later this year the rest of this EP is coming out and there will be at least one more video with that. Then I’m gonna be playing a few shows around LA, hopefully putting together a little tour, maybe an acoustic session. You know, the works. Oh, and of course, I’m heading back into the studio in July to start working on the next record! So, lots of stuff. Lots of stuff.
What’s an average day like for you?
Well, I think that’s actually the best part of being an artist, the fact that no day is average. Everyday is a little bit different. I guess the only real consistent theme in my days is that I spend the majority of it creating. Whether that’s writing a song, working on artwork, editing a video, creating content for instagram, it’s always something. I just try to go to bed every night with something that I can listen to or look at that didn’t exist when I woke up that morning.
What social media platform do you use most to stay connected to your supporters?
Well, like most people these days I’m on a bunch of them. But my favorite is definitely instagram. I feel like that’s the best way to stay informed on what I’m up to, and it’s a really great platform for communicating with fans, friends, and family. So you should definitely follow me there at @paysonlewis.
We also wanted to ask about your process of picking cover songs since you have gotten coverage with Perez Hilton, Mashable and the Huffington Post for some of your covers! So, What is the process for you to pick the right song to cover?
I wish I had a process! Not with covers, I really just pick what I’m into at the moment. Maybe it’s something new that I’m into, maybe it’s an idea for a mashup, or sometimes just talking to a friend about doing a song together. Honestly, there’s no real method to it. It’s just kinda like whatever I feel like at the time.
Do you have any last things to tell your supporters?
Just want to thank everyone who has supported me so far. It’s really cool to see my music getting out there and connecting with people and hearing how they respond to it. But also, just stay tuned. I’m just getting started and it’s just gonna keep getting more and more fun. So seriously, hang on. It’s gonna be a fun ride!
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview!
Thank you so much for having me. I really hope you all like the video!
