Banbury musician Sam J Martin known as 'LAYKS' releases his debut EP

Banbury musician Sam J Martin, known as LAYKS, has released his first EP (Photo by Sam Bennett Film and Photography)

Sam James Martin grew up in Middleton Cheney and began his music career very young performing in school productions from primary school all the way through his life at Chenderit secondary. Some of Sam's first shows were performed locally at Also Known As and The Wine Vaults on Parsons Street in Banbury.

Music was a part of his life since the age of four when he first picked up a guitar and would play along to Hendrix and Beatles songs thanks to his parents music collection.

After school he then went on to graduate with an HND in music practice and production, and after leaving college he joined the world of touring his own music full-time supporting artists such as James Bay, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Laura Marling.

After releasing music under his own name for four years, Sam flew to Los Angeles completely by himself in 2019 to work on some new music with a much more pop and R&B orientated sound. Having spent two weeks recording at Glass House and Conway Studios in LA (Taylor Swift, U2, Talking Heads) Sam flew home and began working towards the creation of an entirely new musical alias called “LAYKS."

The project launched in August 2020, and quickly garnered a worldwide following from the UK and the US all the way to Thailand and Australia. The rapid growth of LAYKS over the last last nine months has seen Sam’s music placed amongst BBC Introducing’s “Ones To Watch” as well as getting featured by International publications such as Clash Magazine and NPR. All of this has just been down to Sam and the small team around him over the past year tenaciously pursuing every possible avenue to bring LAYKS to more people

around the world.

“Cry Baby” is the debut EP from LAYKS and is available worldwide now on all streaming platforms as well as limited edition 12” vinyl. The EP’s title is an ode to vulnerability. Each track is a conversation about wearing your heart on your sleeve and being honest in your emotions. With influences ranging from ambient synth and guitar dream pop, soulful ballads and nostalgic, anthemic indie rock, all layered between Sam’s visceral and relatable lyricism.

Having already sold out the O2 Academy Islington in just four days, LAYKS is currently in the midst of organising a wide spread UK and European tour for 2022.

Sam’s primary goal from the outset has always been to bring his music to as many people as possible around the world. In a year that has been shrouded in so much uncertainty, Sam just wants to let people feel the joy and electricity of a live show once again and intends to tour in as many new places as possible.

For more information on LAYKS see their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/thisislayks