Irby Ray is one of the latest bands to step into the Dayton scene, having only started performing live in September 2025. Founder of the band Kaleb Layton started off by writing songs on his own, but when he and his friends brought those pieces to the stage he says the local music scene welcomed them with open arms.
"It's been kind of mind-blowing for a lot of these songs, starting in a bedroom and then bringing them to my friends here. They've definitely taken on different vibes than I intended. And with bringing them to a stage it feels very welcoming, a lot more welcoming than you might think when you're writing songs and bringing them to the world. You don't realize that, especially Dayton, is just a very warm welcome."
Getting out into a different community or art scene is a great way to make new friends and push a creative pursuit to new heights. Keyboard player Taylor Bonham says that she's excited to be back on stage.
"I've known Kaleb since high school, and he kind of pulled me back into the music scene. I was like not doing anything with music for years, and he's like,'Hey I've got something going on, you play keys.' And now I'm like fully writing my own music, fully immersed in the scene. It's it's been really inspiring."
Stream Irby Ray's latest single Strawberry Funnel Cake and keep up to date with them on instagram @irbyrayy.
