New Artist Payton Smith Plays Live in the New Country 99.1 Studio

Upcoming artist Payton Smith stopped by the New Country 99.1 studios yesterday and played his new single "Like I Knew You Would."

Payton Smith is proof that working hard, taking risks and finding just a little luck really does pay off. When the singer, songwriter and self-taught guitarist landed a slot on one of the smaller stages at CMA Fest in 2018, he decided to play as if he were headlining an arena, tearing through original songs like “92” and “Like I Knew You Would” all while delivering supercharged guitar solos Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Label Group, happened to be walking by that afternoon and the performance stopped him in his tracks.

A few weeks later, after sharing some demos with Borchetta, Payton answered his phone to learn that the label was offering him a record deal. "I proceeded to pull over and freak out," he says.