In December of 2019 I went to an Andrew McMahon show for his Winter in the Wilderness tour. I had an extra ticket and asked a friend to go with me very last minute, like an hour before the show last minute. Why? Well, that is what happens when your seemingly healthy child gets sick right before it is time to leave the house, especially when you have had something planned for several months in advance. So, my husband took one for the team and stayed behind so I could go to the show. I felt bad leaving, but would later come to know that fate had come to the rescue that night. The friend that I invited was having a tough time working though a relationship and had a lot of uncertainty hanging over her head. Little did she know, the answers she had been looking for would manifest themselves in song via the stunningly soulful gig opener, Ivory Layne. I remember looking to my friend after Layne finished her first song, and we both had an understanding of the importance of her coming to that show with me.
Layne just released her latest single “December,” a comforting song about acceptance and hope during darker times. It is so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when we are going through a difficult time, but Layne assures us that “nothing lasts forever.” We will have amazing, beautiful moments in our lives that fade, sometimes leaving us full of sadness where our worst fears control our thoughts. In those moments Layne encourages us to stay strong with the lyrics “It’s hard to remember, lows can make me whole, it’s only heavy for so long.”
I cannot stress enough the importance of a song like this, especially in the year 2020. I feel like we are all in the same “December” together. As Layne so eloquently puts it “We all have seasons to help our hearts reset.” You can find out more about Layne here. Please add her to your must see bucket list. She is brilliant!