It may not be his debut album, but Nothing Here’s the Same feels like a new beginning for Jonathan Peyton.
The brand new record from the Woodstock, Georgia based troubadour comes eight years after his true debut album Waters Below was released in 2016, but a whole lot has changed in both the country music landscape and Peyton’s life during the time between. While always a talented songwriter and vocalist, Peyton operated under relative regional obscurity until he was thrusted into a national spotlight on superstar Zach Bryan’s Belting Bronco series in 2021, and has joined him as support for many sold out shows across the country ever since.
As country music has evolved into a genre that now more than ever supports the independent and authentic artist, Peyton has been diligently honing his craft as a lyricist and musician behind the scenes for a decade now, and Bryan’s endorsement provided him with the platform for his music to reach a larger audience.
As a result, the opportunities he deserves have begun coming to fruition of late, and today’s release of the 12-track Nothing Here’s the Same is both the culmination of these opportunities and Peyton’s hard work, and simultaneously seems to be the start of what could be a shift in his budding career.
Produced by Sadler Vaden, the long time guitarist for Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit who has also been the producer on recent Drayton Farley and Morgan Wade albums, Peyton has surrounded himself with the necessary talent to make the next step in his career, and Nothing Here’s the Same is the first look at his bigger and better full band sound and the music he is truly capable of creating.
With heavy song content that is both introspective of Peyton’s life and an empathetic manifesto of the world surrounding him, Nothing Here’s the Same showcases Peyton’s innate ability to evoke emotion through his words as he reckons with a traumatic past, prepares for a better future, and grapples with the impact of change. Bolstered by the beautiful harmonies provided by his wife Abigail that have become a staple in his catalog, each track is a powerful glimpse into Peyton’s mind and impressive songwriting prowess.
When Peyton announced the album on Instagram a few months back, he provided some more insight into
“My new album Nothing Here’s the Same releases everywhere March 1st. This album is about change. Sometimes change is a good thing and sometimes it’s not. It can be necessary and painful.
It can be joyful and devastating. Sometimes the change within ourselves causes us to look at the world different. We’ve been working on this one for a while with Sadler Vaden and I can’t wait for you to here it.”
Check out Jonathan Peyton’s brand new record Nothing Here’s the Same below. Here’s a few of my early favorites:
“Anymore”
“There’s a part of you that will always believe
In the man that I am and the man that I could be
Some days get dark and I find it hard to see
But I know you’ll always be the better part of me”
“Indifference”
“As I watch my life turn ablaze to the sky
You turn around to make sure I was alright
That’s when you saw me runnin’ like a thief in the night
Back to the flames, to the place I call home
You follow me back so I wouldn’t be alone
But the ceiling gave way, it came crashing down on me
That’s when I woke in a sweat, I was shaken by the dream”
“Insane”
Temptation has its way when you feel like giving up
Never quench your thirst from an empty cup
We both know there’s a river flowing from your eyes
Tell me, are you waiting for the water to subside?
If so, I understand
Nothing here’s the same and it’s driving you insane
Darlin’ I can see it’s heavy on your mind
It’s time to rearrange all the plans that you had made
Darlin’ I can see you’re running out of time”
“No Amazing Grace”
“Between Your Lines”
“We’re walking on thin ice, it’s fragile as a thread
With every breath we take, hope withers then it’s dead”
A spectacular record from Jonathan Peyton and company, Since You’ve Been Gone has the potential to catalyze Peyton’s career and turn this into something bigger than I’d imagine he ever expected.
Only time will tell whether this comes true or not, but in the meantime, Peyton has a handful of headlining concerts coming up, and hopefully more to be announced, to promote the new project.
If he’s coming near your city, I highly recommend making the effort to catch a show before the venues get bigger and the tickets harder to find.
Jonathan Peyton Tour Dates
3/14 – Madlife Stage & Studios – Woodstock, GA
3/28 – Blue Jay Listening Room – Jacksonville, FL
4/17 – The Basement – Nashville, TN
4/28 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
5/11 – The Woodshop – Chattanooga, TN
6/8 – Laurel Cove Music Festival – Pineville, KY
8/2 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
9/7 – The Astra Theatre – Jasper, IN
