Interview: laye
By Sophie Minello
With her powerful debut album Lonesome on the shelves, laye has much more in store.
Photo by Kyla Mah
You released an album in July. What did reaching that big milestone mean to you?
It was a good feeling to have it done and out there for everyone- but it just made me start thinking about the next one, and ways to better it.
For new fans, describe your music in 3 words.
Dark. Tasty. Licorice.
Your staple seems to be the idea of loneliness. It plays in to your social media @, your song titles, and your literal album title. Why is that?
Well ultimately lonesome came to me one day after the album was finished and I really liked the sound and feeling of it. And after sitting down and going through the final songs and their meanings it just made sense- with songs like ‘lonely anthem’, and lyrics involving ‘lonely’ that appeared a few times, all non-planned because these songs had been done over a few years with different producers and what not- it was a theme that formed itself. But as soon as I knew that that was the name of my album I decided to incorporate it into my socials, switching my handles to @lonelylaye as a sort of teaser for it- get it into people’s ears and sight before the album dropped. I’m already wanting to change it but it felt right for now.
Your branding / vibe circles around a creepy, eerie, and beautiful aesthetic. How did you develop this look?
I try to make my aesthetic portray who I am, myself, laye. I want it to be a reflection of me and I think that the more they all line up the better it is, the truer my art is.
Emotion is the focus of your music. Is it ever hard to be vulnerable through your music in that way?
Ya, for sure, I’m not too good at expressing myself out loud sometimes, but in writing it’s different and I almost feel more disconnected. If I were to say some of the things I write out loud to someone I wouldn’t feel comfortable but in song form it almost generalizes it in a way, and it can be about anyone.
You’ve done a lot of collaborations. What was your experience with that?
Ultimately good, it’s all been a learning experience. You figure out who you click with.
Are there any big lessons that you’ve learned about music throughout your years of songwriting?
It’s a hard thing to pursue but that’s what makes it so rewarding.
What’s in store for the future of laye?
Keep your eyeballs out for a tour!