Interview: Lainey Dionne

[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="full" ids="141739"] What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?  In high school I broke my hip and could no longer be involved in sports or dance activities so my sole focus went into music. Naturally everyone's next question is how did I break my hip, and the answer is I was carrying a girl on my back while playing manhunt at a park and slipped and fell with her on me. Had that not happened, I wanted to try to get a track scholarship to a local college. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do at that point in time, which was my freshman year, but I thought I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. That dream quickly ended when I wasn't that great at science. Once I decided I wanted to pursue a career in music, Berklee became my only goal in sight. Knowing what I know now about myself- if I couldn't do anything related to music, I think I'd be a realtor. But if I could do something in the industry, I would manage other artists.   What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity? There was a period of time where all I wanted to do was travel to other countries and I'd probably still be doing that if it was safe in the world. Traveling gives me all sorts of stories to write about. Trips either go amazing or you want to kill the person you're stuck with, so a lot of good songs can come out of whichever outcome. I traveled back and forth to Europe for love with two different strangers. I made two trips to see the first guy and that was a really great relationship that I wrote some love songs about. Then I made two trips to see the guy that came after him and that relationship went south fast so I wrote a lot of good old break up songs. Traveling also gives you a different point of view on the world that I think really helps with creative growth and personal growth.   How long has music been your career? I would consider myself a working "professional musician" since I graduated Berklee College of Music in 2015. I had been gigging out before then, but I really made it my sole career upon graduating. My first EP came out a year later and I have been writing songs consistently ever since.   Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music? I'm from a small town in the smallest state- Rhode Island. Rhode Island is a really beautiful state with Providence as its "Creative Capital". I'm not sure that it's ever really influenced me musically as much as Boston has, but I am super grateful that I have been able to play in over 80 venues in my home state and to have the support that I have here!   Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played. I know that I felt like I played my best show at the Newport Blues Cafe. It was my first show playing with backing tracks as a pop artist and that was really cool. Opening for The Head and The Heart, Drake Bell, and Chase Rice was also very rad! Playing one of Rhode Island's biggest venues, The Strand, was amazing as well. Going on tour with my band was one of the most incredible experiences but we did have this one show in NYC where we all sat in the green room and didn't talk after the show because it was just bad. We just didn't rock the house that night. I had another show on tour where my string popped off along with the little guitar nub that it's attached to and flew into the crowd so I couldn't restring it if I wanted to! Despite those, honestly all of the shows I've played have a story and I enjoyed them all!   Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already? Playing at The Strand and playing at the NewportFilm Festival are probably my favorite venues because they house the most people. I love to play to big crowds. I always get wicked scared beforehand but as soon as I hit the stage it's like I'm in another world. I'd love to play arenas one day! If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket? Lorde, Gabrielle Aplin, Sigrid, Annika Wells, Olivia Rodrigo, and Paramore would be a sick all chick line up. That pretty much sums up my music taste right now.   What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music? If you want to make music in your life, it's a lot of work. You have to go out and get it by putting a lot of time into the background/business side of things. Presentation and professionalism is everything, it's what will set you apart from the hobbyists. I hate cliches, but most important- don't give up and keep pushing.   If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be? To not spend so much time on boys and focus more on what I could be doing with my music! Boy drama always got in the way haha. Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?  I think it all depends on what I'm going through. I just got dumped so either Skin or Damned is really resonating with me right now. I would say that I'm really proud of how raw Skin is. To be able to talk about mental health and toxic relationships isn't the easiest and music allowed me to be able to share that story. Listening back to some of my break up songs and remembering that I eventually made it out on the other side is very reassuring for whatever I'm currently going through. Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most? People always request Hey London. Hey London was my very first single as a pop artist so that one made an impact. I would say singing Skin is very freeing- I always feel some type of way when I sing its bridge live.

What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?

I usually start with a title or concept that I like, pick chords that match the mood, and then sing gibberish until words come out. I like to think of every song as a photograph, a snapshot in time of how I felt. I can see where I was, who I was with, and how I was feeling in that exact moment like a movie when the song plays.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I'd like people to hear my music and be able to say "wow someone knows exactly what I'm feeling". I hope my music helps people get through their toughest times and is the soundtrack to their greatest moments.

Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?

I've never but if I were to, I think at the end of the day it depends on who the song is for- if whoever you're writing for isn't comfortable with a line or a note, you shouldn't push for it. If at the end of the day it's going to be your song, you have to be proud of what you're putting out so push for what you believe in.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I have a full length, 12 song album coming out called "Self Titled" that I am so excited to release on August 27th 2021. If you have had the rollercoaster of all rollercoasters in relationships, this ones for you. Can't wait for you to hear it on Spotify, Apple Music, or any of your favorite streaming services!   Socials: FB: https://www.facebook.com/laineysmusic IG: https://www.instagram.com/laineysmusic/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laineydionne? Twitter: https://twitter.com/laineydionne YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/laineydionne Official Website: www.laineydionne.com