Spotlight On... LAMAYA
Ahead of releasing her debut single, COMING FOR UR <3, we shine a spotlight on genre-agnostic East Kilbride artist LAMAYA
We've said it before, but we'll say it again: it’s rare that a musician rocks up with their debut single already sounding like a fully-formed artist. But that’s where we find ourselves with East Kilbride-raised LAMAYA on COMING FOR UR <3. Due out this Friday (27 Oct), COMING FOR UR <3 oozes maturity as LAMAYA explores the trials and tribulations of love, her rich, sticky and assured vocals commanding the thick, rubbery production courtesy of Edinburgh producer Quested.
Despite this being her debut single, LAMAYA is no stranger to the Scottish music scene having already shared stages with the likes of Bemz, Pip Millet and Brooke Combe, as well performing at Scottish hip-hop showcase event PITCH. As we write, LAMAYA has just been announced as the headliner of AMPLIFI's final event of 2023 at The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh on 13 December.
To get to know her a little better, we catch up with LAMAYA to find out more about the single, what inspires her and what her hopes are for 2024. And we’re honoured to be able to bring you a first listen of the single today, which you can stream in the below SoundCloud player (click here if it’s not displaying correctly).
Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself – how long have you been performing and making music for, and who would you say inspires you as an artist?
I’m 19, soon to be 20, and throughout my life I’ve been inspired by so many. I’ve been doing music my whole entire life, for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest influences was Amy Winehouse. I remember being in nursery and everyone was asked to draw their biggest inspiration; lots drew policemen, their parents and very normal everyday jobs, however I chose to draw Amy Winehouse. I knew where I wanted to be from young.
We’re absolutely loving your debut single – can you tell us what it’s about?
So I decided that I had to write a song about how love can make you feel. Especially being in a love triangle, which I have experienced before in my life. Through the song it’s a journey of realisation and freedom. It’s an anthem to take back what’s yours; love can make you feel crazy at times which is okay.
In your biography, you state that you are “transcending the constraints of a genre”, which I feel is something so many artists are now embracing with their music-making. What are some of the other genres we can expect to hear from LAMAYA in the future?
Yes! I love to dabble in lots of genres and add my psychedelic spin to it. I sing from the soul and love to add an ambience to any track I’m on. Lots of genre bending to come in the future.
What does the rest of the year look like for you, and what are your plans for 2024?
I’ve got a show lined up for the end of the year which will be a great way to crash into 2024. Starting my year off on top, the only way is up, and I’ll continue to climb the ladder all 2024. I'm ready for any hurdles that come my way as I’ll be jumping straight over them.
COMING FOR UR <3 is released on 27 Oct; LAMAYA plays AMPLIFI at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 13 Dec