LAYZ Reflects on Her Meteoric Rise in 2021

We spoke with LAYZ on playing Lost Lands for the first time, creating during the pandemic, and more!

From diplomas to dubstep, emerging bass artist LAYZ has had quite the come-up. After attending Lost Lands’ 2017 debut, LAYZ returned with a newfound desire to create the very music she’s passionate about. Despite juggling college and work, the budding DJ and producer tirelessly spent many nights immersing herself in her craft. LAYZ’s slaughterous synths and bone-crushing basses quickly landed on producers’ and fans’ radars – and she’s been quickly climbing ever since.

In 2019, LAYZ hit the ground running and opened for bass veterans such as Virtual Riot, NGHTMRE, and Sippy, but she didn’t stop there. Churning out incendiary dubstep heaters and performing at High Caliber, Lil Dub, Big Dub, and more, her rise from the underground has been nothing short of astounding. Even when the COVID pandemic ravaged the live music industry and ripped artists away from stages, LAYZ used isolation as a time to expand her sound and hone her skills.

With an incredible amount of support from all corners of the industry, LAYZ’s empire knows no bounds. Having landed slots on Lost Lands, EDC, and Paradise Blue lineups, in addition to releasing tracks on Subsidia, LAYZ’s claim to fame is inevitable. As hardworking as she is humble, the young producer is already making waves within the bass scene, and she isn’t letting up any time soon.

As LAYZ prepares to accompany Sullivan King on the Loud & Reckless tour, we couldn’t think of a better time to check in on the up-and-comer. Covering everything from creating sets to getting her parents to like dubstep, LAYZ gives us the inside scoop. Check out her latest single “OUTBURST” released on Welcome Records‘ Little Comp of Horrors Vol. III, and read on to learn more about LAYZ!

Want to catch LAYZ live? Grab tickets to the Loud & Reckless tour and see LAYZ and Sullivan King in a city near you!

Stream LAYZ – OUTBURST on Spotify:

Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today! First, congratulations on your first-ever set at Lost Lands! What was it like to attend the festival on the other side of the stage?

Thank you so much for having me! It was surreal honestly. It was my first time going to Lost Lands as an artist and not as an attendee so it was a huge change for me. I am a crowd person. I absolutely love being in the crowd. But being able to be behind the artists on the main stage and looking out to the sea of people was such an amazing experience. I was backstage 80% of the time. Lost Lands was the perfect time to connect and meet all of my producer friends in person for the first time, and network with other people! Also, it was so cool walking down between the barricades that split in the middle of the crowd at the main stage and hearing people yell, “LAYZ can we take a picture!” or “LAYZ can you sign this?!” It warmed my heart.

Was Lost Lands your favorite event to play live? If not, what show or livestream of yours takes the cake?

Yes! Lost Lands was definitely my favorite event to play live. I have played on bigger stages and to bigger crowds before. However, this festival meant a lot to me. Attending Lost Lands for the first time in 2017 is when I decided to become an artist. It’s crazy that 4 years later I’m now on the other side of the stage performing at the festival that got me into becoming an artist myself! It meant the world to me that I was a part of Excision’s festival. This will always be the most memorable event I have ever played!

Since 2019, you’ve grown exponentially in your sound and notoriety. If you could nail a singular moment that you feel was the beginning of your career taking off, what would it be?

As weird as this sounds, I believe my career started to take off during the beginning of the pandemic last year. The pandemic, for me, had more pros than cons. During that time, I was able to focus 100% on my craft. I no longer had to go in to work because I was teleworking from home, which allowed me to work more on my LAYZ project. I was doing at least 2-3 livestreams a month, which helped me get out there more and “perform” in front of people that had never seen me DJ before! I started to gain more traction, which led me to be picked up by my amazing management and agent that I have now.

Plenty of artists approach playing live differently – some opt to tailor their sets to the crowd, others have a certain sound they’re striving for regardless of the audience. Do your sets vary depending on where and who you’re playing for, or do you have a different approach?

I always plan my sets ahead of time. I’ll have an idea of what songs I want to play, and then will practice days before the show. Yes, it does vary depending on where I play and what my time slot is. If I’m first or second on the bill, I make sure to save all of my best songs for the last 30 minutes. However, if I’m direct support, I like to come out with a bang for my first 15 minutes. I have a certain formula that I use to build my sets that I have come up with after playing multiple shows and seeing how the crowds react.

I’ve heard you say you’re heavily inspired by the likes of Marauda and SVDDEN DEATH. What’s drawn you to those particular sounds, and how does that influence translate into your music?

I absolutely love the heavy and dark vibes that Maurada and SVDDEN DEATH’s tracks and branding give off. The energy that they bring to their tracks is what inspires me to achieve similar results.

You’ve previously mentioned your dad was who introduced you to EDM – which is awesome! Does he also share your love for dubstep, or has he had to warm up to it with the launch of your career within the genre?

Both of my parents love house music. They were never into dubstep until I started my LAYZ project. Four years later, I’m happy to say they are finally getting used to it and are somewhat enjoying it (finally!!). When I played Lost Lands this past September, they got to experience Excision’s two-hour set. And yes, I did see a little bit of headbanging from them haha!

The last time you spoke with us at EDM Identity, you let us know playing Lost Lands 2021 was a huge goal of yours. Now that you’ve achieved playing the dubstep Superbowl, what events are next up on your bucket list?

Now that I have achieved that goal, my next big goal would be to play at Rampage in Belgium. I would love to experience the bass scene there! I’ve always watched their YouTube videos and it looks insane! Also, another goal is to perform at the bassPOD stage at EDC Las Vegas!

Here’s a bit of a fun question for you – assuming the answer isn’t Lays, what are your favorite kinds of chips?

Haha, Lays is the way to go! My favorite has got to be the Original flavor of Baked Lays. It’s always on my rider. I also love the Lays Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar chips! Can never go wrong with either.