Mikayla Lane is a budding superstar in Country Music who is showcasing her western lifestyle through descriptive lyrics and commanding vocal talent. Wise beyond her years, this rising star is not chasing trends or tapping into the culture which has embraced a cowboy hat, boots and western life. Rather, sharing her life and experiences with the world through her music. Lane's emerging talent is lining up perfectly with how Country Western/Americana/Red Dirt Music has exploded from the likes of artists like Zach Bryan, Colter Wall, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours, Ryan Bingham, Wyatt Flores etc. Mikayla Lane is a part of the buzz and the next generation keeping these subgenres at the forefront of Country Music. The Oklahoma riser has shown her consistency of talent and showcased her unmatched talent with singles like "Rodeo Money", "Painted Sky" and "Love You Like I Want To". I couldn't be more excited to watch Lane skyrocket to success in the coming years.
I sat down with Mikayla Lane and talked about her single "Honky Tonk Halo", the Yellowstone star who became a mentor after a random encounter and living the authentic western lifestyle and how it influences her music. Take a look into the life and music of Mikayla and how she navigates blending her worlds of Nashville and Oklahoma together.
Get To Know Mikayla
"I am from Oklahoma. I started performing music when I was 5 years old and was always around music. I started listening to Country Music in the truck with my dad whenever we were going to check cows or do things like that because I grew up in the ranching industry. I'm still heavily involved and it influences all of my music. I got started at a really young age. There wasn't a moment in my life where I was really like "this is what I want to do", music was just something I always did and it then grew into a career path. It evolved very naturally with no quick decisions or a switch from something else. I have simply always loved music. I started writing and recording music when I was 13 years old and put out my first collection of original music when I was 15 or 16. That was such an amazing project and helped launch who I was as an artist. I started to figure out what I wanted to say and what I wanted to sound like. It really helped solidify who I wanted to be as a person and an artist. I've been blessed to meet some amazing people who have helped me this far in my career and I haven't thought about doing anything else.
I was actually born in Kentucky, which is kind of random and moved to Oklahoma when I was 10 years old and in 5th grade. Growing up in Kentucky was when my dad was the manager for a cow-calf operation. It was a very large operation and I was with him all through that. Those were my first memories of Country Music; he would listen to more of the "Cowboy Poetry" guys like Red Steagall, Don Edwards, really amazing writers who could make you feel and see something with their music. Those were my first memories of Country Music. At the time I knew I loved it but didn't know why. It made me feel comfortable, it made me feel at home because every time I heard music I was doing something I loved with people I loved. I was surrounded by animals and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I went to public school, and then when I moved to Oklahoma I went to school in person until COVID. It got difficult so I started doing online and that's when I saw a big change in my music and had more time to focus on it. I ended up graduating school online and thought about going to college at Oklahoma St University in Stillwater. But after thinking about it, I had the feeling I wouldn't have used my degree. There was such a passion for pursuing my music career I didn't think college was the right option for me. Now I do music full time.
I travel to Nashville quite often. It's really the best of both worlds. When I come home that's where I get my inspiration for songs, which really gives me an authentic songwriting perspective. When I go to Nashville, I can bring those songs to life with really talented songwriters. I do all my recording in Nashville. I've gotten to work with some amazing people who help bring my vision to life. I have a great system working and I enjoy going back and forth."
Production, songwriting, vocals... "Honky Tonk Halo" is a complete western masterpiece.
What makes a song so lethal and pulls a listener in right away is production that paints a picture, songwriting that tells a story and has substance and vocals that make you feel the story and words in your bones. "Honky Tonk Halo" provides an experience that makes you feel like you are stepping into the story itself with your cowboy hat, boots and a rolling stone spirit. A bad ass through and through. Mikayla Lane's genuine heart and soul shine through this track and are the bow that raps up this masterpiece of a song. "Honky Tonk Halo" is a clear indication Mikayla has found her "lane" as an artist and is striking while the iron is hot. This song has so many legs as it travels to ears around Country Music.
