Taking the Last Flight with Lainey Dionne

By: Annah Marcelle, Singer-Songwriter
April 14, 2025

Introducing Breakout Indie Artist Lainey Dionne

Hi there! I’m so excited to introduce you to an incredibly talented artist who has been making waves in the music industry—Lainey Dionne. From her early years in Rhode Island to her time at Berklee College of Music, Lainey’s journey is one that truly embodies determination and passion for her craft. Her debut album, Self Titled, was nominated for the New England Music Awards (NEMA) Album of the Year in 2022 and most recently, Lainey was named NEMA’s Pop Act of the Year in 2024!

I first discovered Lainey about a year ago while curating my Indie Girls NOW playlist on Spotify. I added her song Square One to the playlist, and since then, I’ve listened to her entire catalog—falling in love with every track, especially Last Flight.

In this interview, we’ll discuss Lainey’s creative process, her success with sync placements, and how she continues to evolve as an artist. Her story is one of perseverance, growth, and heart, and I’m so excited for you to hear it. Get ready to meet Lainey Dionne—an artist who is sure to leave an impression on you!

You’ve had quite a journey from your early years in Rhode Island to graduating from Berklee College of Music. Looking back, what were some key moments or experiences that shaped your career path?

I knew that music was what I had to do after my high school's talent show performance when the crowd started singing A Day To Remember song back to me on stage. That moment kick-started my passion to go to Berklee College of Music—my dream school that was unfortunately financially out of my reach.

I learned how determined I was to get this degree—as I studied hard to test out of classes, and took 22 credits a semester including summer semesters to achieve my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business and minor in Audio Production and Engineering with having only attended 2 years there. I think determination is a key personal trait to have in the music industry, and pushing myself to get this degree definitely shaped my work ethic for my music career!

I was able to take classes with Radiohead producer Sean Slade, OutKast engineer Jason Stokes, and GRAMMY hit songwriter Kara DioGuardi where I had to step out of my comfort zone to complete assignments. In the music industry—you kind of have to live outside of your comfort zone until it becomes comfortable, so these classes were great practice for the real world.

The friends and connections that I made at Berklee as well, are a part of the reason why I’ve had so many amazing opportunities in my career—without them I wouldn’t have connected with Atlantic Records right after college. That meeting sent me to my Artist Development Deal in Nashville; nor would I have connected with Selena Gomez’s team to option her one of my songs.

I will forever be grateful for my Berklee experiences and connections and wish I could go back to experience more!

Your debut album Self Titled received significant recognition, including NEMA nominations. Can you talk about how it felt to release a project that was so deeply personal and received such positive feedback?

Through stepping out of my comfort zone at Berklee, I began doing it in my day-to-day life too. I started dating a guy that I met on a video game who lived in Europe—crazy to fly all the way across the pond for love, right?

Well, after that ended I was accepted into a Songwriting Retreat in France where I met a guy from England and then flew there to date him! After that crashed and burned, I finally settled down with an American and got pretty serious with buying a house together… until that relationship eventually broke my heart as well.

Putting so much stock and adventure into love came very natural to me—and if you know me in real life, I am very much an open book and deep talker, so writing songs about these experiences was second nature to me. I put all three of these love stories onto this album in full blast.

Some of them are very specific to international dating like Hey London, Cumbria, or Last Flight… and some of them mention my ex's name (listen real hard to Wake Up Call). Even though they are all very personal to my journey, it is really amazing that people can relate to these songs—so much so that it is my most decorated record for awards. That feels pretty amazing!

You’ve mentioned that you cried while recording some of the tracks for Self Titled. How do you approach songwriting in general—do you find that your most vulnerable moments often lead to your best work?

All of the songs on Self Titled have co-writers except one, Cumbria, which I wrote myself years prior. I was able to write with incredible writers on this album, some of which have written for Dua Lipa, the Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, Noah Kahan and more. But I also got to write with my talented amazing friends like Hannah Schaefer.

When I was signed and writing with these big time writers, it was a “jump in” scenario where you had 4 hours to write, record, and finish a demo for each song (which ended up being 6 of the songs on the album). It felt odd and exciting to be vulnerable with strangers but I knew the end goal was to finish a hit record so there was that in mind during the process.

Whereas writing with someone like Hannah who knows me, it’s easier to let my guard down and really talk about what the subject matter is rather than poetically throw out lines about what the subject could be. We almost start with a therapy session about what’s going on in my life and really understand what exactly happened to evoke those emotions, but in the professional rooms we would only scratch the surface of what the subject was and jump straight into the creative lines and melody.

