LAYNE is Layne Putnam, left, and Alexander Rosca. (Photo by Brandon Wolford; courtesy ReyBee Inc.)

LAYNE
 
 
DC9
 
 
1940 9th St., N.W.
 
 
Wednesday, Aug. 31
 
 
Doors 8:30 p.m.
 
 
Show: 9 p.m.
 
 
$12
 

Inspiration isn’t always easy to come by and while others seek it out in the walls of a coffee shop or by taking a late night drive, Layne Putnam’s creativity flowed into her songwriting in the woods.

Growing up in Black Hills, S.D., Putnam, 21, admits the music scene was “almost nonexistent.” So Putnam, who grew up playing mostly drums and guitar, had to make her own and used her environment as her musical canvas. She says music was always in her life, and also her blood as her father Kenny Putnam was a fiddle players for the Red Willow Band and toured with country legend Roy Clarke. For Putnam, music was just “part of living and breathing.”

Putnam has since taken her musical ambitions from sparse South Dakota to Los Angeles as half of the indie pop-rock band LAYNE, which she formed with fellow bandmate Alexander Rosca. The band is on tour and LAYNE makes its D.C. stop at DC9 on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Putnam, who moved to Los Angeles three years ago, met Rosca there through someone they were both working with and says the connection was instantaneous.

“I needed a drummer and he was like, ‘Hey, I’m a drummer.’ We met and had coffee and it was like immediate, instant,” Putnam says. “We looked at each other and we were dressed exactly the same and we listened to the same music and he understood things like I did. I played him some stuff and he was like, ‘I’m there.’ We’ve hung out pretty much every day since. He’s like my best friend. We just clicked, and now we’re a team.”

The pair created a system with Putnam on vocals, synths and guitar, and Rosca on drums. Putnam says their collaboration is different every time. At times, Putnam sings a track and takes it to Rosca to create a drum beat and other times Rosca comes up with a drum beat for Putnam to build around.

“The Black Hills,” named after Putnam’s hometown and the duo’s first EP, is the finished product of their collaboration. “Good” and “Somebody” are two singles that have already been released as previews to the release with both music videos receiving thousands of YouTube views. Putnam says the EP, which will be released Aug. 26, is a collection of songs from the past year. Some of the tracks have the tell-tale mark of Putnam’s love of nature. She says the two got sound bites from the lakes, wind and trees from the areas Putnam grew up in and sampled them on the track.

Putnam says the EP chronicles their creative journey from the last year.

“I was in a midway point kind of transitioning and really honing in on the sound,” Putnam says. “So it really encapsulates the last year of what we’ve been doing creatively. We didn’t necessarily sit down at one time and do it. But I think that’s cool because it kind of sums up our last year.”

The EP reflects the pop-rock sound of the band which Putnam has always admired. She says she has always enjoyed both and likes to pull bits from each genre. The happy medium felt “natural and right for her.”

Putnam credits musicians like Prince, Joan Jett, Bjork and St. Vincent as musical favorites, but for more than just their songs.

“People like that their entire project is an art project, you know? From the music, to the visuals to the videos, it’s all a part of it and all encompassing,” Putnam says.

Although the band is just kicking off its career, Putnam has been open about being a lesbian from the start. Being out and proud at the onset of her career is something Putnam has no problem doing, but doesn’t want her sexuality to be a reason people listen to her music.

“I feel like we’re at a point now where the best thing you can do is just be equal,” Putnam says. “We’ve fought as a community to be treated the same way and I think now I’m in a place where I don’t ever want to openly say, ‘Listen to me because I’m a gay artist.’ I don’t want that to be a thing. I want to say, ‘Hey, listen to my music, and also I’m gay.’”

Putnam says she is “very proud to be part of the community,” but doesn’t want that to be the defining characteristic of her as a musician.

“People think it’s such a huge part of who you are as a person. And the message I would like to send is, it’s not a huge part. We’re all the exact same,” Putnam says. “So I wouldn’t necessarily come out and say, ‘I’m a gay artist’ but I’m not going to come out and say, ‘I’m not.’ I think there’s power in just acting like we’re equal. We are. There’s no reason to further put yourself in a minority or group when we’re all the same.”

That doesn’t mean Putnam isn’t focusing on her sexuality in her music. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Putnam admits she is always writing about her own experiences and relationships. Letting out her emotions in her music is deeply personal and writing about her relationships with women is bound to come out. But, Putnam believes her songwriting is universally relatable no matter what a person’s sexuality may be.

“I’ll say she, I’m not afraid of that. I like to listen to artists where I can relate to that. I absolutely have no fear in that. But I feel all relationships are the same. I write about my relationship and I feel anybody can relate to it if they’ve been in a relationship,” Putnam says.

At their upcoming DC9 show, Putnam is excited for her audience to connect with LAYNE’s music and simply feel that universality.

“I want people to feel empowered by feeling because that’s something that makes us superhuman, our ability to feel, and to hurt, and to be mad and be happy and all those things. I want people to feel either totally stoked or feel like, ‘Wow, that was heavy’ or think, ‘Wow, that made me sad.’ I want people to walk away feeling something heavy.”