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New band LAYNE blends pop-rock sounds with nonchalant sexuality

‘I want people to walk away feeling something heavy’

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LAYNE, gay news, Washington Blade

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.”

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Music & Concerts

Musical icons and newer stars to rock D.C. this spring

Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, and more headed our way

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Brandi Carlile plays the Anthem this month.

Bands and solo artists of all different genres are visiting D.C. this spring. Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will team up to perform at the Wolf Trap in June, and girl in red will play at the Anthem in April. Some artists and bands aren’t paying a visit until the summer, like Janet Jackson and Usher, but there are still plenty of acts to see as the weather warms up. 

MARCH 

Brandi Carlile plays at the Anthem on March 21; Arlo Parks will perform at 9:30 Club on March 23; Girlschool will take the stage at Blackcat on March 28.

APRIL 

Nicki Minaj stops in D.C. at Capital One Arena as part of her North American tour on April 1; Bad Bunny plays at Capital One Arena on April 9 as part of his Most Wanted tour; girl in red performs at the Anthem on April 20 and 21; Brandy Clark plays at the Birchmere on April 25; Laufey comes to town to play at the Anthem on April 25 and 26. 

MAY 

Belle and Sebastian play at the Anthem on May 2; Chastity Belt performs at Blackcat on May 4; Madeleine Peyroux stops at the Birchmere on May 5; The Decemberists play at the Anthem on May 10; the rock band Mannequin Pussy performs at the Atlantis on May 17 and 18; Hozier plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 17 as part of the Unreal Unearth tour. 

JUNE 

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will sing soulful melodies at Wolf Trap on June 8; Joe Jackson performs at the Lincoln Theatre on June 10; the Pixies and Modest Mouse are teaming up to play at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 14; Maggie Rogers plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 16 as part of The Don’t Forget Me tour; Brittany Howard headlines the Out & About Festival at Wolf Trap on June 22; Sarah McLachlan plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27; Alanis Morissette performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 29 and 30

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Music & Concerts

Grammys: Queer women and their sisters took down the house

Taylor Swift won Album of the Year

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When the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, her answer was simple: Nine. She stated: “I say when there are nine, people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” RBG did not attend the Grammy’s last night, but her spirit sure did. Women, at long last, dominated, ruled and killed the night.

Cher, in song a decade ago, declared that “this is a woman’s world,” but there was little evidence that was true, Grammy, and entertainment awards, speaking. In 2018, the Grammys were heavily criticized for lack of female representation across all categories and organizers’ response was for women to “step up.”

Be careful what you wish for boys.

The biggest star of the 2024 Grammys was the collective power of women. They made history, they claimed legacy and they danced and lip sang to each other’s work. Standing victorious was Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA (the most nominated person of the year), Lainey Wilson, Karol G, boygenius, Kylie Minogue and Victoria Monét. Oh, yes, and powerhouse Taylor Swift, the superstar from whom Fox News cowers in fear, made history to become the first performer of any gender to win four Best Album of the Year trophies.

In the throng of these powerful women stand a number of both LGBTQ advocates and queer identifying artists. Cyrus has identified as pansexual, SZA has said lesbian rumors “ain’t wrong,” Phoebe Bridgers (winner of four trophies during the night, most of any artist) is lesbian, Monét is bi and Eilish likes women but doesn’t want to talk about it. Plus, ask any queer person about Swift or Minogue and you are likely to get a love-gush.

Women power was not just owned by the lady award winners. There were the ladies and then there were the Legends. The first Legend to appear was a surprise. Country singer Luke Combs has a cross-generational hit this year with a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” When originally released, the song was embraced as a lesbian anthem. When performing “Fast Car,” surprise, there was Chapman herself, singing the duet with Combs. The rendition was stunning, sentimental and historic.

Chapman, like many of the night’s female dignitaries, has not been public with her sexuality. Author Alice Walker has spoken of the two of them being lovers, however.