Both approaches lead to great songs in my opinion. It’s after the song is written and inside the studio while singing them that I’m really able to physically let out those vulnerable emotions and I hope that shows!

Let’s talk about your latest single Last Flight. How would you describe the song, and what do you hope your listeners take away from it?

“last flight” is the moment in the relationship where you both know it’s over, but neither of you wants to come to terms with it so it’s hard to believe it’s actually over. You know it can’t work, but you also don’t want to end it, hence the lyric “why don’t we stay just a little bit longer” but ultimately you know in your heart of hearts that this is the end or the last flight out and there is no going back—staying a little bit will only prolong the inevitable.

I wrote this song about an international relationship I had that I knew was ending but we hadn’t admitted that out loud yet, and as I got to the airport I thought to myself “is this the last time I’m ever going to see you?” and the entire plane ride home that’s all I could think about—all the memories, could this ever be fixable, will we ever fly to each other again or is this it.

Ultimately we did not and that was the last time I ever saw them, but I got one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written out of it!

As for the listener—it’s a really hard space to be in knowing you both don’t work but at the same time not wanting to let them go because the finality of it hurts. I don’t know what advice I’d give because I’m going through it currently again haha. I hope this song makes them feel less alone in that space because I’m right there with you girl!

I was listening to Last Flight last night, and it had a vibe that reminded me of Gracie Abrams. Have you ever heard that before? Are you a Gracie Abrams fan? What influences would you say shaped this particular song?

I do like Gracie Abrams! However I wrote this song in 2017, and I unfortunately didn’t know her music then. I re-released “last flight” this year because it is again unfortunately VERY prevalent in my life with my most recent heartbreak.

I can still remember going into the studio to write it. My producer Nick Schwarz had a poppier song planned for us to write that day and I was feeling down and wanted to write something darker. Jess Cates had asked what was on my mind and I told him about my foreign relationship and how it was really sad to me that I would never run into them again and how the physical distance between our countries made the break up feel even more intense.

Nick came up with this sick dramatic drum beat and Jess started playing some chords on the guitar and the song flowed out of us instantly. I think that might have been the fastest co-write written on the album.

Although it wasn’t chosen by my label to be a single, it was always one of my favorite songs to come off that record because of how cinematic it makes me feel—I can see every memory of emotion attached to that song so clearly.

Usually when going into a co-write there are references or influences that you plan the song around, however for this one it was completely written on a whim about feelings I just had to get out. Fun fact: if you listen to the beginning, bridge, and end of the song, you can hear audio of planes landing and taking off!

How does Last Flight fit into the overall sound of your upcoming projects, and what can we expect from your sophomore album in terms of musical evolution?

Hmm, I don’t really worry about how things fit — which might be a mistake haha! I write and release whatever feels authentic to me at the time.

I haven’t really talked about this publicly yet, but the people in my life know why I chose to release “last flight” as a single now and why it is relevant at this point in my life. Every song is a piece of me and sounds like my life at that moment.

The next single is about my social anxiety and it sounds authentic to me having a panic attack and how that physically feels for me. Every song is a snapshot of that moment in time, or an entry in that page of the diary.

I dive into many different subgenres of pop with these next few tunes, just like how I did on Self Titled, all while being true to my sound and experiences.

You’ve had incredible success with sync placements on platforms like Amazon, Hulu, Bravo, and Peacock. Can you take us through how you first got into music licensing, and how your early placements came about?

I signed with my very first sync agency through ReverbNation called North Star Media, who supports independent singer-songwriters specifically, and they placed my song from Self Titled called Skin onto *Teen Mom*.

From there, many other sync libraries reached out and I signed 6 more non-exclusive deals. Shortly after this, I performed at a private wedding here in Rhode Island and the DJ liked my sound and introduced me to producer Kevin Rockhill who is a sync mogul with hundreds of placements. From there he sent me productions and I toplined (melody and lyrics) and now we are “the dream team” getting placements left and right!

We signed with 3 HUGE exclusive companies and I am so grateful to him for collaborating with me. I also co-write with Emmy Award-winning producer Mike Meiers of Songwriting for Guitar where we both mentor aspiring singer-songwriters how to write for sync.

So many amazing connections came out of sync placements for sure!

What’s your process like when it comes to writing with sync placements in mind? Do you ever adjust your songwriting to fit a particular type of show or film, or do you just write and let the chips fall where they may?

