LAYKS - "Sunkeeper" + Interview

6 minutes ago
4 min read

LAYKS is back delivering a fresh new sound with the release of their single, “Sunkeeper.”

"Sunkeeper" evokes a sense of nostalgia. The emotionally layered vocals draw you in, hooking you with resonant lyrics. It's reminiscent of an intro scene of an 80s movie where the camera is panning through rain-soaked streets illuminated by traffic lights and neon signs. Fans of their previous releases will undoubtedly enjoy this new chapter, as the core of what makes LAYKS so brilliant remains the same: impressive lyricism and songwriting, captivating instrumentals, quality production, and true passion for the art they are creating at the root of it all.

As always, we are beyond thrilled to support LAYKS, and can’t wait to hear more from this project. We have an exclusive interview below where we discuss the new single, upcoming EP, and their tour!

“Sunkeeper” is available everywhere Friday, July 10th! Be sure to follow LAYKS to get all the updates.

Q&A WITH SAM J MARTIN:

How would you describe this new era?

SM: it definitely feels a lot heavier, both sonically and emotionally. my first EP was very much rooted in pop and i always used to say i wanted it to sound like seasons changing. Those songs hold such a special place in my life, but these new songs just feel like a whole range of emotions all cascading through each other. I’m really enjoying experimenting with new sounds and pushing my boundaries with vulnerability in my writing. It feels a lot more personal but i hope people can also relate to it. There’s quite a lot of pain in there but it’s also a celebration of me breaking free from it. When I moved to Paris last year, these songs started falling out of nowhere and i think they represent that shift in my mindset. I was hurting a lot, so this music was my therapy. Every day i went into the studio and told myself “this feels different” so i knew i was heading in a new direction, it felt like a perfect storm.

What inspired you to venture into a different direction for LAYKS?

SM: i think it started during our 2024/2025 tour. We played a sold out tour around europe and those shows informed a lot of this new era. I was listening to a lot of different music at the time, stuff that didn’t necessarily sound like LAYKS, so i wanted to bring those influences into the next project. The new EP leans into a lot of the music i grew up with, there’s a lot of alternative rock, shoegaze and grunge elements in every song. When I think of my career I think about longevity, so I always want to evolve and develop what I’m doing. I think there’s always a part of me that’s afraid of staying in the same place for too long but this is definitely the proudest I’ve ever felt of anything I’ve created.

"Sunkeeper" is the first single from the new LAYKS EP dropping this August. Is there a theme to this collection of songs? What makes them more diverse than your previous releases?

SM: Sunkeeper was an idea i had in my back pocket for a while. The EP is about the losing yourself in order to find yourself again. The songs follow this idea of saving yourself because in reality, nobody else will. You have to want that for yourself, even if it feels impossible. I wanted each song to almost feel like different characters in a story. I’m really inspired by retro video games and movies so there’s a lot of imagery in there that kind of acts as a vessel for the lyrics and meaning. The title track is definitely one of the heaviest songs i’ve written. I was coming out of a really emotionally abusive relationship and i isolated myself from a lot of people i cared about. I was learning how to be myself again and found that in all the love i had around me. There are other songs on the EP like “Blood” and “Shūryō” which speak to my own sense of purpose and fulfillment, i feel like every artists asks themselves “why am i here?” at some point in their lives. All of the songs feel more diverse in terms of the production and how i approached them sonically, I wanted them to feel like a journey without them sounding too formulated, I think there’s a real joy to be found in that. I’m just excited to see how people interpret them when we start the next tour, i really can’t wait.

Who are some artists you’d list as your FFOs (For Fans Of) for this EP?

SM: i’ve been really getting back into bands like Deftones and Loathe lately! they’ve been big influences on this new era and i guess if you’re a fan of any alt rock or shoegaze artists from the 90’s/2000’s you might feel at home with the new EP. I love Sleep Token and what they’ve done for the alt scene in the past few years. I think it’s widely accepted as this really inviting and safe space for people to feel every emotion they need to, so i wanted people to feel seen and heard in a similar way. It’s been fun drawing on those styles more, It’s a lot of fun playing these songs live, it’s definitely a new experience for everyone.

Can you tell us about your upcoming UK/EU tour? What can the audience expect from the live show?

SM: Yeah for sure! we are heading back to Europe at the end of the year to play in France, Germany and Poland primarily. We are still trying to get a few dates in Amsterdam booked as those guys have been such a massive part of this whole journey. In terms of what to expect, I think it’s going to feel like coming home in a lot of ways, especially after the last tour. So expect new songs, loud guitars and a very big sense of family! Maybe some crowd surfing if my manager doesn’t shout at me again haha.

Alex Kilgore, Untold Music Promotion