โSlow Downโ is about feeling like life is moving too fast, but youโre not really getting anywhere. I wrote it during a period where I felt like all my friends were growing up, hitting milestones, and I was stuck on the sidelines, not quite measuring up. Itโs really personal, full of metaphors and moments that capture that quiet panic of falling behind. I wanted it to sound raw and honest, because I think a lot of people feel this way but donโt always say it out loud.
Aylee is a Glasgow-based writer, producer, and performer known for turning personal moments into glittering pop anthems. With heartfelt lyrics, infectious hooks, and polished beats, her sound blends emotional honesty with feel-good energy. Starting out as a folky singer-songwriter, she quickly fell for shimmering synths and bold pop production, drawing inspiration from MUNA, Sabrina Carpenter, and Billie Eilish. Live, Aylee brings her songs to life with a dynamic solo setup, performing with multiple instruments and gear. With her debut DIY EP launch show on the horizon (in a very intimate setting), sheโs set to hit the stage properly very soon. Her singles Dressed Up and Good Enough (from her upcoming EP An Existential Crisis) have already caught the attention of BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, and Spotify playlists, and thereโs plenty more to come. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?
Aylee: I have always considered myself exceptionally lucky when it comes to my journey as a musician, as my parents have always been huge supporters of my career. They bought me my first guitar, they drove me to tiny gigs and open mics to perform when I was younger, and they took me to gigs which inspired me to keep going. I remember my Dad took me to my first ever gig when I was in primary school. He took me to see Sclub 7 (iconic, I know), and this sparked my interest in performance. My mum also took me to see Snow Patrol, who were really important to me as a young musician. Those memories are very special to me and definitely inspired me to keep going with my music.ย
2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?
Aylee: I taught myself how to play guitar and to record my own music when I was about 13/14. Before I had my first 8-track recorder, I saved up for a loop pedal. I used to sit in my room and create loops to sing over. I would actually say that my ability to write and create was despite the formal training I recieved in school. I remember one of my music teachers telling me, โYouโll never make it as a musicianโ I feel like this just fuelled me to keep going. After leaving school, I took part in some youth music programmes where I met my pal Lewis, who is a well-known producer based here in Glasgow. Together with Lewis, we would sit and produce the tracks I wrote one day at a time. We would often take songs I had started to produce and go from there. I learned how to use Logic by watching Lewis and by working alongside him to produce my tracks.
3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, whatโs the story behind choosing the name โAyleeโ?
Aylee: Growing up my favourite artists were Snow Patrol and then Ellie Goulding. I loved and still do love Snow Patrolโs lyrics and really love Ellie Gouldingโs production. โLightsโ was the first album I really listened to that combined folk and electronic sounds, as soon as I heard โUnder the Sheetsโ I was hooked. The story of how I picked my artist name is pretty funny. A few years ago I was lucky enough to be flown over to America to meet with some music executives, it hadnโt dawned on me that no one had really addressed me by my name, that was until my pal refered to me as โEyelidโ, thatโs when I discovered that the Gaelic spelling of my name โEilidhโ wasnโt the easiest to translate, so I decided to compromise and went with the phonetic spelling instead.
4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
Aylee: I would say genuine honesty is a key factor within my music. Iโm not sure Iโd say it โsets me apartโ so to speak, as I believe there are plenty of musicians and writers who express genuine and honest emotions, but Iโd say that aspect of my writing is incredibly important to me. I think my music could be described as honest, sparkly pop. I hope that when people listen to my music, they feel seen and understood. I want people to feel less alone in their struggles.
5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?
Aylee: Originally, I was more of a folky singer-songwriter; I sang and played acoustic guitar, but I always wanted to add more to my music. I didnโt know how or what exactly was missing, but I wanted to make music that sounded big, if that makes any sense. I remember vividly when I saw Snow Patrol for the first time, feeling the bass resonate through my body, that way when you see a band live, and you can actually feel the bass and the kick. I remember wanting my music and live performance to be just like that. It wasnโt until a few years later that I found Ellie Goulding. She was the first solo female artist I came across who incorporated acoustic guitar, soft vocals, as well as samples and electronic elements. I fell in love with her sound and knew that was the vibe I wanted for my music. Before finding Ellie Goulding I remember having this sense of thinking Pop music was โcringeyโ or โuncoolโ, I identified as an emo who listened to You Me At Six, Fall Out Boy and then randomly Snow Patrol, Iโm not sure where this notion of pop music being embarassing came from but it wasnโt until I hear the album โlightsโ that I accepted that I truly love pop music. I then became obsessed with pop music and loved finding new artists, regardless of the genre; I just liked what I liked. I think letting go of the notion that the music I was into had to be โcoolโ allowed me to explore as an artist and just create what I liked. I do think there is still a slight stigma around pop music; people will often scoff or roll their eyes when I say I love Sabrina Carpenter or Gracie Abrams, but even if you donโt like the music, if you read the lyrics, they are poetic, clever and even laced with satire and that in itself is impressive. Itโs like when people hate on Taylor Swift simply because sheโs so popular, but even if you put her music to the side and just look at what she has achieved and made possible for young girls and women to aspire to, itโs unbelievably important. when I was 14, the thought of a female solo artist selling out a stadium tour and being big enough to headline every festival if they wanted to was completely out of the question. So I feel passionately that while pop is often considered โbasicโ, it is truly essential to society and positive change.
