Rising Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ivory Layne is standing in a lane of her own. Exploring themes of personal growth, love, and mental health, her new EP Confetti is a powerful display of her rousing voice and strong songwriting.
The EP starts off strong with the powerful soul/pop tune “December.” The poignant tune is an ode to letting go of things that have served their purpose in our lives. Whether a person, place, or thing, it’s important to move on once we notice the eclipse upon us in order for us to grow. Following “December” is the chilling song “Lonely Hearts.” It’s a heart-breaking tune that cautions you about the hurt you’ll face when met with rejection. Layne laments about willingly giving her heart up so easily, saying “I’m used to the risk, pouring all my love in” and ultimately beckons the listener to “hold on to your heart.”
The title track “Confetti” is a steady ballad that puts Layne’s emotions front and center. Her vocal performance is one of the most soul-crushing displays on the whole EP. You can hear her struggle with letting go of something that has hurt her as the background vocals echo “I don’t think I’m ready.” The final tune “God Save The Queen” is a much more lighthearted track. Poising itself as a feminist anthem, this tune is a true rallying cry meant to bring all the ladies together, declaring “we don’t have to be members of a dying breed.”
The EP brought out a lot of personal facets of Layne and tested her talents as a writer and human, saying:
“I began this EP having barely co-written, never been in a relationship, still new to Nashville, and with one academic trip abroad under my belt. I finished writing it last year in London, having visited so many times it felt like home, crafting songs about dates gone wrong for the right reasons and the beauty found in every season when you take the time to look. I’m still writing as I’m living, it’s the nature of art itself, but the Confetti EP will always hold a special place as the diary of my early twenties, where I’ve been and where I want to go.”
Tipped for stardom by the likes of Billboard, V Magazine and Live Nation’s Ones To Watch, Layne’s remarkable talent has garnered critical acclaim as well as attracting a wealth of stellar collaborators. In just a few years, she’s worked with Grammy award-winning producer Ed Cash (Dolly Parton, Amy Grant) on her debut EP; collaborated with Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and Needtobreathe; written for other artists alongside co-writes with some of Nashville’s finest including Jimmy Robbins, Shane McAnally and Lori McKenna. Layne’s sharpness in the writer’s room has also landed her two global ad campaigns, one for prestigious jewellery house Swarovski and another for cable giant, HBO.
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