[Verse 1]
Holiday shopping is no easy feat,
My cart brimming over, gifts piled in deep
Curious whispers began to rise
And a buzz filled the air, a festive surprise.
Saint Nick to Aisle Six
Saint Nick to Aisle Six
The call sounded again, rolling through the store
So I hurried along
I had to know more
My curiosity got the best of me
As I dashed to see what it could be

[Chorus]
Saint Nick to Aisle Six
Saint Nick to Aisle Six
Answering the call with a merry grin
He swept through the crowd as the buzz kicked in
His red hat tipped low, over white tufted brows
And with each step, his belly bounced proud
With a jolly sway, laughter so bright
Who is this man, this magical sight?
Just believe
Just believe
In childhood dreams

[Verse 2]
I pushed my cart packed to the brim
Passed Aisle Four only two more
Then I saw him
That guy dressed in red
With a white beard that almost covered his whole head
His name tag simply said
Saint Nick and nothing more
Was he a clerk from the store?

Willow Layne’s debut single, My True Companion, is a song that feels like a song that you have been listening to all your life. Yet, it’s as undeniably fresh as it is seemingly familiar (indeed, the perfect definition of a classic!) The song was written by the talented Lisa Benedetto, and it is a track stirs memories of a cascade of musical eras while standing firmly on its own two feet. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a case of plagiarism, plunder, or merely riding the coattails of past glories—anything but. But there’s a timeless quality here, a certain spaciousness and grace that calls to mind the ballads of country greats and the suave crooners of a bygone golden age.

Lazy journalists might slap the “country” label on Willow Layne and move on, but that would be doing her a grave disservice. Yes, she’s got one foot planted squarely in the rich soil of that genre—cowboy boots and all—but the other foot is stepping out, tapping into a wide array of sounds and styles that make her music truly unique. It’s this genre-blending magic that tells the bigger sonic story of what she’s all about.

Bongo Boy Records, an independent music label championing equally independent artists of all genres and locales, once again struck gold; specifically, country gold. Meet Willow Layne, the pseudonym/project name for producer & songwriter Lisa Benedetto. Lisa, inspired by a family of music lovers and makers, and falling in love with – and privately writing – country music at a young age, presents her very first single, “My True Companion.” And after sharing this song, discreetly, with a trusted friend, said friend was brought to tears, convincing Lisa to finally share her secret music with the world.

Ready to hear the first sounds of Lisa Benedetto’s formerly private heart? Let’s talk about it.

Wait. What’s it about?

“My True Companion” is about rising again, and finding the strength – the hope – to do so. And that strength? It can sometimes come from the person (or Great Pyrenees) who, regardless of your loudly screaming self-doubt, knows your true capacity for greatness.

Listening, and talking about it.

The first thing I notice are the vocals – they have that confident country timbre, but are somehow more vulnerable regardless of their apparent wisdom. And their presence in the mix is exactly where they should be – right on top, and perfectly discernible through any instrumentation. In fact, the separation and clarity are so impeccable, it’s like the vocalist is standing next to you, and singing directly to you.

And behind this voice, the music is created through muted, gently plucked acoustic guitar, slide guitar sparkles, and either a deeply yawning organ or accordion. It’s definitely country, and offers such sonic separation and space one could hear such sounds ushered through wheat fields on summer afternoons.