6. Music often transcends entertainment. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
Aylee: I absolutely believe music should be used to speak to cultural, political and social struggles, but I also see the value in music helping to escape some of these issues, even if it is just for the length of a 3 and a half minute song. I think both of these aspects are important. Sometimes, if things in my personal life feel heavy or too much, all I want to do is put my headphones on and escape for a few minutes. With that being said, last year, I released my track โSick to my stomachโ where I address the medical gaslighting and dismissal women tend to face within the medical field when trying to access care. I live with Endometriosis, which affects 1 in 10 women, has been recognised as one of the top 20 most painful conditions in the world, is said to be more painful than a heart attack and childbirth, but takes on average about 8 years to diagnose. I fought for 13 years before I was listened to and finally diagnosed with the condition. The profits from this release, along with profits raised from t-shirt and tote bag sales will be going to โThe Endometriosis Foundationโ, who champion up-to-date research and are actively fighting for those of us living with this debilitating condition. Following the tracksโ release, I had an influx of women reaching out to me, expressing how much the lyrics resonate with them and that they feel less alone in the struggle to be heard.
7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment youโre still seeking?
Aylee: Whilst Iโm not out on a world tour, I do count myself as very lucky to be able to release music because it is expensive! I was lucky enough to have parents who supported my goal and actually bought me my first guitar and 8-track recorder when I was about 14- I am very aware that not everyone has access to that kind of equipment. Outwith my own music, I also work as a music practitioner within a local music charity here in Glasgow, this is incredibly fulfilling as it allows me to help others express themselves through music, which I honestly believe should be available to everyone regardless of economic, social, or physical ability or any other barrier that they may face. Being able to turn a feeling into a fully produced song is fulfilling in itself and is not a skill I take for granted.
8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, whatโs the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?
Aylee: My creative process is fairly versatile and changes from time to time. For example, sometimes a lyric or song title will pop into my head, Iโll take a note of it, then sit down with either my guitar or piano, and the song will just pour out. Alternatively, sometimes I will sit down at my laptop and create a loop, sample some melodic ideas using my voice and then write to the production.
When I was younger, I started by learning covers, so I find if Iโm ever stuck for inspiration, Iโll sit down and create a cover of a song I love. I find stepping back from the pressure of writing for myself and just producing and recording for fun often sparks an idea, whether that be stumbling upon a new technique I hadnโt thought of before, finding an instrument I maybe wouldnโt have actively looked for, or just finding a key that suits my voice. So, I would say recording covers is a huge part of my creative process, as it often opens the door for me to go on and write my own track. I would also say that an essential part of my writing and producing process is utilising my voice to create samples. I love creating textures, melodies and even hooks by chopping up adlibs and manipulating the samples to sound catchy. I would say creating samples is probably my favourite production technique.
9. Whatโs been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?
Aylee: Being diagnosed with Endometriosis has definitely been the biggest challenge Iโve faced. The disease takes so much, it often renders me bedbound for days or even weeks at a time, and it prevents me from being able to walk or carry out everyday activities. It leads to social isolation as you canโt go out or even really plan things too far in advance because of how unpredictable it is. Sadly, there is no cure, but I have altered my life to manage the symptoms the best I can. I feel this experience has shaped me as an artist because it has taught me a whole new level of resilience and empathy. It has also shown me that sharing this experience through my music has not only been validating and cathartic for myself, but it has also helped others feel less alone in the struggle to be heard, and that is something I strive for.
10. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And letโs talk about your latest release and future plans.
Aylee: Over the years, I have released plenty of music and, whilst having songs played on Radio 1, being voted Radio 1โs most loved track of the week and performing for BBC Introducing, I would still say that bringing people together with my lyrics has been my proudest achievement. I feel as though I am now at a place in my life and career where I have something to say, Iโve found my voice, and Iโm no longer afraid to use it. My next single, โSlow Downโ delves into the feeling of falling behind in life. Itโs about watching friends and family hitting milestones in life while you feel like youโre being left behind- I think this feeling is far more common than I realised when I wrote the song, and is something I feel should be spoken about. In todayโs social climate, where social media is used to portray a certain image of peopleโs lives, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and to lose sight of the value within your own life. The lyric โfeels like I forgot to existโ actually came to me while I was scrolling through Instagram one day, and I felt like I wasnโt living up to the social norms or standards society has in the past set (for women, especially). Iโm not married, I donโt have children, I havenโt bought my first flat or house, and I donโt go on several holidays each year, but that doesnโt mean my life doesnโt have value. โSlow Downโ delves into all of these feelings, but Iโve found that Iโm not alone in the feeling of falling behind; itโs far more common than I realised in that moment. I have a few more releases up my sleeve before the end of the year and will be performing soon, too!
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