Layah Jane profile picture

Layah Jane

Tongue of Folk, Heart of Soul

About Me

Singer-songwriter Layah Jane is a hearty young musician with a mission. With soulful vocals and a poetic, articulate tongue, Layah’s sound recalls Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Ani Difranco, with a resonance all her own.

Both piano and guitar became tools for writing and accompaniment as Layah began to create and perform original material at the age of thirteen. Since the completion of her first demo in 2000, Layah has been invited to play countless shows and festival showcases including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Winterfolk Festival, North by Northeast Music Festival, Toronto Indie Music Week, Toronto City Roots Festival, the Ottawa Folk Festival, and New Music West. Following the release of her debut album Grievance and Gratitude (Grace Note Records, 2005), Layah won a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, a Toronto Independent Music Award for “Best Jazz” and nomination for “Best Live Acoustic Act”, and a nomination for an American Independent Music Award in the “Folk/Singer-Songwriter” category. Her song "Reverence and Ridicule" won the political category in the Ontario Council of Folk Festival's 2005 songwriting competition. Recently Layah received a 2007 Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Folk), and nominations for two 2007 Toronto Independent Music Awards (Best Folk and Best Female Fronted Band). Layah's new EP Patience (Grace Note Records, 2007) was produced by Oliver Johnson (Ivana Santilli, Esthero), and was musically blessed by drummers Davide Direnzo (Holly Cole, Jacksoul), Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn) and Lyle Molzan (Jann Arden), bassist Marc Rogers (K’naan, Philosopher Kings), and percussionist Dave Gouveia (Amanda Marshall, Ivana Santilli). Both Provincial and Federal grant programs continue to recognize Layah’s musicianship and support her projects, through the Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR. The Grievance and Gratitude Remixes (Grace Note Records, 2005) took the folk song seeds planted on Layah's debut recording Grievance and Gratitude, and grew them into flowers that bloom compellingly in colours of breakbeat, trip-hop, hip-hop, rock, samba, and reggae. The tracks were produced by a diverse and well-respected tribe of remixers. Layah Jane has been seen and heard as a live and recorded back-up vocalist for a range of artists making folk, funk, soul, and hip-hop music in the Toronto area. Over the past ten years, she has also appeared as a lead and back-up vocalist on various commercials and Juno-nominated albums. In the realm of television and radio, Layah’s songs have been licensed for Global TV’s “Blue Murder”, and ESPN’s primetime drama “Tilt”. Layah appeared on Toronto 1’s late night entertainment TV show, “The Toronto Show” in 2003, and on Calgary A Channel’s “Wired” in 2005. Through regular college and CBC radio play, as well as a fortunate invitation to be the voice of the Dove Real Beauty/Self Esteem Fund’s 2006 “True Colors” TV Campaign, listeners all over the world are being introduced to Layah Jane through the airwaves. Morphing from singer-songwriter to DJ, Layah co-founded the Move Collective, a Toronto dance jam that spread west to Calgary and east to Halifax. Voted Best Non-smoking Dance Event in Toronto by Now Magazine in 2003, rotating DJs pack dance floors each week.Armed with new tunes that are as organically rich and sonically intimate as ever, Layah completed a Summer/Fall 2007 tour of ON, QC, NY, VT, MA, NC, and TX, and is currently preparing for a Spring 2008 cross-Canada tour, in support of her highly anticipated sophomore full-length recording, "Brightness & Bravery".Layah Jane is a spirited and natural performer who receives enthusiastic support wherever she plays. When she takes the stage we are transported to a place where emotion is raw, reflection is deep, and revolution is not only possible, but necessary.
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Layah Jane - Sweet Tooth Live

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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/19/2005
Band Website: layahjane.com
Band Members: Layah Jane
(vocals, acoustic guitar, keys) Oliver Johnson
(acoustic, electric, baritone guitars, background vocals)

Who else has been known to play musical chairs with us on stage and record? Brian MacMillan, Davide Direnzo, Ben Riley, Lyle Molzan, Marc Rogers, Roger Williams, Bryden Baird, Burke Carroll, Sasha Rose, Lori Cullen, Diana Morgan, Dave Gouveia, David Leitman, Jill Vitols, Louis Simao, Arthur Kerekes, Mark Jarvis, and YOU (the hand-clappin’, toe-tappin’, crowd choir)

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Influences: Joni Mitchell
Rickie Lee Jones
Bruce Cockburn
Sade
Phoebe Snow
Ani Difranco
Martin Sexton
Jorane
East Mountain South
Sting
Zap Mama
Annie Lennox
Bjork
Mark Knopfler
The Beach Boys
Sarah McLachlan
Ben Harper
Sinead O'Connor
Don Ross
Emmylou Harris
Oliver Johnson

love, family, the moon, knowlton lake, the move dance collective, homeopathy, waldorf, local organic food, the hive, the school of life...

Sounds Like: Joni, Rickie Lee, Sarah, Norah...

DOWNLOAD "Grievance and Gratitude"
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Record Label: Grace Note Records

Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Amie Street

Ever been to Amie Street ?Amie Street is an indie online music store, where music is sold at prices based on demand. Artists upload tracks onto the site, which allows users to purchase them at a price...
Posted by Layah Jane on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:13:00 PST

new songs

hey folks,Just posted 2 new songs from our upcoming release "Brightness & Bravery"...Enjoy!L
Posted by Layah Jane on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:07:00 PST

LJ on Youtube

hey y’all - check out LJ on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/layahjanemusicHere’s a sample of "Put Your Foot Down", which will be on our upcoming release...Layah Jane, Oli Johnson, and Brian...
Posted by Layah Jane on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:29:00 PST

geography of hope

I have recently discovered and devoured one of the most fabulous books I've read in a long time...It's called "The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need". I didn't discover it actually, my Da...
Posted by Layah Jane on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:10:00 PST

ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARD!

Thank you Ontario Independent Music Awards for naming us BEST FOLK of 2007!!!Congrats to all nominees and winners, and thanks to everyone who supports indie music! Independent music is flourishing in ...
Posted by Layah Jane on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:24:00 PST

Remixes available now through SNOCAP

Hi Everyone,We've posted the "Grievance and Gratitude Remixes" up on our SNOCAP store...Check 'em out! ...
Posted by Layah Jane on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 12:33:00 PST

Songs from New EP PATIENCE!

"Patience" and "Just One" are up now for your listening pleasure! Our new EP PATIENCE is a sneak peak of our upcoming record (to be released Spring 2008). Enjoy!
Posted by Layah Jane on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:05:00 PST

Giving Thanks (another nomination!)

Well friends, it's tastily true...We've just been nominated for a 2007 Ontario Independent Music Award for Best Folk !! www.ontarioindependentmusicawards.com/nominees.htmWe have lots to give thanks fo...
Posted by Layah Jane on Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:48:00 PST

2007 Toronto Independent Music Award Nominations!

Layah Jane has just been nominated for 2 TIMAs:BEST FOLKBEST FEMALE FRONTED BANDThe 2007 Toronto Independent Music Awards will be held at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, on Thursday October 4,...
Posted by Layah Jane on Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:27:00 PST

Rochester Jazz Clip

Here's a clip of us (Layah Jane, Oliver Johnson, and Brian Macmillan) playing a new song at the Rochester Jazz Fest in June 2007...(recorded by anonymous audience member :)http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Posted by Layah Jane on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:59:00 PST