A Quick Chat with Lana Karlay
How did you get into music?
Music has been the biggest part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up surrounded by my parents’ playlists everything from pop and rock to classical so there was always something playing in the house and car. I started lessons really young: piano, voice, violin, and eventually bass guitar, and once I began I never stopped.
I would have been 4 years old and I still remember my mum showing me Vanessa Mae’s performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Summer 3rd Movement on YouTube. I was obsessed and instantly begged to learn it on violin.
Even before formal lessons, I was constantly singing around the house, harmonising with the radio, and apparently my pitch was weirdly always spot on for such a little kid. Music has always just been a natural part of me the place where I feel most myself and the way I can express everything I don’t have the words for.
How do you find balancing it with school?
Balancing music with school has always felt natural to me because I grew up juggling a really busy schedule. Before I got into singer-songwriting, from the age of 7 years I was constantly performing in musical theatre productions, playing in orchestras, choirs, operas, so even as a little kid I was managing late night rehearsals, performances, and schoolwork all at once. That time management has stuck with me, and I’m honestly grateful for it I wouldn’t be able to keep up otherwise.
If I’m not writing at home, you’ll usually find me in the music school at lunch or staying back after classes. No matter how packed things get, I always find a way to fit music in. It’s just part of my everyday life.
What have been some of your highlights on your music journey so far?
One of the biggest highlights so far was recording with a live band at Gold Diggers. I’d always imagined how my songs could sound, but hearing them come to life in real time was honestly surreal it felt like magic.
Another huge moment was recording the string quartet at EastWest Studios. Knowing the legends who’ve worked in Studio 2, The Beach Boys & Billie Eilish made the whole experience feel almost unreal. And as a string player myself, hearing Liam Wallace’s arrangement performed by an actual quartet was overwhelming in the best way. It was one of those moments that hits you right in the chest. I’ll cherish it forever.
Where do you see your sound and music going and what inspires it?
My sound is constantly evolving because I write in so many different styles, but everything seems to land somewhere between pop, rock and indie. A lot of my influences come straight from what I grew up listening to. Dad played classic rock The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pearl Jam and he would play me The Rolling Stones classical baby CD version for lullabies. Mum loves Kylie, Madonna, Blondie, Lady Gaga, Pavarotti, Cyndi Lauper, classical and ABBA. So I had this really diverse mix around me from the start.
My own songwriting inspirations now include artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan and Ariana Grande. When I write, I can feel little pieces of all these influences shaping the way I express things. I think that blend is what makes my sound feel unique — it’s this fusion of everything I’ve loved and learned from, all coming together in my own way.
What do you hope people get out of listening to your new song 'Don't Let Me Go'?
When I wrote ‘Don’t Let Me Go,’ my biggest hope was that people would feel understood. It captures that really specific kind of heartbreak loving someone who’s slipping away but still holding on because you don’t know how to let go. I hope anyone who’s felt that hears the song and feels a little less alone. Even though it’s emotional, I want it to bring comfort and remind people that their feelings are valid.
You've written a lot of your music over in the US and it sounds like you have plans to go back there next year. What do you love most about making music in the States?
I love the energy in the States especially LA and Nashville. Everyone there seems to live and breathe music almost every person you meet is connected to it in some way. There’s this incredible feeling that anything is possible, and that really pushes me to be braver and experiment more.
In LA especially, when I walk into a session with Esthy or Adam, I feel my ideas expand and evolve in ways they never have anywhere else. The creativity there is electric. It’s inspiring on a level I’ve never experienced before.
Ok so favourite song you've released so far and why?
Right now, it has to be ‘Don’t Let Me Go.’ I’m honestly obsessed with how it turned out. It’s the most honest I’ve ever been in a song, and hearing it explode to life with the band and the string quartet was unreal it sounded exactly like the version I’d been hearing in my head for months.
It also feels like the beginning of a whole new era for me. This album has some serious gems on it, songs I can’t wait for people to hear and ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ is the perfect taste of what’s coming next. I’m so excited for this chapter.