Catch Of The Week: Lainey Dionne
Meet Lainey Dionne from Smithfield, Rhode Island
Lainey Dionne isn’t a country artist, per say, but like a country artist, she’s a storyteller. Relationship stories, life stories, travel stories; they are all here, in her debut album, ironically titled, Self Titled. A small town girl with big dreams, Dionne wears her heart on her sleeve and is fearless about speaking her mind, like a true New Englander.
Following her vocals on her award winning “Hey London,” is like navigating on the Autobahn. She sings her way in an out of a love-moved-on story. Vocals soaring, heart racing…taking the listener on a wild ride through her truth. The production is polished, the lyrics are captivating and the future looks bright for this talented Magna Cum Laude Berklee College of Music grad.
Listen to Lainey
“Hey London” won the International Songwriting Competition, Unsigned Only Competition and was nominated for NEMA Song of the Year.
The Dirt on Dionne
- Grew up in: Smithfield RI
- Now lives in: Smithfield RI
- Current single album: “Self Titled”
- Describe your album: “Self Titled” is a roller coaster ride of raw, honest emotions that come with toxic and healthy relationships. “I chose ‘Self Titled’ as the name for my album because I am not defined by my exes; they do not represent my name, but they did shape me into the person I am today,through the good and the bad- and now that I’ve come out the other side, I feel entitled to myself again.
- What led you to music: My parents got me into piano at a young age and from there I picked up violin, guitar, and various other instruments. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. My dad was in a band and in high school I started my
own band with friends using his spare equipment. I performed for the first time and knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life when I heard the crowd singing back. - How old were you when you started: I started writing songs at 11 or 12 and started performing at 16. I wouldn’t consider myself a professional musician until after I graduated Berklee College of Music in 2015.
- First song you learned: The first song I ever learned on guitar was Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer
- Instruments played: Currently I play guitar and piano but I have played ukulele, mandolin, violin, cajon, harmonica, and flute.
- How would you describe your sound: Right now my sound is very indie pop. I’ve been told my music is the love child of Billie Eilish, Halsey, k.flay, and Lorde.
- Who inspires you: Recently I’ve been inspired by upcoming artists like Chandler Leighton, Tayler Buono, Annika Wells, and Charlotte Sands. Some others over the years have been artists like Gabrielle Aplin, Sigrid, Paramore, and Coldplay.
- Awards/accolades::
2021 New England Music Award 5 Time Nominee (Song of the Year for Hey London, Songwriter of the Year, Female Performer of the Year, Pop Act of the Year, Best In State – RI)
2021 Unsigned Only Finalist
2020 International Songwriting Competition Winner
2020 Unsigned Only Winner
2020 New England Songwriting Competition Winner
2019 New England Songwriting Competition Winner
2019 Summer’s End Race to the Stage Finalist
2018 Motif Music Awards Nominee
2018 Worcester Music Awards 3 Time Nominee
2016 International Songwriting Competition Semifinalist
2015 Berklee College of Music Magna Cum Laude Graduate
Opened for Drake Bell, The Head and The Heart, and Chase Rice
Plays on over 30 national radio stations and over 40 publications
Sync Deals with North Star Media and Indie Well
Performs between 60-100 shows a year in over 90 venues in New England - Dream duet partner: I’m a sucker for a good spacey female/male duet so I would love to write with EDEN. Or do a pop punk ex song with Charlotte Sands.
- All- time favorite song: Ghost Stories Album by Coldplay, Last Hope by Paramore, Take A Walk by Passion Pit
- First concert: My first big concert was Coldplay followed by Muse and Radiohead.
- If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing: I’d like to help other artists if I couldn’t do it myself. If I had to do something that didn’t involve music at all I’d become a realtor.
- Most proud moment: There’s honestly too many to count- from winning awards, to opening for major artists, to ALMOST landing a song for Selena Gomez. I think I’m most proud of the little moments when people can really see who I am and
really accept me. I love it when people say they have really made a genuine connection with me because that is the reason why I am doing music. - Crazy thing that happened in your music career: Probably getting my song I Love You To Death in front of Selena Gomez’s team or opening for my childhood Nickelodeon crush Drake Bell.
- Other things you like to do: I love love love to travel. I love my dogs. And I love to explore historical places.
- Fun facts: I broke my hip when I was 14 and that’s what got me to stop doing sports and 100% focus on music. I met a boy online in a game chatroom and talked to him for 5 years and then traveled to the Netherlands where he was from to meet him- we dated for a year and my song Last Flight is about him. I was accepted into a songwriting program in France where I met a
British guy that I left the Dutch guy for- I went and lived with him for a month in England and got to play a few shows in the UK. I wrote Hey London and Cumbriaabout that experience. - Mantra: Always Be Kind
Lainey Live
- 11-5: Tavolo Wine Bar & Tuscan Grille – Smithfield, RI
- 3-13-22: Goodnow Library, Sudbury, MA
- 4/14-22: Bigelow Free Public Library, Clinton, MA
Lainey Dionne
Every week, Kruser’s Local Catch highlights New England’s homegrown country music talent, and tells you where to catch them locally and in Nashville. Click here to view previous catches.
*Singer/songwriters with original music: Please submit for consideration on The Local Catch by emailing Kruser at [email protected]
“This is who I am right now and how I sound right now. I’m growing into myself. My music is a snapshot of me. It’s like a yearbook picture; it would be quite boring if I wore the same outfit every year and this year – I love my outfit”.https://t.co/5QjvLpwwvt #IndieArtists #ri
— Lainey Dionne (@laineydionne) October 13, 2021