The legend among legends of the night, however, was the one and only Joni Mitchell. Not gay herself, she embodies the concept of an LGBTQ icon, and was accompanied by the very out Brandi Carlile on stage. On her website, Mitchell’s statement to the LGBTQ community reads, “The trick is if you listen to that music and you see me, you’re not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it will probably make you cry and you’ll learn something about yourself and now you’re getting something out of it.”

Mitchell performed her longtime classic “Both Sides Now.” The emotion, insight and delivery from the now 80-year old artist, survivor of an aneurism, was nothing short of profound. (To fully appreciate the nuance time can bring, check out the YouTube video of a Swift lookalike Mitchell singing the same song to Mama Cass and Mary Travers in 1969.) In this latest rendition, Mitchell clearly had an impact on Meryl Streep who was sitting in the audience. Talk about the arc of female talent and power.

That arc extended from a today’s lady, Cyrus, to legend Celine Dion as well. Cyrus declared Dion as one of her icons and inspirations early in the evening. Dion appeared, graceful and looking healthy, to present the final, and historic, award of the night at the end of the show.

Legends did not even need to be living to have had an effect on the night. Tributes to Tina Turner and Sinead O’Conner by Oprah, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor and Annie Lennox respectively, proved that not even death could stop these women. As Lennox has musically and famously put it, “Sisters are doing it for themselves.”

Even the content of performances by today’s legends-in-the-making spoke to feminine power. Eilish was honored for, and performed “What Was I Made For?,” a haunting and searching song that speaks to the soul of womanhood and redefinition in today’s fight for gender rights and expression, while Dua Lipa laid down the gauntlet for mind blowing performance with her rendition of “Houdini” at the top of the show, Cyrus asserted the power of her anthem “Flowers” and pretty much stole the show.

Cyrus had not performed the song on television before, and only three times publicly. She declared in her intro that she was thrilled over the business numbers the song garnered, but she refused to let them define her. As she sang the hit, she scolded the audience, “you guys act like you don’t know the words to this song.” Soon the woman power of the room was singing along with her, from Swift to Oprah.

They can buy themselves flowers from now on. They don’t need anyone else. Cyrus made that point with the mic drop to cap all mic drops, “And I just won my first Grammy!” she declared as she danced off stage.

Even the squirmiest moment of the night still did not diminish the light of women power, and in fact, underscored it. During his acceptance of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z had a bone to pick with the Grammy voters. He called out the irony that his wife Beyoncé had won more Grammys than any other human, but had never won the Best Album of the Year. Yeah, what’s with that?

But then, it brought additional context ultimately to the fact that the winner of the most Grammys individually … is a woman. And to the fact that the winner of the most Best Album of the Year awards … is a woman.

Hopefully this was the night that the Grammys “got it.” Women are the epicenter of The Creative Force.

Will the other entertainment awards get it soon as well? We can hope.

Most importantly, in a political world where women’s healthcare is under siege. Will the American voters get it?

A little known band named Little Mix put it this way in their 2019 song “A Woman’s World.”

“If you can’t see that it’s gotta change
Only want the body but not the brains
If you really think that’s the way it works
You ain’t lived in a woman’s world

Just look at how far that we’ve got
And don’t think that we’ll ever stop…”

From Grammy’s mouth to the world’s ear.

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Music & Concerts

Janet Jackson returning to D.C, Baltimore

‘Together Again Tour’ comes to Capital One Arena, CFG Bank Arena

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Janet Jackson is coming back to D.C. this summer.

Pop icon Janet Jackson announced this week an extension of her 2023 “Together Again Tour.” A new leg of the tour will bring Jackson back to the area for two shows, one at D.C.’s Capital One Arena on Friday, July 12 and another at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, July 13.  

Tickets are on sale now via TicketMaster. LiveNation announced the 2023 leg of the tour consisted of 36 shows, each of which was sold out. The 2024 leg has 35 stops planned so far; R&B star Nelly will open for Jackson on the new leg. 

Jackson made the tour announcement Tuesday on social media: “Hey u guys! By popular demand, we’re bringing the Together Again Tour back to North America this summer with special guest Nelly! It’ll be so much fun!”

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