Yes, so sometimes we’ll get what’s called a “brief”. That means we know what show we’re writing for, what’s happening in that scene, or we’ll get track references of what they want our song to sound like. When that happens, you really need to put yourself into the mind of the character and nail exactly what the music supervisor is asking for.

When it comes to sync, everything is a hook — your verse is a hook, your pre is a hook, your chorus is the hookiest of hooks. They need a variety of melodies and rhythmic patterns to work with and the lyrics can’t be too specific, but they also can’t be too generic because then you run into “sync cheese”.

When I’m writing for myself, it’s very specific to me and if it happens to work for sync — great! If it doesn’t, well, that wasn’t the goal of the song anyways — the goal was to write my story. Whereas writing for sync the goal is to write something that is going to land and work for many different scenes, shows, or commercials to get the most placements out of it; so it’s a completely different style of writing for me.

I’ve had to put on a country accent for country shows, rap for sports shows, sing about walking catwalks… you name it! It’s a job and a characterization; sometimes it can be the most fun to write!

You’ve landed tracks on major networks such as The Real Housewives and Teen Mom. What’s it like to see your music being part of such well-known shows? And do you think this kind of exposure has impacted your relationship with your fans?

Well I cried when I heard my song on national television for the first time. Now that I’ve been doing it for a few years, it’s become the norm for me, although I still do get extremely excited every single time we land a show but I don’t sob haha! It’s kind of a resume builder. In my day-to-day life, I’m pretty uncool haha. I definitely wasn’t one of the popular kids in high school, but having my songs on TV shows feels pretty cool to me! My fans are like my family and some fans are my actual family, so a lot of people tell me they are proud that my songs get that type of recognition and success, which feels great!

Sync placements seem like they can be a great way for artists to earn recognition and royalties. What advice would you give to independent artists who are interested in getting their music placed on TV or in films?

Number 1: Listen! Always listen to the shows you’d like to land a placement on. Does your music sound like the music they chose for that episode?

Number 2: Are you open to learning how to adapt your writing style to meet your goal of getting into that show? Sometimes it’s just a few tweaks… other times it’s a complete rewrite of a different song.

If you’re willing to do those two things, reach out! Connect with me on IG or email — I always love helping artists accomplish their goals, and sync writing is something I’m super passionate about!

You’ve worked with some amazing writers and producers, including Nick Schwarz from Skillet and Emmy-winning producer Mike Meiers. How do you approach collaboration—what do you look for when deciding who to work with?

Fortunately I’ve been lucky that through networking with my connections from Berklee or being signed, everyone has found me! If I were to look for a new co-writer, that person has to be serious about the music industry, have a really down to earth fun vibe, and understand co-writing etiquette- meaning if the song is going to be for my record, it really has to be authentic to me, but if it’s for their record, they are in the driver's seat of what they like and don’t like. As long as we have that understanding, good communication, and each bring songwriting skills to the table- it should be a fun time!

You’ve been nominated for multiple awards at NEMA, and you’ve clearly established yourself as a force within the New England music scene. How do you manage the balance between local recognition and your growing national presence?

I’m so lucky that my community is so supportive of my music! I’ve just gotten to the point now in my career where I feel well known in my circles and it’s time to branch out and cover more ground- which can be scary but exciting! As an artist, you have to push yourself all the time to keep growing all while finding different ways to be creative and reach audiences. I struggle with getting overwhelmed with that from time to time, but luckily I have a great team and community that is always looking out for me and keeping me on track!

You’ve had the unique opportunity to co-write for other artists as well. How does the process differ when you're writing for yourself versus writing for another artist?

Oh great question! So like I said a bit earlier, it’s all about having good co-writing etiquette. As artists, we’ve all had really bad co-writes where good etiquette hasn’t been established in the other person. Luckily, I haven't had too many of those.

When you’re writing for an artist – it’s their song, their baby, and should reflect what they are comfortable with and the subject matter should be true to them. You should always take inspiration from your own experiences to add to the table, but ultimately if the artist doesn’t like a melody, or a lyric, or doesn’t relate to a concept you’ve laid out – let it go and try something new for them.

For example, if you are the artist and your co-writer is strongly trying to get you to sing something you don’t like or aren’t comfortable with just because they like it so much – that’s not a good co-write. For me personally, I enjoy when the artist is comfortable expressing their vulnerability with me so we have a personal connection before we even start writing, so we can nail the best song for them.

