Lynn Verlayne
Lynn Verlayne’s story begins much like many of the singer/songwriters that travel to New York City with nothing more than a few suitcases and a dream. Now, she is the CEO of her own Artist Development & Management Firm, has had hits on charts around the world, and has partnerships with labels, publishers, managers, and writers globally, providing a world-class Development Program for her roster of independent artists. Her goal? To create successful and lasting music careers.
It all started when Lynn came to New York with 2 suitcases from Belgium, with only a few bucks in her pocket, and a vision. Nothing mattered more to her than becoming a world-famous singer/songwriter. Her early days were spent knocking from door to door while writing her early material, and occasionally a friend would sneak her into the Columbia music school to play on the piano that Rachmaninoff had donated to the university. She poured every moment and every spare dollar that she had into her own music.
Lynn Verlayne - "Boo Boom"
During the recording of her debut album, “Drifter," Lynn realized that she was not going to get the support of major labels until she had something tangible to offer, leading her to become her own manager. Eventually, Lynn was discovered by press in Europe, and after several features in magazines as well as major live TV performances around Europe, she leveraged a licensing deal with Sony USA!
It did not take long for her to score a few top 10 hit singles (“Peter Pan,” "Boo Boom,” and “Hey Dad,” in Europe (Italy, Belgium). “Hey Dad,” the title of the European version of her release, was written for her late father Franz Verleyen, a world-famous writer. Through her efforts, Lynn was also able to collaborate with several hit songwriters and formed an extensive network all over the world.
After the success of her debut album, Lynn began focusing on producing and writing, and realized that she enjoyed working behind the scenes more than being in the limelight. She also observed first hand the evolution that was taking place with many of the major labels, and witnessed that less and less of them would take on new acts, or “risks.” There was a need created for the development of independent artists as more and more labels were either disappearing or were unwilling to take on talent that was untested.
Lynn made the decision to use her network and resources to help artists move forward by forming Lynn Verlayne Studio, and has since been developing numerous independent acts with her team of writers, social media experts, branding consultants, producers, managers (such as Bob Leone, who was the first to sign Lady Gaga and Lana del Rey) and licensing companies for TV/Sync opportunities. Working with the studio is like having a manager, A&R specialist, marketing expert, branding consultant, and hit songwriter all in one!
Lynn’s artists have gone on to have very successful careers. Several of her artists have signed various publishing deals with BMG, been nominated for prestigious international awards, and garnered the attention of press and major labels around the world. She is now the most sought after artist development specialist in New York City.