alayna

Hailing from Rotorua, New Zealand, Alayna Powley (AKA alayna) is a singer-songwriter with an extreme sense of reflection and purpose. She was raised on a rich diet of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, as well as other esteemed lyricists, who have helped her discover the power of soulful songwriting and heart-piercing lyrics.  “I love lyrics that take the air out of my lungs,” Alayna states. “I want to do that with someone. I want to write to someone I never knew and to touch them regardless.”

Alayna’s debut EP ‘Sweet Soul’ released in 2018 included production and collaborations with international artists FINNEAS and Astronomyy which amassed over 20 million streams on Spotify alone. Her follow up independently released ‘Tender’ EP saw Alayna move further into her songwriting abilities and R&B tinged, organic sound with standout tracks such as ‘Glowing’ and ‘Sugar’. Alayna has collaborated on tracks with artists such as Ta-ku, Sango and Alex Lustig since,  and released  a two track EP ‘So..’ in collaboration with NZ’s Ambian & Sleo duo in 2022.

In July 2023, Alayna released her debut album where she continues to lean into her self exploration, self actualisation and vulnerability through her songwriting and life experiences that shape her. Her debut album ‘Self Portrait of a Woman Unravelling’ is her at her most raw. Executive produced by Noema Te Hau, her collaborator from ‘Falling Autumn’ and ‘Tender’, the album also features production from John Mark Nelson, Wells* , Levi Patel and more. With stripped back, organic production allowing her voice and songwriting to be on full display, Alayna journals her way through her questions, her sorrows, her longing for self actualisation and self acceptance, her relationships she has with others and most importantly, the one with herself, all in an attempt to answer the question of the ages; “Who Am I?”.