International Babe Ivy Layne Makes Global Dance Anthems
International babe Ivy Layne was born in Ukraine, raised in France and is now based in NYC to make the beats we need. Layne is the type of chick who you wanna travel the world with whether it be on a private jet or a pink Corvette. While it may be easy to gravitate towards your favorite ’90s playlist on Spotify, don’t overlook her masterpieces.
With a debut EP In Time and a hot music video, Layne cuts the freshest jams that will make you groove with your girlfriends or the boy of your dreams. Believe me, your FOMO will be cured. Check out her video then scroll down for our interview.
You are quite the global citizen! You were born in Ukraine, and then you moved to France. What is it like for you to grow up abroad? Have you ever seen yourself as a third culture kid?
Growing up abroad is quite a challenge at the beginning because you leave your home and friends behind. You view a completely different culture and people. You need to find a sense of belonging and adjust. So it’s tough at first…but then, slowly, you start assimilating and meeting new people.
Then, your world actually expands because you learn so many different things. And yes, I am for sure a third culture kid even though my roots from home are really strong. At the end of the day being a TCK gives a huge advantage because you have higher levels of adjustment and cross-cultural competence as opposed to mono-culture kids.
I am super excited for you to launch your debut EP “In Time”! How would you describe your genre?
I describe it as a fusion of European funk and Caribbean rhythm. I don’t like to put myself into a box; I believe as an artist, you never know where your creativity is going to take you. It depends on where in the world you are listening to my music; they might say it’s pop here and reggae in the Caribbean or EDM in Europe. It’s not for me to describe my music. I will let my fans do that for me.
Michael Jackson, Gwen Stefani and Prince are your icons. Why do you look up to them and how do you see yourself in them?
It’s hard to find a musician born in the ’90s not to be influenced by Michael Jackson; he is named the “King of Pop” for a reason. I own all of his albums. The way I feel listening to his music and watching him perform is surreal. Just thinking about him gave me goosebumps. If you had to write an “Artist for Dummies” book, all you need to do is take a look at the way Prince and Michael Jackson lived. I love the curiosity and fashion sense that Prince always portrayed.
Lastly, I always love how Gwen Stefani started her career with No Doubt and was able to transition and build this huge solo career creating different type of music that she was making with No Doubt. I also love how she was able to make music with hip-hop and reggae artists which made a lane for herself when she started.
“One You Love” and “Honesty” are super lit! If you have to pick one, which one do you like better?
It depends on my mood. When I listen to “Honesty,” it always makes me think why sometimes some guys play games. Like all of a sudden, they want to listen to you and be serious when you want to leave. And “One You Love” is like a girl anthem — most girls have that one person that they would do anything for, even die for them, just to have their love.
Given that In Time is your first EP, what was it like to make it?
What inspired me the most to create this EP and launching a whole lane of Caribbean rhythm and European funk fusion is diversity. Diversity and inclusion are the perfect way to get along and understand each other. The inspiration behind my sound is a combination of European funk from my childhood and Caribbean influences from my whole team, who introduced me to different genres of music and sounds of the islands such as dance hall, soca, and kompa. The melody and rhythm are too infectious not to be inspired.
Love songs can become clichés, but I like how you are willing to set yourself apart with “One You Love”. What are some tips that aspiring songwriters can learn from you?
Of course, I try to set myself apart from not writing those typical love songs. I love making my fans really think by using different analogies and metaphors to describe love. The advice that I always give is to “be yourself” and you can’t try to fit a mold or be somebody else, it won’t work. It has to come from within.
Why is “One You Love” broken in two parts?
The first part is me being introduced to the world. The video is very sexy and there is a storyline to the music video. It’s very artsy. I feel so blessed that Popcaan, who is the hottest Reggae artist out right now, loves the song so much and wanted to be part of it. He is currently on tour with Drake now, and he is very busy. But he likes the song so much, he found time to record the Part 2 version. I can’t wait to shoot the video in Jamaica. That video is going to be crazy — a lot of dancing, the beauty of the island and the people. I can’t wait.
If you have to write a song, how long does it take and what goes behind each process?
There is no set formula but the process goes from where I sit around with the producer and few writers. I share my inspiration, I talk about stories or relationships that have affected me, and if there is something going on around the world that is impacting me. We talk about it. You can’t force the process; you have to let it happen organically.
Now that you’re in NYC, which venue do you wanna play and why?
Madison Square Garden. That’s the dream of every artist to be able to perform at one of the most famous venues in the world. I believe my sound is perfect for NYC since it’s the melting pot of the world.
Lastly, what’s the one thing on your bucket list that you have not done yet?
I can’t wait to start working on my debut album and travel around the world to meet my new fans.