Co-writing is one of the most inspiring methods for me; I love it! I feel like I come up with some of my best lines with my co-writers.

It seems like a lot of your songs carry themes of vulnerability and raw emotion. Do you think it’s harder to put yourself out there like that in your music, or do you see it as a way of connecting more deeply with your listeners?

I’m an open book when you talk to me one-on-one. A lot of my songs from the past are just that – moments from my past. They are factual. It happened, but the emotional pain isn’t really attached anymore, as I have moved on.

As for the new songs that are coming out? Man, they are going to be a little scary to release. I am still very much in the middle of my messy love life right now and the emotions are right up there with me! I would say it’s easier for me to sing about it than to talk about it.

Songwriting is art… it can be interpreted in many different ways and can be relatable to many different people. But the moment you have to introduce the song on stage and talk about it? I’m still not ready to tell a crowd what exactly happened in my personal life. One-on-one after the show? Sure, but to announce it to a room full of strangers feels naked so I’d rather share my artist interpretation of it through song.

I love when fans can connect with the material and share their stories with me one-on-one after the show, and each time that happens, it helps heal me to be one step closer to sharing mine on stage for everyone to hear.

You’ve said that you like to speak your mind through your songs. Has there been a particular song that felt especially freeing or empowering to release?

Wake Up Call was really empowering for me at the time. In that relationship, when we broke up I lost the house we bought together, all of the furniture we picked out, and got dumped on my birthday- all at the same time. It was like my picket white fence dream was sh*t on, and after weeks of crying over it, I got angry about it! I put his name in that song and released it into the world as my “screw you” statement. After a year, I got over it and we were able to be friends again after a while haha, but that song just feels like my little angsty pop punk high school rebellion phase got to be unleashed as an adult and it felt really good writing it at the time!

My next single is called Wired and it’s about my journey with social anxiety. I used to turn red just talking about turning red and every single lyric of this song is what happens to my body and mind when I have a panic attack, and the mundane things that can cause it for no rational reason. I’ve played this song out often with my band, so it no longer makes me nervous to release it. Performing it and talking about it on stage has actually helped me with my social anxiety! That feels very empowering in a different way as well!

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

This is such a basic and predictable answer but honestly Taylor Swift. That girl can write a hook for days and her lyrics are so poetically beautiful. She has a lot of haters, but I challenge them to listen to the b-sides that aren’t the mega hits- you will be moved! Her songs have such a way of making you feel like she went through the same exact thing as you and completely understands your soul. It sounds fan-girly, but I promise you, go through a break up and put on any sad Tswift song- you’ll be crying in your car for hours LOL

Aside from music, what other passions or hobbies do you have that help keep you grounded or inspire your songwriting?

I love to travel- obviously for love, but also for history. I guess call me a hopeless romantic, but I love castles and I love learning about European history from 800 CE - 1700 CE. I watch all the Netflix shows and read all the wikipedia articles to fact check what scenes were true or not. I’m a real nerd when it comes to that! I love to visit historical sites whether it be battlegrounds, ruins, homes, trails, or walls like Hadrian's Wall. I love visiting museums to see historical artifacts from sites like these. I love art from this time period, as well as more modern art. Music, history, travel, and art, as well as spontaneous adventure, is what keeps me going!

Having played over 100 venues in Rhode Island, are there any specific venues or shows that stand out to you as especially memorable or impactful for your career?

I loved playing at the MET opening up for Nickelodeon’s Drake Bell; I had such a crush on him when I was like 10 years old. That was a very cool show! We also played on a bill at The Strand, which is one of the biggest venues in Rhode Island; I was very proud of that. I also opened up for the folk band The Head and The Heart, which I am a fan of! Honestly, playing at the New England Music Awards at Patriots Place was one of my favorite shows of all time- I saw the audience singing back my songs to me. It was a full circle moment of the reason I started it all, at that high school talent show. I hope to play for many more crowds like that in the future!

You can check out more of Lainey Dionne at the links below!

Instagram: @laineydionnemusic

TikTok: @laineydionnemusic

Spotify: Lainey Dionne Spotify

Facebook: @laineysmusic

Website: Lainey Dionne

Annah Marcelle, Singer-Songwriter, Performing Artist

Annah Marcelle is an aspiring musical artist with more than twenty original songs on digital streaming platforms. She has been writing and recording music since the age of 16 and has worked closely with several up-and-coming music producers.