Truly a musical citizen of the world, emerging singer, songwriter and producer Jayson De Buyl’s musical DNA is stamped with cultural inspirations from his unique dual heritage as the son of a Belgian father and Brazilian mother and being born in Brussels, then being raised in Rio De Janeiro (till age 7) and the sonic melting pot of Houston, TX.

Growing up, his father further blessed him with influences from his younger years touring in Belgian classic rock bands, educating Jayson on everyone from Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley to late 80s icons like Bobby Brown. Jayson’s passion for stylistic everything 80s carried through his childhood, serving him brilliantly when he discovered his vocal gifts as a singer in high school. A close friend invited him to a recording session and heard Jayson humming along to one of the songs. He urged him to hum into the mic. Feeling immediately at home in the studio, Jayson liked the way he sounded and quickly realized what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Much like the way Bruno Mars - one of his favorite contemporary artists growing up – ventured successfully into the Grammy winning duo Silk Sonic, Jayson complements his burgeoning solo career by vibing with his equally multi-talented friend Jon Glenn as the newly formed duo Velvet Rays. Jayson describes their infectious, easy vibing debut single “Something Different” – due to drop in February 2024 – as a tune “that reflects our mutual love of R&B and soul music and the artists we love, along with unique cadences and how we like to execute our collective vision.” He adds, “When we decided to create together as Velvet Rays, this was one of the first songs we wrote. We connected powerfully and the flow was perfect. We found a way to forge our sounds as individual artists into something special.”

In addition to music, Jayson has always had a passion for the visual arts and is a multi-talented film and video production editor. He hooked up with Jon through a mutual friend when Jon was enrolled in a film class at Houston Community College and needed his editing help for a final exam. A personal and creative friendship blossomed and as they were collaborating on a short film, Jon listened to some of Jayson’s music and immediately liked his voice. This was high praise coming from an artist who had toured the world as a solo artist whose band The Stereo Hoggz had been Top Ten finalists on “X Factor USA” and was a co-writer on Kenny Lattimore’s 2021 song “All In.”

“Besides being great friends and both having a strong work ethic, one of the keys to what makes Velvet Rays unique is that we have a gray area where the music Jon loves meets mine. Besides all those 80s icons like New Edition, Phil Collins and Bryan Adams, I’m very influenced by Aaron Ray and Backstreet Boys. Jon leans more towards 70’s and 90’s R&B. We put contemporary twists on all those inspirations without overthinking our process. We somehow make everything co-exist and make sense. It just hits the soul right. I feel like I can learn so much about myself as an artist by working with Jon. For now, I’m equally committed to my solo career and Velvet Rays.”    

Once Jayson discovered his talents as a singer, songwriting came very naturally to him as well. He’s been trying lately to take a different approach with his lyrics and how he goes about working in his studio. Yet in general, he will start with beats on his Logic Pro system and find melodies within them. Then he’ll stop, listen and hum it out to see what fits the vibe best. As a lyricist, he doesn’t “just Taylor Swift a song,” i.e. write about one specific person or event. He usually replaces a topic with a feeling – something he’s felt in the past, feels in the present or hopes to feel in the future.  

As a kid, Jayson spent hours watching movies, getting great enjoyment imitating the actors and their characters and re-enacting scenes. Even as he thrives in his musical career, he can see himself pursuing acting and film directing opportunities in the future. In the summer of 2022, he received an invitation to intern at Film 44, under the leadership and guidance of acclaimed filmmaker Peter Berg, further developing his craft and knowledge in the creative, while participating in meetings for and gaining on-set experience aiding in commercials for BetMGM with Jamie Foxx, Kevin Garnett, Marshawn Lynch and others. Reading scripts and learning more about the business side of the industry whet his appetite for future creative endeavors.

“I’m excited about recording and performing with Velvet Rays and my next solo project, which will be a full-on R&B recording,” says Jayson. “I’m grateful for everyone who supports and encourages me, my wonderful friends and family and the genuine loyal fans who are keeping up with me and keeping me inspired. I feel blessed by all of them and am excited to see how everything develops in the future.”