Lawson breaks 13-year live music silence with country set in Austin ahead of US Grand Prix

Liam Lawson stepped away from the Racing Bulls garage on Thursday evening to do something he had not done in over a decade: perform live music. The New Zealander took to the stage at the Esses Bazaar in Austin, playing a country set of covers alongside his brother Marcus and childhood friends Thomas and Harrison — his first public performance since he was 11 years old.

“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,” Lawson told People ahead of the show.

The group’s musical bond stretches back to their upbringing in New Zealand, where Lawson’s father introduced both sons to the guitar at an early age. Lawson went on to study for guitar exams over seven years and even wrote his own songs as a child, though he says he has no plans to return to songwriting now.

“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.”

The reunion set was performed on a signature Taylor guitar made for Lawson, and the show drew a notable Formula 1 crowd to Inn Cahoots on East Sixth Street, with Daniel Ricciardo, Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad among those watching from the audience. Racing Bulls later described it as “an unforgettable evening filled with music and friends”.

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

A throwback video Lawson posted before the show, showing him playing alongside his brother and childhood friends in younger years, had gathered more than 87,000 likes and 370 comments at the time of writing.

On track, Lawson heads into the United States Grand Prix sitting ninth in the drivers’ championship on 75 points.