Jayla Kai has dropped her first single, ‘I Can’t Lie’.
It’s an immensely likable opening gambit from the 18-year-old singer-songwriter – who counts Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) as one of her mentors, and the likes of Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, and Declan McKenna as key points of inspiration – ahead of her debut EP, due out later this summer through new independent label, Everybody’s Music.
“From the beginning, Kieran was so open to me,” she explains of her early days. “He shared his authentic, optimistic, casual yet earnest approach to music and career. He emphasised the music itself, without dwelling on the obstacles. He saw value in what I was doing, independent from scale or level of experience. His mentorship has elevated my thinking.”
Of the track, she adds: “‘I Can’t Lie’ is made from romantic nostalgia, summer and poetry. It’s indulgent. I never thought I could have a song with a beat drop. Now, I love it. It’s authentic, vulnerable, shamelessly unfiltered. It’s me.”
Check it out below.