Irby Ray has long been Layton’s solo outlet for songwriting. Only recently, in late 2025, did he form a band to bring those songs to life. Since then, Irby Ray has played only a handful of shows. Seeing the band — and the sea of people it drew — the low number of shows feels almost unbelievable.
The next Irby Ray show is a dual bill with Empire Pool on Feb. 6 at the Hidden Gem Music Club in Centerville. Entry is $10.
Growing up, Layton was incredibly shy. He credits The 1975 singer Matty Healy as the catalyst that pushed him toward fronting a band.
“The energy, especially frontman energy, is so over the top,” he said. He’s seen the band three times. “The performance, crowd inclusion… I really love that. I saw it as a complete opposite of myself. The idea to do that one day was really intriguing.”
Layton played music throughout middle school and high school — string bass in orchestra, marimba in marching band — and later attended Wright State University for music education, with percussion as his primary instrument. His formal music education ended there, but he continued writing songs on his own, blending ingrained music theory with self-teaching.
He remains the primary songwriter and frontman of Irby Ray, joined by drummer John Szanto, guitarist Issac Lucas, bassist Corey Dixon and synth and auxiliary player Taylor Bonham.
The band is tight and proficient — qualities shared by countless acts. Proficiency is common; individuality is not.
“It’s super important to be sincere,” Layton said. “It feels bad to say this out loud, but sometimes the local music scene sounds like a lot of noise.”
Sometimes literally, and on purpose, I said.
“Interacting with people, having a personality… that’s what inspired me,” he continued. “Especially coming from someone who was shy. Just putting thought into every single piece of it.”
Another touchstone for Irby Ray is Dayglow, an indie-pop project out of Texas led by Sloan Struble. Struble is 26, yet his aesthetic is nostalgic for a time that preceded him — his branding is often washed out, like an overexposed Polaroid.
The same could be said for Irby Ray. Though the band is plainly a derivative of The 1975, the 1980s has a hold of them too.
A neon emblem of the band’s name, written in cursive, hung from the keyboard stand. Their clothing was dated, yet somehow hip. Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was the band’s second or third song. It felt the only separation between a 2026 Irby Ray and a 1985 Irby Ray was the cellphone in Layton’s back pocket.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever thought I was born in the wrong generation, but I’ve been through a lot of different phases,” Layton said. “I feel like growing up, it was a lot of wanting to be my older brother and being into the things that he was into. It really took me until my adulthood to figure out who I am.”
Layton also plays guitar in alt-rock band Socks, alongside his brother.
Irby Ray’s latest single, “Waves,” is set to be released Feb. 6. It was recorded at Huge Face Productions in Kettering. A bed of synths swells underneath clean, plate-heavy guitars. A hi-hat ticks the meandering riff to pop order. The drums kick in. Layton and Bonham duel vocalize until the chorus — familiar, nostalgic, yet new.
Layton co-opted his dad’s name for this band. On stage, he removes his own name from the equation and takes on the persona of someone named Irby Ray, who fronts a band named Irby Ray.
“It’s definitely a battle I’ve been struggling with,” he said. “But I think I feel closer to a more true version of myself that I might want to be. You know, kind of fearless. I want to inspire people that were kind of like the kid that I was… just not afraid to be yourself.”
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: Empire Pool / Irby Ray
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 6
Where: Hidden Gem Music Club, 507 Miamisburg Centerville Rd., Dayton
Cost: $10
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