RAYE first entered the music industry as a kid, her precocious talent obvious to anyone who spent time in a studio with her. Taking part in writing sessions as a teen, her star quickly rose, with the London artist grabbing a high profile place on the coveted BBC Sound Of… poll.
But something seemed to block her path. Hits followed, but RAYE’s music never quite settled – a surfeit of features alongside dance producers somehow obscuring her glorious natural talents.
The situation reached boiling point last year, with a desperate RAYE using social media to discuss her travails. The impact on her mental health was obvious, and those desperate messages broke the hearts of those who watched her climb.
Fast forward 12 months, and the person who greets Clash on a Zoom call is completely transformed. Relaxed and at-ease, we catch RAYE seated at home beside her piano, one hand forming gentle chords before she snatches up her phone and takes up for an impromptu tour of her front room. She’s generous with her time, and still palpably innocent – when the subject turns towards music, she’s all focus and smiles, able to finally pursue her passion without boundaries.
That long-awaited debut album is now on the horizon, with RAYE set to release ‘My 21st Century Blues’ on February 3rd. As of today (October 14th) two brand new songs are online: ‘The Thrill Is Gone.’ is a husky journey into her jazz and soul roots, while ‘Escapism.’ is an 070 Shake aided energy-fuelled blaster.
A sign of the breadth of her talents, the singles also lean into the eclecticism fans can expect from her incoming album. With RAYE, all rules are off.
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This is a really exciting time for you!
It doesn’t even feel real! I feel overwhelmed, a little. I’ve been able to sit down and think about what matters to me: what do I want to share? Who do I want to be? I feel like I’m starting fresh, like a new artist.
Has this been a healing process for you?
100%. Some of the songs on this project have existed for years. I’ve always had these sides to me that I’ve wanted to share, and I’ve been waiting for the moment to do it. I’m just so blessed and grateful that I’m here now. I’m in full control, there’s no compromise. My goal is to be seen as an artist, and to be respected as one.
A new artist, most importantly.
Exactly. I think previously, I was stuck in a pessimist mindset, and that isn’t healthy. Moving forwards, it’s going to be different. I’ve begun building something from the ground up. I’m changing my narrative – and some people might be scared of that, but I’m starting all over. There’s been some interesting reactions, to say the least, but I’m fearless with this music. I’m saying what I need to express. And that in itself is medicinal.
It feels like an issue of ownership – that you had lost ownership over your art, and yourself to an extent.
There was a time when I felt like I had to get permission to do anything. I needed feedback, and I always had to meet other people in the middle. And to take that power back, as a young woman is just… it’s so empowering. Honestly, I’m so at peace right now. And the independent life is hardcore! It really is! I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked in my whole life, but I’m at peace… more than I’ve ever been.
Has this process changed your relationship with music?
I’ve had to unpick a lot of things. I started doing this a long time ago, when I was still a kid… and you pick up certain things. Like, a song has to be a certain BPM, or the bridge has to go in a certain place… and you need to unlearn that. Independence is a mindset. You set up these confines. And the beauty of where I’m at now, is that there are no rules. In the future, I just want to push myself, and there’s no guidelines that I have to meet.
Do you think that’s why your songwriting is so eclectic right now?
There’s an element of that, for sure. I have 100s and 100s of songs in a Dropbox link. Chunks of music that I’ve created over different periods of time. And when it came to focussing on an album project, it was like piecing together stained glass – like building a mosaic. I have all these different textures and sounds and stories that I want to share, so why not share them?
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So what’s your creative practice like just now?
Well, I wake up, have some coffee, have some tea, and put on some jazz. That’s my goto – Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald. All the greats. That’s what inspires me.
‘The Thrill Is Gone.’ is soaked in vintage soul and blues elements, isn’t it?
I knew that I wanted it to sound like it was recorded in one continuous take. So we used this fantastic analogue studio in LA, and some really incredible musicians. The studio itself was beautiful – fuzzy orange carpets, amazing instruments. There’s no autotune, no tinkering – it’s just brass, voices, people expressing themselves. It was an incredible experience. The song itself is a real story from my life, so sonically I wanted it to sound like something from back then, but also today.
There must be something really inspiring as a musician about setting foot in a studio like that.
There really is. There’s magic in the walls. It’s like how I feel when I go to Ronnie Scott’s – you start to think of all the people who have performed on that stage… I have so much respect for it. It’s like being on Holy Ground.
This feels like a very fruitful period of writing for you!
Some of these songs have actually existed as demos for years now. But I feel like as time goes on, I’ve taken on a deeper understanding of myself. So, I can go back into older ideas, and draw more of myself out of them – by editing, restructuring, moving parts around.
Being a writer is my one real gift in life, I think. I’m totally in love with it. It feels really natural to me. There will be times when I can struggle to get to sleep, because I’m constantly thinking about new ideas. I used to take on so many sessions, writing with other people, but now I’m really militant about my time, and my energy. I want everything to be focussed.
That joy and energy leads into a song like ‘Escapism.’ which seems to totally sever itself from the past.
I wrote that in a log cabin in Utah. Me and a friend hired a car, and drove up there, in the middle of winter, through the snow and everything! ‘Escapism.’ is a story about running away from everything as fast as you can. The lyrics are about just leaving everyone on red, and going out on your own. It came from a messy time, but as humans, we just have to keep surviving!
To finish, making an album is a long-standing ambition, how does it feel to finally have it sitting on the horizon?
Don’t because I’m even tearing up just even here. It doesn’t even feel real. I’m just so flippin happy. I made it here. I’m just happy I made it out. And I’m happy it’s coming out. I guess I had deep-down been feeling kind of fraudulent my whole life… because you’re an artist without an album – I mean, what is that? People only knew me from dance features. So to have the opportunity to set the record straight, and for people to be able to search my name, and find an album against it… I’m just so proud. So proud.
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