With over one-hundred-million streams throughout the entire discography, awfultune needs no introduction to any aficionado of indie-pop music. Shining from her previous single ‘lovesick,’ awfultune displays a refreshing comfort in bridging contradiction in this second chapter of her six-part, colour story. ‘SICK OF U,’ her latest single represents orange, whilst her previous single ‘lovesick’ represents red. Each song, alongside each colour, tackles the personal highs and lows of Layla’s coming-of-age story, finding herself and living as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
To talk about her latest single, ‘SICK OF U,’ Layla joined us for an interview.
Hi Layla, how are you? How is 2021 going for you?
Hello, I’m doing okay right now thank you for asking! 2021 is a very insane year for me but probably the most rewarding. My life is changing really fast and sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I’m having a lot of fun!
So, how did your journey into music start?
I’ve always been obsessed with music my whole life, but I started on Soundcloud and would make little covers of my favorite songs on my phone. They’d usually get one hundred something likes. I’d always be really excited and think “I’ve made it.” Had no idea what was coming…
That’s amazing! And, you recently released your song ‘SICK OF U,’ how did the idea for it come about?
‘SICK OF U’ actually came to me before ‘lovesick’ (which was my first single this year) funny enough. I’m a huge fan of storytelling and I wanted to create a color story that correlates with a different emotion/mood to go with it.
Did you find any challenges making the song?
Surprisingly this song came very easy. The melody, harmonies, the lyrics… all of it was super natural! I don’t even think I mixed it to perfection either. It’s a very aggressive song with an indie pop beat. Sweet to listen to, but the lyrics pack a punch!
In terms of developing the music, did you explore any new techniques or ways of creating sounds for the song?
I actually got to use my new interface to record the vocals for this track which was really exciting. I’ve been using a USB condenser microphone for forever now. It was my first try with a different microphone and I love how it came out!
Can you tell us more about what your aim is for the coluor story around your releases?
Each song goes in order of the rainbow. ‘SICK OF U’ colour is an orange hue and talks about a break up. The next song is in yellow and is about healing from that toxic person and finding your self worth again. I went through everything that I’m writing about this year. I had to put a lot of the love I gave away right back into myself.
With the ‘SICK OF U’ released, what should we hope to see from you in the coming year?
It goes without saying you’ll get the rest of the songs to complete the color story. I’m looking forward to making more music videos. Possibly an EP or something? Only time will tell!
That sounds exciting. Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring musicians out there looking to get started in the music industry?
I’d say be yourself first and foremost. Don’t go into the industry looking for clout or anything like that, because that is definitely not what it’s about. If you really want to connect with someone, be passionate about your craft and put your all into it. People can recognize authenticity and can easily resonate with real feelings. Make whatever you want to make! But don’t go into it expecting something or comparing yourself to others. Your music is you. No one can recreate something special like that!
‘SICK OF U’ can now be streamed via Spotify.
