Review Fix Exclusive: Layto Mullen Talks Waves EP And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Layto Mullen, who discusses his origin in music, creative process and goals for his new EP, Waves and its first single, “Rabbit Ears.”

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Layto Mullen: I’ve always had a passion for music. I would listen to songs with my older siblings and they would always rag on me for not singing the lyrics correct, so I just started to make up my own lyrics. I suppose that’s where my lyrical process began. I grew up on a lot of different artists from Stevie Wonder to Frank Sinatra all the way to Zeppelin. When I got a little older, I really became interested in rap. Not so much the lyrics but the instrumentals, drum kicks and stuff like that. That piqued my interest into the composition of a sound. Now I’m really hot on indie bands and pop music, but I really believe all the artists and genres I listened to affect and influence my own sound.

In 2012, I wasn’t going to school, and I would wake up at like 4 in the morning and go and literally pick up trash at various supermarket parking lots. As you can imagine, it was very uninspiring and horrible, to be honest haha, but I bought Imagine Dragons’ “Night Visions” and I would just play it on the way to work. For some reason, it really just struck a chord with me and I decided I was going to pursue music and attempt to create unique music.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Mullen: You know, I think every artist has a different way of conjuring up creativity. and I can only speak on my experience. Usually how it works is I will think of a melody and sing it into my phone. From there, I try and structure a bare-bones soundscape and come up with an instrumental. This may sound absurd but at times, I like to schedule recording sessions before I even write the lyrics, it forces me to write them. Something about pressure. When I have that ticking clock in the back of my head, it allows me to tap into something. I think it forces me not to toil of the lyrics, and just write what I feel and not necessarily is the “perfect” word. Some writes are easier than others, it really just depends how I feel, I write from my heart.

Review Fix: What makes “Rabbit Ears” special?

Mullen: Rabbit Ears is my first single of my “EP”. It’s my first song released by my label, and I’m really proud of it. Of course as an artist I’m proud of every piece of music I decide to place on an album, but this song is different. I think what I love about this song is that it has a lot of those elements of music I grew up loving. It has sort of a funky, reggae/indie feel to it with I guess you could say “rap” elements and a poppy chorus. It was the quickest write I ever had. I wrote the melodies and lyrics in like thirty minutes. It was in the midst of a weird time in my life off the heels of a breakup and I had a lot of mixed emotions. I think anytime a relationship ends suddenly with someone that you feel so close with and shared so much with, you can harbor a lot of different emotions. It’s not all one thing, and it’s always feelings that make sense. I think that’s what I hit with “Rabbit  Ears”. It’s just an honest song and a real reflection of that time, and I think the people appreciate that.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2017?

Mullen: This is going to be a big year for me in terms of hard work. I just recently was signed to a label with a distribution and recording deal at the years end 2016. I think to me that means the work begins now. It’s no longer a dream, it’s a career, and I don’t want to let myself and the people who support me down. I made a promise to my mom, she knows what it is, and I’m keen on delivering. I think this is going to be an important year for me in terms of introducing my sound and style with the world. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be on the Billboard Charts. I think a lot of artists will maybe lie, or for whatever reason, avoid saying this but I want my music to be heard. We just released Rabbit Ears so my goal would be for it to reach the charts, that would be surreal.

Review Fix: What else are you up to?

Mullen: Right now, I’m just putting the finishing touches on my final song off my EP “Waves,” “The Riser” on the production end. Other than that, I’m getting back into booking shows for  the spring and summer. It’s been a long year, I’ve recording and put out about 15 songs, and 3 videos. So in the last month or so, i’ve taken a little bit of R&R and kind of just let my batteries recharge.

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

Mullen: I’m really not sure how I want my music to affect people. For me, a song is very personal. That emotion it makes me feel is mine and mine only. Good lyrics, and good music speaks to something in me in my own life. It fills something for me. It might be the assurance that I’m not alone in this world, or makes me think of that same someone, or maybe that I can conquer my dreams that particular day. Different songs fill different holes for me, but good music, to me, is always honest. So, I hope that people who listen to my music can hear that same honestly I like exuded in my music. Thats all, I hope it does something special for each individual.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Mullen: After Rabbit Ears, my second single, “Waves” comes out. I’m super excited about it, I think it’s a unique and fresh feel for pop music, It’s completely different from Rabbit Ears. In fact, one reason why I’m so excited about “Waves” is because of that. No two songs are the same on the album. I really wanted to harken back to my early influences and incorporate a lot of different elements in this EP. I’m excited for people to hear it!