Meet LAYA: Musician & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with LAYA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LAYA, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite thing to say is “make it work”. You can apply it to everything. Often we find ourselves stuck in a case of analysis paralysis because our visions are bigger than what we can realistically accomplish in that moment. I never let this stop me. Make it work. Take what you have and use it the best you way that you can. It’s like they say in theater when you slip up and make a mistake “The show must go on.” Most of the time the audience wasn’t even aware that the performer messed up because they “made it work.” You only fumble when you stop moving/stop the flow of things. Keep going and make it work!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I sing, write, and produce R&B music, primarily. I also create all of my own visual art and content from album covers to music videos, promotional visuals and more so you could also add various titles to my name. This in itself is what sets me apart from most R&B artists and recording artists in general because I create everything myself from the ground up. I’ve created my own universe beyond just music you can listen to. It has become an experience in itself. I’m super excited about dropping my next single and video (produced by ORA, video by me) because it’s incredibly satisfying and fulfilling for me to see a song come to life and then take off. It takes time and a lot of work and dedication but it’s totally worth it. I’ve spent countless hours filming, editing, recording and mixing, not counting the days and hours it took to educate myself on how to do these things. Nothing in this world is handed to you so if it’s something that you really want you have to go out there and get it. You have to make things happen for yourself because no one else will. If there’s anything that I want people to take away from me, my brand and my story is that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. As cliche as it sounds it’s the most accurate thing I’ve ever learned.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is such an awkward question for me because I’m such an introverted person in real life, lol. But I would take them to my favorite local vegan spot called “Vodega” here in my hometown Staten Island, NY. It’s a vegan bodega that makes the best vegan deli food and sandwiches that you can find. I would also bring them out for a picnic at Goodhue Park where I often go to mack out and run into turtles, turkeys and deer. It’s the weirdest thing because the park is right in the middle of the hood. It’s like where do these animals even come from? Lastly I would bring them to “Everything Goes Bookstore Cafe”. It’s the cutest and oddest little hippie bookstore that makes tasty hot chocolate and also features quirky performances from time to time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to S/O my producers and very close friends ORA ( Chad Paul and Dante Carter). Since we all came together they’ve truly become my musical family. They understood me from the moment they heard me and embraced me completely. I’ve never been more comfortable working with anyone else. The level of chemistry we all have together is unmatched and is a profound foundation for the incredible things to come.

Website: LAYAface.com

Instagram: @LAYAface

Twitter: @LAYAface

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LayaACG/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/LayaLaRoche

Image Credits
Gerron Caldwell