Shining Star

There are so many talented singers out there & I have discovered that if I look right in my very own backyard here in Rhode Island, there are plenty of them waiting to be discovered….and I’ve been lucky enough to see her perform… this is Lainey Dionne.

Q: I’m not going to brag too much here but I could tell right away how talented you were when I saw you perform as the opening artist for a NewportFILM event about 2 yrs ago at The Eisenhower House….you have that “it” sound that makes you stand out among other artists. When did you realize you could actually sing? Did your family encourage you to pursue music?

A: Wow. Thank you so much, what a nice compliment! I was always singing from as far as I could remember. I remember singing Charlotte Church and Disney in the bathtub when I was really little because I liked the way it echoed. My parents had me take piano lessons at 6 years old and always encouraged me to pursue music. My dad taught me my first 90’s song on guitar when I was 10. They supported my first year at Berklee and I will be forever grateful for everything they’ve done for me. I wouldn’t be where I am, pursuing what I love without them.

Q: It’s been hard for musicians especially local artists here in RI because of all the COVID restrictions…have you been able to maintain any means of profiting from music maybe it’s live stream donations or an online music platform like Bandcamp?

A: After a couple of months with no gigs, I was finally able to play outdoors in the summer while social distancing. I am extremely immune compromised so I had to bring a barrier fence with me wherever I played – what strange times! It was such a relief to be able to play again, but then the colder months came and it would be too much of a risk to play indoors with my condition, so I had to jump into the livestream world. So many people are struggling financially right now, so I perform live for free and am grateful for any donations or gratuities.

Q: Who do you consider a great songwriter & who do you compare yourself with in terms of your songwriting style?

A: Oh such a hard question! I would say Lorde, Taylor Swift and Coldplay are amazing writers because their lyrics are unlike anything you hear on a regular basis. Who mentions “Nike’s”, “homemade dynamite” or “science” in a song and make it work so effortlessly. They have unexpected clever lyrics. I would compare myself to Gabrielle Aplin – she is a huge inspiration of mine. I feel like our voices are really similar and our writing is more straight forward with the occasional spontaneous phrase.

Q: Choose 3 musicians: Who would you sing a duet with, go on tour with and go to the after party with?

A: I would sing a duet with EDEN, go on tour with Lorde and go to the after party with Sigrid. EDEN has a voice that makes you feel his pain with instrumentals that make you feel like you’re floating in the stars. I’d LOVE to be on tour with Lorde because she is a huge inspiration and her concerts look incredible and creative. And I’d go to the after party with Sigrid because she is quirky, hilarious and super chill.

Q: Besides all the chaos in 2020, you were able to release 2 singles… Hey London and Skin…tell me about what both of these songs mean to you & the story behind each one.

A: Hey London is an empowering bop written about dumping dudes that aren’t giving you the attention you deserve. I personify London throughout the song. The city is filled with people and beautiful to the eye, but there isn’t enough room for me there – just like how the relationship may look good to other people on the surface but deep down you know he’s not making the time for you. You deserve better so you’re “over it”! This song is a great feel good song after a breakup.

Skin was inspired by a low time in my life. It touches on depression and denial while being in a toxic relationship. You get so used to the abuse cycle that you become numb to it and are a stranger to yourself pretending that everything’s okay. It’s tough to get out of that cycle or to even realize you’re in that cycle. This song is a wake up call that you are becoming a similar version of yourself due to the actions of someone else and that’s not what love is.

Q: What does a typical day for Lainey look like?

A: Well now, it’s Zoom calls in pajama pants hahaha. Mostly it’s coming up for new songs for my set list, teaching piano, guitar & voice to my students, walking my dogs, doing some work on the business end of the music industry, maybe doing a co-write, playing some video games or watching the next trending show on Netflix and then doing some yoga before bed. It’s not as exciting as pre pandemic Lainey. I used to travel A LOT for tour and out of the country on adventures.

Q: What do you consider some of your biggest accomplishments in 2020 both in your personal and professional music career?

A: I love my new sound and it was incredible to be able to release that to the world this last year and to have people welcome it with open arms. I was ready to add the pop element to my folk roots and I’m excited to show everyone more of that! In 2020, I won the AC Award in the Unsigned Only Competition, which was amazing, along with placing in a few other competitions including the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Competition. Personally, this year was more difficult than I could imagine and I’m proud that I’m still pushing through.

Q: Where can fans find your music?

A: You can find my music on every single music service out there! My favorites are Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Youtube, Amazon and Pandora. All links can be found at http://laineydionne.com and I would love it if you subscribe and check it out!

Thank you Lainey… and good luck in the ISC competition. And make sure to follow her on Instagram at laineysmusic.

Stay tuned for more interviews coming soon… and if you, your band would like an interview or have a new release coming or even have a suggestion on who you’d like to see me interview, send me a DM on IG at music_stylist.

Until next time – I’m Your Music Stylist.