Ayla Manic

Daring pop maverick AYLA has returned with her second single of 2020, "Manic". Another slice of building decadent-pop, it's the second taste of a new era of AYLA, in which she returns assured and inspired by the unconventional and the bold.

Continuing a series of collaborations, "Manic" is the follow up to her June release "Go Slow", co-written and produced by Peking Duk's Reuben Styles. This time, she has paired up with ascending Sydney producer Sam Thomlinson of Oh My My, for a tender-turned-gritty ode to fighting the good fight.

"This song came out quickly, in a writing session with Sam from Oh My My," said AYLA. "Sam was quick to get some cool sounds down in the track and I just wrote what came to mind. 

The story I imagined when writing it was of a band of people fighting against oppression - I kind of visualised Game of Thrones meets stream-punk. 'Manic' is about standing your ground; staying for the fight, even when it seems crazy to do it."

Since the release of her breakout hit "Wish I Was" (2014), which earned a coveted spot as triple j's 15th most played song of that year (first most played by a solo female artist), AYLA has received attention both locally and overseas for her refreshing brand of pop. In the intervening years, she has gone on to perform for triple j's Like A Version, play festivals including Big Pineapple, Festival of the Sun and Woodford Folk Festival, supported acclaimed acts such as Kate Miller-Heidke, San Cisco and Kim Churchill, and played shows in the UK and Netherlands. 

Her consistently well-received releases have since kept her at the forefront of the Australian pop consciousness, with latest single "Go Slow" receiving placement on Spotify Australia's New Music Friday, Front Left and Indie Arrivals, alongside praise from NME, Purple Sneakers, Music Feeds and more.

In the world of modern music, AYLA is a refreshing force. She is humble and unassuming, and yet as an artist, daringly bold. Her brand of decadent pop, effortlessly combines otherworldly vocals with sharp-pop blows and multi-faceted production, all the while never underplaying deep lyrical sentiments.

With an arsenal of new material ready to be unleashed, these first few tastes indicate that AYLA's debut album (set for release in 2021) will be a hell of a ride.