Liam Lawson Returns to Music After Decade-Long Hiatus with Surprise Austin Performance Ahead of USGP

Liam Lawson isn’t just in Austin to race behind the wheel of his Racing Bulls car. On Thursday, he made a surprise return to live music, performing his first gig in over a decade. Before taking the stage, he shared a nostalgic clip of himself playing guitar alongside his brother and childhood friends.

The throwback post quickly resonated with fans, amassing 87,000 likes and over 370 comments, as supporters expressed excitement about seeing the New Zealander during the race weekend at Circuit of the Americas.

Lawson performed at the Esses Bazaar on Thursday night ahead of the United States Grand Prix, reuniting with his brother Marcus and longtime friends Thomas and Harrison. The emotional performance marked his return to live music since his childhood appearance at age 11.

“I played in front of a crowd when I was 11, and that was the last time I did it. It’s been a long time,” he told People before the show.

Hailing from New Zealand, Lawson and his brother were introduced to guitar playing at an early age by their father.

“Music’s been in my life and my family’s life since I was very, very young,” Lawson said. “He got me and my brother into guitar when we were very young. We grew up basically playing together.”

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Jayce Illman / Getty Images

He also revealed that he spent seven years studying for guitar exams and even composed his own songs as a child, though he has no immediate plans to pursue songwriting professionally.

“It’s a cool opportunity to do this with my brother and a couple of friends that I’ve grown up playing with,” Lawson said. “To be honest, we haven’t done this for like 10 years.”

The intimate performance attracted several Formula 1 personalities, including Daniel Ricciardo, Isack Hadjar, and Arvid Lindblad, who filled the audience at Inn Cahoots on East Sixth Street.

For the occasion, Lawson performed a set predominantly featuring country cover songs on a custom Taylor guitar crafted specifically for him.

Racing Bulls later described the evening as “an unforgettable night filled with music and friendship.”

Currently sitting ninth in the drivers’ championship with 75 points, Lawson heads into this weekend’s contest at the Circuit of the Americas with momentum both on and off the track.

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