Layke is a brilliant singer- songwriter and a force to be reckoned with. Layke (and her signature icy lavender hair) has created a limitless space through her groundbreaking music that defies societal norms. With a conservative upbringing in Dallas, Texas, Layke frequently felt like an outsider, or as her version of the idiom goes, a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. She ventured out to LA to pursue a music career and has been on the rise ever since. She got the amazing opportunity to collaborate with rap legend Snoop Dogg on a stellar remix of Marshmallow and Bastille’s “Happier”. With already two EPs released (Layke, Pt 1 and Layke, Pt 2) She is set to release her third EP Frequency which include songs “Frequency”, “Bad things”, “Tonight Can’t Be the Last Time”, “XOXO”, and “Going Out On a High”. Each song on the EP showcases her versatility in her music. Layke worked on this EP with Adrian and cowriters Sarah McTaggart (Transviolet) and Brandon Colbein (Hayley Kiyoko, JoJo). What we can expect from Frequency is dance-party beats with edgy, electronic undertones and introspective, next-level lyrics that spotlight the enigmatic LGBTQIA+community, as well as her own pansexual/bisexual status. Layke is quickly taking the world by storm and is unapologetically herself, shes someone you definitely want to check out and have in your next playlist! She recently released the newest single from Frequency “Tonight Can’t Be The Last Time” which is a dreamy track that is sure to get your excited for the whole EP.
We had the pleasure of getting to chat with Layke about the new EP, how quarantine has been treating her, and so much more, so check it out below!
Hey! Appreciate you taking the time to chat. For those who may not know who you are give us a little background on yourself.
Hi I’m Layke. I’m a singer songwriter recording artist based out of Los Angeles and I’ve recently put out some new music in the pop realm that I’m really excited about.
We’re in some weird times, how has quarantine been treating you? What are some things that have been keeping you sane?
My dog Zoltan for one. He’s a Shih Tzu Terrier Poodle mix and he is my little love bug. I’ve also been working out 4-5 days a week so I’m actually getting in really good shape so I’m not mad about that. And then my music coming out that is definitely putting a skip in my step. I was lucky that I had just finished mixing and mastering some music right before everything started with Covid so now I’m able to release it and I feel really lucky about that.
Have you been making any new music in this quarantine? If so has the process been any different?
I was focusing mostly on the releases like the current ones and then recording the videos for each one which I’ve been doing at my house on like a shoestring budget with barely any people. But now that things are rolling out I am going to be getting back in the studio and the process is going to be very much the same except we’re just gonna have to be very very careful and take all the safety precautions with social distancing and masks etc. And I have to be extremely careful because I have Crohn’s disease so having an auto immune disease I am hyper aware of everything that’s going on because I have to be.
You’re gearing up to release your new EP Frequency, can we expect completely different vibes on this one? How was the process behind recording it, any story behind the name?
This is definitely different than anything I’ve put out before. I’m definitely fully in the pop world now and that’s really exciting. At first it was a little scary because I really had to jump out of my comfort zone and there were some growing pains but I’m really really excited that we pushed it here because I think the music that I’m putting out now is the most me I’ve ever been….it’s the most honest I’ve ever been in my writing and my process.
The name of the EP was a natural progression. We wrote the song “Frequency” and it just made sense because I’m just on a different frequency now like I’ve elevated and we could all feel it.
How would you describe your music in three words?
Makes you feel.
You worked with Snoop Dogg on a remix of Marshmellow’s & Bastille’s “Happier”, how did that come to be? What was that like?
My producer Adrian Gurvitz has a long-standing relationship with Snoop. I told him that I wanted to cover the song and he thought it would be awesome to get someone like Snoop involved in to do something where we could actually make some good come out of this more than just a cover song. It all just came together.
Musically and lyrically “Bad Things” is such an amazing song and one with a lot of meaning. Makes you feel empowered every time you listen to it. Was that your intention behind the song?
Honestly I wrote the song because I was frustrated because certain people around me were casting judgment on my sexuality and how open I was being about it. It felt like I was being judged by my gay friends for not being gay enough and my straight friends for not being straight enough. And as a bisexual/pansexual individual I feel like a lot of people feel that and there was not any songs that really spoke about that and I was sick of it so we wrote a song about it. And it ended up being this amazing beautiful thing.
Which song or project of yours are you most proud of?
This entire EP honestly. It’s a huge level up for me. I really grew as an artist and human doing this. Off of this EP “Bad Things” and “XOXO” were a true evolution for me. This is the first time I was talking openly about my sexuality in my music. And both songs I wrote from my perspective as a queer individual. So these two songs are really important to me.
Is there a moment or memory in your life that you always want to hold onto? Or a moment that has taught you a lot?
There are many many moments. I have lived a good life and I’ve had a lot of fun and I fully intend to do more of that. But offhand one moment that I will never forget is Coachella the year Portishead and Prince played. Seeing Beth Gibbons on that stage in the desert singing her heart out was my version of a religious experience. And then seeing Prince I mean there are no words. Most of my moments that I wanna hold onto are from shows and seeing artists that I adore.
What music have you been jamming to lately? Favorite artists?
Really into the artist Kelechi. He calls his music romance pop and I’m just obsessed with the vibe. Check out “Forever Tonight”. I also really love Tayla Parx. She has some tracks that I could just dance around my house all day long to like “We Need to Talk”. And I’m loving Rina Sawayama’s new stuff sooooo good! Check out “Bad Friend”. All three of these songs are on my ‘Alien Desert Vibes’ playlist on Spotify check it out :)))
Lastly, once this whole quarantine is over, what is one thing you can’t wait to go out and do again? (Thanks again for your time!)
I just want to hug everybody that I love and tell them while I give them a huge hug that I love them. I think that’s the worst thing about all of this is being separated from your loved ones and not being able to really express fully in every which way that we want how much we love them. I miss my family and I can’t see them right now because of what’s going on. It’s definitely put a lot of things in perspective
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