Layla Frankel

Bandleader: As a life-long performer, I am a seasoned professional when it comes to performing and bandleading in any situation. I have played sets of solo-acoustic background music for small office parties, fronted a 10-piece wedding band with horn sections and three vocalists, sung in jazz combos, weddings, bar-mitzvahs, funerals. I also grew up on stage performing for children and have entertained many toddlers at 2-year old birthday parties. I promise audience engagement in every performance setting with a high level of professionalism and musicality. I have mastered the art of ambiance and, regardless of setting, read the room and providing the appropriate musical atmosphere.

Freelance Vocalist: I offer voice lessons for all ages and skill levels, both in-person and online. I work with each student individually, giving customized exercises for technique, performance, and vocal dexterity; helping my students to find their voices. I also work as a backup vocalist for local and touring acts and as a remote session vocalist. I have a choral background and a well-trained ear for harmony and vocal arranging, learn music quickly and deliver professional quality vocals for all projects I am involved with.

Touring musical artist: I perform my own show with sets of my original music. I entertain audiences with ear-wormy, soulful poetic folk/pop tunes and storytelling at small venues, festivals, and house concerts around the country. Samples of my original recordings can be found under the "audio" section.

Children's performer: I am the daughter of Chicago-based children's songwriter and performer, Joel Frankel, so I was raised immersed in the children's music world. I also taught early-childhood music enrichment classes through the esteemed Chicago institution, The Old Town School of Folk Music, as well as private music classes and performances at libraries, festivals, and preschools in the Chicago-land area. My children's performances feature classic sing-alongs, music-and-movement-based activities, shakers, rhythm instruments, dancing, and interactive family fun. My performance structure is similar to my father's and I often include some of his original music as well. You can find out more at (link hidden)

Layla Frankel doesn’t fit in a box.

When she moved to Nashville in 2017, fresh off a cross-country tour in support of her debut EP, Tame The Fox, she tried. But she realized she was too bluesy for the country artists, too poppy for folk, and she had more soul on stage than most Nashville audiences had seen before.

Since then, Layla’s music has developed into a form all of its own, with a genre that might be best described as “Soulcana.” It integrates the vocal style of Bonnie Raitt and the sophisticated pop sound of Sheryl Crow. It pays homage to the poetic lyricism of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. Most notably, it plays with melodies, unexpected chord structures, and showcases her stunning vocal agility - all of which can be found on her latest EP, Postcard From The Moon.

Recorded at the iconic StartStruck Studio in Nashville, Postcard from the Moon features 6 original tracks that showcase timeless, soulful vocals and skillful craft. Layla’s single, “You Can’t Love Me Like I Loved You,” was a finalist in both the 2020 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and The Great American Song Contest and “Josephine” was a semi-finalist in the Music City Song Star Contest.

In a world of boxes and labels, Layla’s record aims to redefine the lines that have been etched in our cultural musical lexicon. The new album is her answer to the fear, frustration, and perseverance she has experienced as a musician looking for her place in the world and finding her voice in the process.

I can bring my own PA for a solo - quartet setting. Performances with larger ensembles will require rental of a larger PA system with rental fee included in price quote.