On Layto’s anticipated debut LP, alternative psycho, many personalities of the musician come out to play. Throughout the seven tracks, listeners are introduced to the passionate alt rock song bard and sly pop charmer, who combine to make beautiful music together.
“Bending genres is what I’ve always been drawn to. I’m conscious of actively combining different elements of each genre, rock, alt, and hip-hop, into an amalgamation of music that I want to be tenable for people,” says the songwriter, drawing on influential acts like Twenty One Pilots, Post Malone, and Imagine Dragons in the art of musical multiplicity while honing in on a sound that’s uniquely his.
While Layto is naturally gifted at creating his unique stylistic tapestry, it was also nurtured in his earliest years – the Boston native grew up the youngest of five in a lively, if not sometimes dysfunctional, household where many vied for attention, and music became its own kind of escape. While his father had a love of crooners like Sinatra and Dean Martin (giving Layto an appreciation of vocal tone), his mother – a drummer herself – gravitated towards Motown and R&B stars like Stevie Wonder and Brian McKnight that imparted Layto with an ear for a good beat.
Yet, it was in high school where Layto really had his musical epiphany after discovering hip-hop. “Eminem was a game changer,” he says. “I love his angst, I related to the honesty and rawness. Before then, I didn’t know you could make music that was so intense and also connects with people.”
The direct testimonial style is one that Layto successfully brings to his own music, with a constant emphasis on the lyrics. It’s evident in the unbarred new tracks “in bed with a psycho” and “save urself (runaway)” the first talking to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of bad relationships and the second a cautionary tale to find an exit.
He admits he taps into his alter ego when writing music to find that darker side. “I try to draw on what I’m going through or what I have been through in the past that has an ingrained memory, something that really stuck with me,” he says. “I draw from whatever I’m feeling in the moment and push myself to be as honest as possible.”
The artist also has a strong desire to make music that gives a voice to the millions who suffer from anxiety and depression – and let them know they are not alone. “It’s something I’ve dealt with from a very young age, and though I’ve learned techniques on how to manage it, I would say mental health is the most drawn upon motif that I have,” Layto shares. “I want people to hear it and feel connected to it. It brings me a lot of joy if my music can bring someone a bit of happiness.”
It's clear it has done so over the course of the past five years. Since releasing his debut EP Low Boy in 2018, featuring the hit “Little Poor Me,” Layto has amassed 250+ million global streams and counting as well as 1+ million monthly listeners that cling to his relatable, anthemic music if not also his gravely, booming vocals that demand attention.
Almost overnight, Layto found success and was able to transition out of a job he hated into making music full-time and hasn’t looked back since. “I worked as a car detailer for years, it was horrible work. I was getting carpal tunnel in my elbows and my shoulders hurt constantly. I didn’t know how I was going to continue.”
With the money he made, Layto saved it all and bought studio time to cut tracks. “I got lucky early on, to the point where I knew I had to choose. I had to go all in on music or I’d be squandering an opportunity and it really was for the best the way it worked out.”
