Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Layne.
Ruby, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t drawn to performing. I started acting at four years old. For many years, that was my primary goal in life. I studied Theatre Arts in college and from there, I found a passion for film. I initially moved to LA to become an actress, but after about a year of working in the film industry, I began to find it limiting. I didn’t want to be forced to fit into a box to be cast in a certain way. I desperately wanted to express myself, but I felt restricted by the limitations of casting calls.
That’s when I found music. I had always loved singing, musical theatre had been a passion of mine for quite some time, but I had never experimented in writing for myself. It was a challenging transition, moving from actor to musician; I had spent years learning how to portray the ideas of other artists, and for the first time in my life I had to share my own thoughts and feelings with the world. This was something that utterly intimidated me for quite some time. I wasted more time than I care to admit going back and forth on whether or not my perspective was something that other people even cared to hear. But I continued to push forward. Even when I doubted myself, I couldn’t resist the indescribable feeling of getting onstage and baring my soul to the world.
In 2018, I began work on my EP. This has been the greatest learning experience of my life. I have been utterly blessed with my producer, Anthony Brodeur, who has been my guide throughout this whole process. In honing my craft and developing my voice as a musician, I have also learned how to have faith in myself and use my art to fight for what I believe in. I am in the final stages of finishing the EP, as well as an upcoming music video, and I cannot wait to share what I’ve been working on with the world.
I’ve never been one to take on a single project at a time, and music has proven to be no different. I already am working on a follow-up album, and I am also singing backup for the fabulous funk project Fake & The Soul Aesthetic. In discovering fulfillment through music, I have also found my way back to acting. This year I have completely devoted myself to my art, and any avenue through which I can create. I believe in the healing power of art, the community it can build, and more than anything, I wish to create a community where all those involved feel safe, loved, and empowered.
Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest obstacle has always been my own mind. I suffer from depression, which for years tainted my sense of self. I have never come against a harsher critic than myself, and even now, I hold myself to high standards that I oftentimes struggle to reach.
It has been a journey, learning how to love myself enough to give myself a chance to succeed. It’s an uphill battle and one that I don’t always win every day. But I keep fighting it in hopes of a day that I feel no impulse to tear myself down. I try to take things one day at a time and to give myself space for the harder days. I am more than my brain chemistry, but I am not ashamed of the way that I am.
I hope to use my voice to make others feel heard in these struggles. Mental illness is truly an epidemic in our country and one that many feel ashamed to be affected by. For far too long in my life, I felt that speaking about my depression would simply be a burden to others, but in staying silent, I merely put undue burden on myself. I will raise my voice for all those who do not yet feel ready to speak their own truths and encourage them to feel safe enough to do the same.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
The driving force behind the music I write is my frustrations with the world. We’ve been through some very politically tumultuous years, in which far too many people have faced adversity and oppression. I use music to express my anger, my fears, and my hope for a better future. I explore the uncertainty that I feel both in myself and in the world around me. Rock-n-Roll used to be protest music, in decades past it was used to rally the people together to fight against the system. I hope to bring that force back. I strive to create music that drives people to unite and demand change.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Social media has irrevocably change the music industry. Back in the day, you’d form a band with your friends, jam in your garage for a while, make a demo tape, and see if anyone took interest. These days, labels are more likely to contact the newest influencer and see if they’re interested in breaking out into music.
However, this isn’t to say that there aren’t tons of incredible artists out there waiting to be discovered. Many musicians are now turning to self-producing their work; rather than shopping themselves out to major labels, they are putting music out on their own in places like SoundCloud or Spotify. This has created an entirely new playing field for artists. Ingenuity is key, the more you can do on your own, the farther you can get.
I hope that this era of self-production will lead to a new wave authentic artistry in the music industry in which we celebrate artists for their work, rather than their antics on social media.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@ruby-layne.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubylayne/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsrubylayne
Image Credit:
Cassie Lynn, Deawnne Buckmire, Nick Geracie
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