Laylights Looks Into the Future

"I had moments in the studio when I just felt very satisfied with what we're doing and the choices we're making," muses McCumber. "We were impressing each other, and it just felt right and good."

"We go through this really fluid process of figuring out how a song moves," adds Martucci. "Instead of just figuring out what note I can play that goes with your note, we're figuring out what spaces to fill and what not to fill."

Hayden feels that the connection among the four members is integral to the creative process. "If someone in the band is going through some hard shit, we're frustrated because they're going through some hard shit, and there's this deflected energy," he explains. "That's partly where our songs come from — that place where people are going through shit and having to interact with other humans and having needs and wants and having to put up with other people and love other people. Sometimes there are energies within us that dictate what the music is going to be like, but sometimes the music dictates what it's gonna do to us."

In that interactive process between the band and its creative output, Laylights has generated a staggering number of songs. In fact, the act could have filled a full-length release with completed songs but chose instead to release an EP to showcase the tracks it felt were strongest.

"We're kind of approaching it as a constant rollout of new material," McCumber points out. "If we spend a lot of time and money on a full-length, one song gets attention while the other eleven go unnoticed."

"We want to do six songs now and another six by the end of the year," adds Hayden. "It'll be a sort of brother-and-sister album."

Clearly, Hayden and company are just as serious about gaining exposure for their music as they are about creating it. "If you put enough into what it is you're doing artistically and creatively, you deserve something from that," Hayden asserts. "Unfortunately, you also have to put the same amount of effort into the other side of things and demand that attention for yourself. Too many artists are nice or selfish in that they think they don't have to work to get their stuff out in the world. That's even more pompous than demanding attention. It's basically sitting back and boasting that you're the shit.

"There are a lot of mediocre bands out there that work hard or get lucky and connect with the right people," he goes on, "and there are so many good bands or artists here that deserve that attention, but it's hard to throw it all out there and say, 'This is what I am. I want this show. I want this press. I want to be on the radio.'"

To that end, Laylights has reached out to the tastemakers at KEXP in Seattle and WOXY in Cincinnati, who are excited about the tracks they've previewed. This has inspired the band to send Auricle to more stations and to possibly appear at CMJ in the fall. And then, based upon the response in each city, Laylights will head out on efficient, targeted tours to support the record. After all, nothing matches the live experience.

"Your recording should be representative of your abilities," McCumber declares, "but your live show should always be better."

"I want our music to be effective," Hayden concludes. "I want our fans to be more affected by the music than the propaganda."

That's forward thinking.