Laye is a visionary singer-songwriter from Montreal who fearlessly navigates her own path in the realm of music, crafting atmospheric pop that captivates the senses while staying true to her artistic vision and poetic lyricism. She seamlessly weaves together visuals that intertwine with her poignant lyrics, forming a symbiotic relationship where each element feeds off the other.
With her atmospheric vocals and melancholic aesthetic, laye’s music perfectly complements her sultry, alternative-flavored pop sound. Her recent release, the provocatively titled touching myself, is a raw and audacious exploration of an internal dialogue that blurs the lines between right and wrong, lust and fantasizing, all within the context of a relationship. This follows the success of her previous track, blue, a song that speaks to the lovers striving to unlearn past toxic tendencies.
Join us as laye offers a glimpse into her world in an exclusive interview, unraveling the inspirations, experiences, and artistic process that shape her music.
What initially drew you to pursue a music career? Was there a specific moment or experience that ignited your passion?
I’ve always loved singing, but I’ve also always loved writing. I used to constantly write poetry and that sort of naturally turned into writing lyrics. I learnt to play enough chords on the guitar to play and write to and eventually, I started playing my own music at open mic nights around Montreal. At some point, I decided to just really dive into it as a career as opposed to a hobby.
How would you describe your musical style and the genre(s) you identify with? Are there any particular artists or musicians who have influenced your sound?
I think my musical style is constantly changing. My current project is definitely in a different lane than my last, while also not being too much of a jump. It’s more in the production style. I knew that this time around I wanted the music to have more of a live element to it, and a bit more grunge. I’d say my current style has 90s / early 2000s rock influences, while still blending well with my more singer-songwriter background. Growing up I definitely listened to Dido and Norah Jones quite a bit because that was what was playing around my house. I loved Avril Lavigne. There was a stage in high school where I kind of discovered a lot of music through Mahogany Sessions. A lot of more indie bands, I loved Daughter, Kodaline, Bon Iver, and many more.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “touching myself”? What sparked the creative process for this particular piece?
I went into that session with the concept in mind and I think at that point it was like if you’re going to go there and “touch” on this subject, then really go there. I stayed true to myself and the feelings I wanted to convey while also pushing it a tad bit further. Production-wise I had played one of my other songs on my upcoming EP as a reference to Brian [Phillips, co-songwriter and producer for “touching myself” who has worked with Lennon Stella, Bebe Rexha, Blink-182] and Brian is crazy with production and all instruments so he really did his own thing there. I just love the absolute total rawness of it all, lyrically and sonically. I think I definitely pulled some inspo from 9 Crimes by Damien Rice as well. The lyricism and story of that song is beautiful and tragic.
Are there any particular personal experiences or events that influenced the lyrics or composition of your new song?
I think most people have had some sort of moment where they might have been with someone that they weren’t meant to be with. Or their mind was elsewhere, and so ya, it definitely came from a real place. I need my music to resonate with myself more than anyone else or anything. But like I said, I pushed the boundaries lyrically.
How do you envision “touching myself” resonating with your fans and connecting with new listeners? And what message or emotions do you hope listeners will take away from the song?
I guess I hope it finds an audience that: A.) relate to it lyrically and wanna bump it 24/7 OR B.) it finds an audience that just enjoys the song despite the lyrics and the context because the musicality and the whole feel of it is just a good time. I think it’s done in such a fun way where it can just be a song others listen to for fun, without the lyrics resonating with them. I’m honestly just really proud of this song and I hope it finds people that can love it and bump it regardless of what it’s talking about.
How does “touching myself” fit within the larger narrative or theme of your upcoming album or project?
This project kind of has a messier feel to it, lyrically definitely but also sonically because they’re less polished songs, in a way, because like I said, I really wanted a live aspect to the music. When you play them live I want them to feel like that’s how they were meant to be played. It’s disgruntled and “touching myself” is definitely another messy song on the project. I really wanted this project to be as raw as possible even if the subject matter is a little more sensitive and hard to talk about. I feel like “touching myself” is the perfect example of; “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a music artist, and how did you overcome it?
Staying positive has definitely got to be the biggest challenge because as an up and coming artist you can’t take anything for granted, and you don’t know when something will catch on or not and it’s quite daunting. But that’s also the thrill of it too I guess, because when the music starts resonating with others, it feels great.
Have you had any notable collaborations with other artists? Is there someone in particular you would love to collaborate with in the future?
There are so many other artists I’d love to collaborate with, to name a few Bon Iver, Dido, Daughter, Damien Rice.
How do you stay creatively inspired and motivated? Are there any rituals or habits that you find helpful in maintaining your artistic drive?
I’ve lightly started meditation and I want to dive into that more because it does help me feel grounded and it puts me in a good place ahead of creating but ya, it’s tough. I feel like I’m always inspired but I find the motivation part harder. I think the best thing for me is to just continuously throw myself into sessions when I’m not in a good headspace because that’s usually what helps motivate me and get me back into the swing of things. Going through the motions and then feeling the high of creating a new song that didn’t exist before no matter what the outcome of that session was.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you’re particularly excited about? Can you provide any sneak peeks or details?
Yes. Everything I’m about to release this year!!! I’m so excited about it all. I have an EP coming out and the next song I’m releasing comes out in July. I can say that that song is really the heart of this project so I’m completely excited about its release. It’s also the only song on this project that has a full music video accompanying it. And like…maybe I can give away its name? It’s called “unhappier” <3 !!!!!!!!! I can’t wait! Also I’m back in the studio working on the next project, so music music music!
touching myself by laye is out now.
