Joelton Mayfield, singer-songwriter, will be playing at the Birdhouse Theatre at Blackbird Coffee on Friday, Oct. 13, with Styrofoam Winos at 7:00 p.m.
The singer-songwriter genre is known best for its honest storytelling and painstaking lyrics. These artists are exceptional in the craft of capturing the thoughts and feelings of masses and turning it into something meaningful that can resonate with others.
Mayfield is no stranger to this, as he writes cleverly from the heart, with thoughtful melodies and guitar riffs intentionally echoing his words.
Born in central Texas and Nashville-based since 2017, Mayfield graduated from Belmont University with a degree in English, explaining his attention to words and inter-contextual sublayers he brings to his work.
“At the end of the day, I start from a place of writing a folk or country song,” Mayfield said. “All of my influences and background come from that folk, country and Texas-country tradition mixed with growing up in church in the early 2000s.”
Mayfield attributes masterclass musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, as some of his biggest inspirations. Alongside this, he looks up to other artists, some lesser-known than others, like Charlie Pride, George Jones, Big Thief and Pavement.
Varying from song to song, Mayfield is constantly taking note of and jotting down new lyrics. The songs come together when he sits down with a guitar or piano and structures his ideas to chords.
In his debut EP, “I Hope You Make It,” Mayfield addresses a wide range of subjects, from love, loss and religion, with a country rock feel. This EP was released on Dec. 3, 2019, only a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a series of tour dates to follow that were ultimately canceled.
“I felt a sense of upward motion and upward trajectory, or at least, personally, figuring out how to tour and be an artist,” Mayfield said. “All of that got deleted completely out of my own control.”
Mayfield’s upcoming record, “Crowd Pleaser,” is expected to be released in 2024, nearly five years after his debut. Describing the record as “more all over the place,” he explores different genres and styles on the new album, with more indie rock and acoustic elements.
“I thought that the title was funny and appropriate to the fact that all of the songs kinda live in their own little world,” Mayfield said. “It feels a bit mixtapey.”
Mayfield is familiar with the Milledgeville area, having played a show back in spring of this year. A time period that he refers to as “water apocalypse,” in reference to the time Milledgeville was under a water boil advisory.
While laughing, he says it will be nice to actually be able to play for a crowd and talk to the audience and local residents.
“I look to a lot of my favorite songwriters for a sense of hope and help with navigating and coping with the very difficult world that we live in,” Mayfield said. “I hope to bring a sense of comfort or hope with a line or lyric that someone might latch onto or catch during a live show or recording. That’s my favorite part of music.”