Inspiration Behind "Honky Tonk Halo"
Written By: Mikayla Lane & Bridgette Tatum, Produced By: Jimmy Ritchey
"Me and my dad actually came up with that song title; he writes a lot of poems. He's really creative and can put some really cool spins on things. We both thought it was a super cool idea and we do a lot of talking and thinking together. We believed it could be a really cool idea for a song and we thought it could be about a cowboy hat. All we had figured out was the title, so I took it to Nashville and brought it to my friend Bridgette Tatum, who I write most of my songs with and thought “we will figure something out”. Usually I come into the room with a title and a melody and figure it out from there. I told her my thoughts and didn't like the initial direction it was going and tried to think outside the box. Bridgette said "what if Honky Tonk Halo" was a person. That wasn't what I wanted to do but she said to trust her and we went down that road. The song turned into something I never ever would have thought it would be. It ended up being about a girl who's a drifter, always on the move, never in one place for too long and it's really cool. The production matches the "ghosty out west, desert" vibe. I was so happy with the way it turned out. Jimmy Ritchey and I produced it together. When a song comes together it's the most satisfying thing in the world."
Q & A With Mikayla Lane
Q: What was that "light bulb" moment you knew you wanted to pursue a career in music?
A: "Honestly, it wasn't a specific moment in my life - music is something I was always around. I was always singing when I was little; it was something that came naturally and easily to me. I think I'm a very creative person and blending my creative side with the process of making music felt very natural. It was never something I had to force. As time went on, I just kept trying things in music and more and more things started to happen, I saw a lot of positive signs to keep going. Over the course of time it just happened."
Q: How did you get involved in the world of ranching? How has it impacted your life and music career to this point?
A: "When I was little, my dad was a manager of a cow-calf operation in Kentucky. He's not in that world anymore, he's in the oil and gas industry. They go hand in hand. We still have all of our horses. When we moved to Oklahoma I started showing Cutting horses with my dad. We help friends in Oklahoma with their "fall and spring works" which is where they work their calves and have their brandings and all that. It's my favorite thing ever. Branding season is the best. You get to work with "salt of the Earth" people and it is such an authentic, real way of life. This lifestyle influences my music in a strong way, whether it is the things I see or what I am doing. It brings me a lot of joy and inspiration. I'm blessed to live the lifestyle I do."
Q: Who has been a major influence on you and has inspired you to chase your dreams in music?
A: "My parents have supported me and have come to every show, no matter what, and have supported me financially, mentally, physically and emotionally. They have made sacrifices so I can live out my dream making and performing music. I see people trying to do what I'm doing and don't have the support system and I couldn't be more grateful. It would be hard for me to have the mindset and stamina to chase this crazy dream without people in my corner.
Another major influence is someone who I met last February. To most people he is known as Lloyd from Yellowstone. His name is Forrie J Smith. I met him at The Local and he came out to watch Bridgette, who I write a lot of my songs with. I met Forrie and we really hit it off. He was working on a music project. He doesn't sing, but writes poems and wanted to turn them into music. Forrie was working on a music project that year and wanted me to be a part of it. We have a song out together called "Let It Be Known". He has been an incredible mentor to me. He's a little bit older than me and has given me so much wisdom and helped me with my perseverance. I've gotten to do a lot of cool things with Forrie. I went to the NFR for two weeks and got to do a meet-and-greet together promoting our song. Such a genuine, authentic guy who's done it all and has worked his entire life to be on a massive show like Yellowstone... random how we met, but so thankful to have him as a mentor. He's a great reminder of being patient and having perseverance."
Q: What's the legacy you want to leave on Country Music?
A: "I just want to leave the mind set with people that "authenticity is always better". I really think people can see right through artists who aren't being true to themselves, whether it's what they wear or what they are singing about. There can be an automatic disconnect between the fan and an artist. The artists who are authentic to who they are create lifelong fans that believe in what they are saying and what they represent. Lainey Wilson comes to mind, Jelly Roll is another one... they are great people and they are "what you see is what you get". I don't ever want to be an artist who chases trends to get approval. The cowboy thing is really in right now and a trend and it's easy to see who lives that lifestyle and who is chasing the trend. I take a lot of pride in putting out music that is real and authentic to me. I do my best to represent who I am through my songs."
If you are just discovering Mikayla Lane follow her on Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok
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