Artist Interview: Jordan Payne of Downshift

Where is the band from?

East central Indiana. Most members are from the Richmond, Indiana area, but our studio/practice space is in New Castle, IN.

How did you guys come together to form Downshift?

Myself (Jordan Payne) and Aaron Parrett (a previous member) had written the songs on the album “one in the chamber” and we were looking to build the right group of guys around it. A mutual friend of ours was playing bass at the time, and introduced us to Jordan McAdams (drummer). The night before his tryout, another mutual friend of Aaron and I’s (Clayton barber), had reached out to me asking if I knew of any bands looking for a guitarist. We really weren’t looking at the time, but having known his immense talent level, we decided he was worth making room for. After a year or so of this lineup being together, Aaron Parrett and our previous bass player amicably stepped away from the project.  That’s when we picked up Braden Slonaker, a long time friend and previous band member of other projects I had been in before. We decided to continue on as a 4 piece, and this has been the lineup ever since.

How did you decide on the name of the band/what is the meaning of the name?

We were stressing about the name for a few months actually. We wanted something that fit our sound. We were looking to “put the pedal to the metal” so to speak while we were writing “one in the chamber”. Casually, in a conversation, someone had said, “you just need to downshift on this situation”,meaning “you need to slow down and gather yourself”. When I heard that, I said, “what did you just say?” The person said, “what, downshift?” And I said, “that’s it…that’s the name we’ve been looking for…that’s the band name.”

Do you/the band have a musical history outside of the band? Example: choir, band in high school, other projects, etc.

Definitely. I was in choir all through school and took a little bit of music theory in high school. Braden Slonaker and myself were in a few different bands together in/after school. I know Jordan McAdams has played in multiple different bands, mostly metal. He’s also completed the better part of a four year online degree with Berklee College of Music. Clayton has filled in and sat in with a few other bands over the years as he has a local reputation of being a great guitarist…but this has been his first real project that he’s been a full time member of

What’s your coffee order?

I like my coffee black just like my metal (mindless self indulgence reference), but yeah…just black coffee with nothing else

What made you want to sing/how did you discover your vocal ability?

I don’t remember there being a specific moment I decided I wanted to sing…but it started at a very young age. I grew up loving country music (still do)…but I wanted to be a country singer as a kid. I took vocal lessons for a short time in elementary school and partook in all the voice things my tiny school had to offer. Fast forward, I was one of the only males in choir through middle school and high school…And though I loved rock music, I intended to pursue some sort of singer/songwriter direction. Shortly after, I joined a rock band as a guitarist with some friends of mine. We didn’t have a singer and we mostly just got together and made noise. One day I sat down with an acoustic and sang “the freshmen” by The Verve Pipe, and the guys went, “what the hell, we didn’t know you could sing?! You’re the singer”.  I’ve basically been singing rock music and trying to be better at it ever since.

What is a pro and a con of the music industry?

Well the pros are kind of obvious…being on stage in front of a bunch of people, creating art with people you love and care about, and meeting and getting to play shows with people you respect and/or look up to. However, there’s a flip side to all of that. Being in a creative project with three other people with slightly different tastes and backgrounds is hard to juggle. Sometimes we may write something and other members just aren’t moved by it the same way you are…or vice versa. It’s also very expensive if you’re trying to get an unknown project off the ground. The gear, traveling, trailers, trucks to haul them, ticket guarantees, website design, studio time, advertising, and rehearsal. It’s a full time job just accomplishing these things, not to mention funding it. However, it’s a labor of love. I’m happy to be a part of a project that has already grown to do things I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do.

Does the band have a band/musician/artist that you get inspired by? 

For me, if I had to pick one it would be Black Stone Cherry. I know Jordan McAdams loves He is Legend, and Clayton Loves Tremonti and Alter Bridge. When I asked Braden his biggest influence, he just said “Greta Thunberg”…I’d have expected him to say John Mayer though

If you could collaborate with someone, who would it be?

Well, from a business sense I should say something like Creed or Nickelback because they’re in the same genre and are internationally massive, but it would probably still be Chris Robertson from Black Stone Cherry.

How would you describe your genre?

Buttrock

Do you/the band have any pre-show rituals or routines? 

Other than just getting everything ready, I check my pulse a lot and usually 30 seconds before we go on, Jordan McAdams will say, “I don’t have a setlist”. 

Is post-show depression a thing for you/the band as much as it is for the audience who are glad they made it to a concert, but sad that it’s over?

Well, we tend to keep ourselves pretty busy so I don’t think so. We’ve started opening for bigger bands and people we always looked up to, so it’s mostly just all gratitude over here. If there’s a negative or somber feeling, it’s just because something didn’t go the way we wanted it to.

What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?

That’s hard to say. I’m tempted to say, “we just played with Buckcherry and it went really well and the crowd seemed to really like us”, but every time we play a show and sell a ticket or a t-shirt, I’m really dumbfounded by that. Recently, a few people thought enough of our project that they got our logo tattooed on them. Being a part of something people believe in, I think, is the most rewarding thing to me. It adds a lot of pressure. It’s like, well now this is tattooed on someone so the next song has to be great! *laughs, I don’t want to let people down.

What’s on your playlist right now?

Honestly? Harry Potter audio books.*laughs, I listen to audiobooks a lot. I work long hours and 10-12 hours of music every day is just a lot for me. Musicians don’t typically listen in the same way most people do. Other people hear a great song or a great voice…I hear that the pre-chorus lasted two measures and that they brought the acoustic guitar layer back in the chorus to make it a bigger sound. That’s just a lot to process for 12 hours straight. I’ve really been loving Tremontis new album and Luke Combs’s music here lately, though.

Are you/the band working on any albums/projects/collabs at this time?

Yes! We just had a studio session and recorded a new track. We’re still doing final touches of production on it but it’s sounding great so far. We also have quite a few new songs up our sleeve that haven’t been recorded/released yet, so we will be working on those soon, too. We think most of what we’ll be releasing in the future will be singles, as people smarter than me say this is the best way to keep yourself in a Spotify algorithm and spread your music to new listeners. I’d love to do another album though!

Is there anything you want to say to your fans?

I guess just, “thank you”. The people that listen to us and show up to shows and buy merch support us in more ways than they know. The hard times are easier to get through when you know other people believe in you. It also makes the good times so much better. We’re working hard to write the best music we’ve ever written and will be sharing it with you guys soon!