PEYTON’S R CONNECTION
AW POWERFUL GORGEOUS by david vera
CHRISTOPHER PEYTON grew singing gospel while his father, a traveling evangelist preached throughout North Carolina. It was in that musical tradition that his talent was nurtured, allowing him to develop his powerful voice and style.—a foundation that laid the groundwork for his unique gospel tinged dance anthems that continue to rock the dance floors around the world. This “Master of Music” took the time to speak with us at The Rage Monthly about his music, style and what drives him as he performs around the world.
“I can perform just as passionately for five as I can for five thousand, as long as there’s a connection and the energy is flowing both ways!”
The flow of your music and voice radiate so much soul and positivity. Having been raised in the South of the U.S., were your experiences growing up responsible for your current musical mood? Growing up the son of a Pentecostal preacher
definitely influenced everything in my life, especially my voice and music. I have always drawn a lot of my musical influences from Gospel and soul and the positivity in many of my tracks can also be attributed to having been raised by such loving parents with a solid foundation in faith. Your website’s biography indicates that you lived in quite a few parts of the world at a young age. Was it the need to study music that fueled your travels across the globe? No, I’d say it was more my need to study life that
fueled my travels. I knew from an early age that I wanted my life to be much bigger than what I’d been shown growing up. I always craved adventure and I knew that in order for me to be happy I was going to have to set my parameters a lot wider! What specifically made you finally settle in London? I first went to the U.K. to study for part of my under-
graduate degree and then my post-graduate degree. A few years later I moved to N.Y.C. and fell in love with a British artist and we moved back to London together. The romance with the artist ended, but my love affair with England carries on. The track “All That Matters” reminds me of that kind of love that consumes and alters perception. It’s quite nice. Was it written for someone in particular? QUITE NICE???? It’s bloody GORGEOUS!! Ha-ha.
38 RAGE monthly | JULY 2012
Actually, funny you should mention that track be- cause it’s certainly one of the songs I’m proudest of. I wrote it about a love affair that came along just when I needed it, which really helped me to believe in love again, even though while it was happening I knew that it was only meant to be for the few days that we were together. Hence the lyric – today, today, today, all that matters is today! Your grasp of dance music spans from anthemic pulse-racers to smooth chill-out tracks. When you aren’t developing new sounds, what styles and musicians inspire you? I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve lived and
breathed dance music for so many years now that when I’m not working, all I want to hear is Nina Sim- one, Ella Fitzgerald and anything else that isn’t 126 b.p.m! (that’s beats per minute for anyone not famil- iar with dance music jargon) I love my classic soul and jazz singers, and I love music that inspires me lyrically. Unfortunately, in my not-so-humble opinion, dance music has changed a lot in the last decade and I find it less and less inspiring. I’m sure you get this a lot, but your vocal style has a powerful, somewhat Michael McDonald quality. Very refreshing to hear such raw skill as opposed to the manicured pop treat- ment found everywhere else. Did you always have such an “adult” singing voice? I think having spent the last ten years singing my
gospel guts out in nightclubs that very often are not technically set up for live vocal performances has forced me to develop a certain strength and rawness which helps me to be effective, even when every-
thing technically is working against me. What is your personal favorite part of performing in front of your audiences? For me it’s all about connection. Of course it’s ideal
when you can feel that the majority of your audience is connecting with you, but there are times when you just have to focus on one or two people who are completely engaged and perform just for them. I can perform just as passionately for five as I can for five thousand, as long as there’s a connection and the energy is flowing both ways!” We anxiously anticipate The Zoo Party every year at Rage, do you have a specific set of your songs ready for San Diego? Let’s just say, it will be a very special performance
and unlike anything that has happened before at one of these parties. I have literally been looking forward to it for a year! On your downtime, if you are afforded downtime, how do you like to relax and
unwind...and with whom? I have recently moved from London to Ibiza, and
what I love more than anything is just cooking and relaxing with close friends or spending quiet time by myself, or in the company of a good bottle of Rioja. You literally have to pay to get me to a bar or a club these days . . . and thankfully, they do!
Peyton will grace the stage over the San Diego Pride weekend at Bill Hardt’s annual Zoo Party on Sunday, July 22, so get your tickets and be prepared to “Celebrate” with this “Minister of Music!” For tickets go to
billhardtpresents.com.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76