Layla’s debut EP, Into The Blue, arrives with an impressive creative pedigree. Recorded at GB’s Juke Joint, LIC, NY, co-produced by Grammy-winning vocalist Catherine Russell and guitarist Gerry Leonard, both former members of David Bowie’s final touring band, the four-song collection blends atmospheric art pop, folk, jazz, and rock without settling too comfortably into any one category. Russell, a jazz legend, has also been on a roll as a producer with her work on Paul Kahn’s tasty EP, Willingness.
Yet the production team never overshadows the artist being introduced. Layla possesses a supple, quietly commanding voice that communicates vulnerability without sounding fragile. Her connections to Woodstock and Athens, Greece, also give the music an intriguing duality: earthy but dreamlike, contemporary yet haunted by older traditions. The EP blends Adult Contemporary, folk, and jazz textures.
Written by Layla and Leonard, the title track, “Into The Blue,” establishes the EP’s hushed, immersive atmosphere. Leonard’s spacious guitar work and the band’s restrained accompaniment leave room for Layla’s voice to drift between intimacy and emotional release. It is less a dramatic introduction than a gradual invitation into her world.
“Lady Grinning Soul” is an interesting musical nugget. Covering one of David Bowie’s most elegant and elusive compositions is an ambitious choice, but Layla resists impersonation. Her interpretation emphasizes the song’s mystery and sensuality, while Leonard’s presence provides a meaningful connection to Bowie without reducing the performance to nostalgia. It feels spectral, sophisticated, and entirely at home here. Layla owns the song, making it her own.
The EP’s emotional center, “All For You,” is also its most revealing original. Layla delivers the song with controlled intensity, allowing longing and surrender to emerge through phrasing rather than vocal theatrics. Russell’s backing vocals provide warmth and subtle reinforcement, making the performance feel like a conversation between mentor and protégé. The song is understated brilliance.
“All I Want” is a tricky selection, yet Layla closes with Joni Mitchell’s restless meditation on love, freedom, and emotional contradiction with confident delivery. Rather than competing with Mitchell’s famously personal delivery, she approaches the song from her own atmospheric perspective. The arrangement preserves its searching spirit while giving Layla enough room to make its hopes and uncertainties sound newly lived.
Into The Blue may be brief, but it never feels slight. Catherine Russell and Gerry Leonard provide an elegant framework, subtle acoustic instrumentation, and space, while Layla supplies the identity at its center. Across two originals and two thoughtfully selected covers, she emerges as a singer with patience, taste, and a clear understanding that atmosphere means little without emotional substance. This is a promising first step and one that leaves the listener wanting a full-length journey. The EP is out on August 21.