Raye Robinson is an indie alt/pop artist based in Los Angeles. Through honest songwriting and relatable themes, the born and bred SoCal artist creates a fresh and intoxicating sound, emitting an innocence and dreaminess that whisks you away to a fantasy land. Having previously performed in bands, her time alone during the pandemic allowed the artist to dive into herself as well as her music and uncovered her love for taking creative control over her sound. Produced by Rob Auerbach, out of his DIY garage studio, Robinson’s upcoming music emits a spunky, fun, laid back and feel good vibe that keeps pulling you back for more.
Debut single “Daisies” is the first track off of her upcoming EP entitled Crushes & Love Songs. Unsurprisingly the song is a matter of the heart, narrating her unfortunate and confusing love situation.
The songwriter confides, “I ended things with a guy that I was seeing because I was afraid to get into something serious. After we stopped seeing each other, though, I really missed the connection we had, and I couldn’t stop wondering ‘Does he miss me too? Does he hate me now? Did I make the right decision?’” Robinson explains this sparked her thinking about the “he loves me, he loves me not,” picking petals from flowers trope. She shares “I immediately loved using the word ‘daisies’ in the hook, and from there the rest of the song came together pretty quickly!”
Tell us about this project
I had gone through a messy breakup and I was writing all these songs about the situation and the heartbreak and the healing process, but I knew I didn’t want that to be the first thing I put out. I think of myself as a very fun, positive, bubbly person, and I wanted my first few releases to reflect that. Throughout this process of moving on, I also got to start over a little bit, I had new experiences, I started dating for the first time as an adult, and began writing about _
How would you describe the highs and lows of being an artist?
In the time I’ve been working towards being an artist, I have experienced the most intense highs and lows of my life. It can be an incredibly discouraging field because you’re working for yourself, you’re setting your own goals, your own milestones, there is no “okay i’m done with the work i have for the day,” it’s kind of never ending. It makes it really difficult to see and conceptualize the progress you’re making. BUT, the gratifying feeling you get when you do reach that milestone, or when people respond well to something you’re doing makes it feel like you’re on the right track. It validates that this crazy thing you’re pursuing might actually be attainable.
What’s a musical guilty pleasure of yours?
Patsy Cline! I grew up listening to oldies with my grandpa and there were so many artists I studied and learned from, she was one that always stood out for me. I remember being 10, 11, 12 singing my little heart out about my cheating lover and the man who left me.
What are some sources of inspiration for you?
I have 2 sources of inspiration that I pull from when I write; one is when I feel intense happiness, and the other is when I feel intense sadness. I think that a lot of the time, the negative feelings are actually easier to write about because they can be so in your face and they demand to be felt. So I find myself actively looking for the things around me that make me feel bright and warm or spontaneous and excited.
Who is your favorite artist right now?
This is a tough one because I have a lot of artists that I admire, but Hayley Williams has to be a big one for me. I do love Paramore and her lyrics and melodies have always been next level, but her solo project has honestly blown my mind a little bit. The way she writes is so interesting, from the pictures she paints with her words to the unique sound she’s found, even the structures of her songs are loose and free flowing. I think looking to her has helped me expand and improve my own writing so much, even if my songs don’t necessarily sound like her.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
My single “Daisies” is my latest and FIRST release! She came into the world through an ended relationship in which our ideas for “us” were a little different. I wasn’t interested in taking things to another level and he was, so we decided to end things before it got messy. It was tough though. It’s always tough. Going from talking to someone everyday, telling them jokes you know they’d like, going to them for support, to the occasional and often awkward “hey hope you’re doing well”– that will always sting. So Daisies was born out of that confusion and longing and those feelings of doubt.
What are some things you do to deal with anxiety and creative blocks?
A lot of the anxiety I have, I deal with by writing. Most of those songs will probably never end up being released, but being able to put that feeling into words and music is actually very therapeutic. It also kind of doubles as a writing exercise because I get to word vomit all of my thoughts and not edit myself the way I normally would if I was trying to write something, and sometimes I end up getting some great ideas out of it.
What’s the future looking like for you?
I am so excited for everything I have planned! I’ve spent all quarantine writing and creating songs and I’m so excited to share them with the world! I will be putting out more singles and my EP Crushes & Love Songs and I have a couple more singles coming out after that that I think people will really enjoy.
I’m also really stoked to be playing shows again and as soon as I have the chance to do some little tours I will definitely be doing that!
What inspires your aesthetics?
I try to shoot for some middle ground between the indie/artsy/mom friend and soft girl aesthetics. I’ve always been a pretty positive person and I like expressing that through lots of bright colors and fun visuals. The imagery for my latest single and upcoming music I’ve tried to make very romantic and soft as the songs will all be grouped into my EP “Crushes & Love Songs.”
What is the most embarrassing memory and most proud moment of your career so far?
I actually just recently had a really cool and proud moment. I just played my first show back since the pandemic and I had people that I didn’t know screaming the words to my single “Daisies” back to me. I’ve had friends learn my lyrics and sing along at shows before, but to have an audience of people I didn’t recognize like my song enough to be able to sing with me was a pretty surreal feeling.
Most embarrassing moments have to be all the times I’ve forgotten my OWN lyrics on stage…
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
As depressing as it might sound, “It doesn’t get easier” is some of the best advice I’ve gotten. Being an independent artist is a pretty demanding job, and I often struggle to stay on top of all the different facets of this career. The idea that it will always be difficult to keep up can sometimes be exhausting, but it reminds me that there is nothing but pure motivation driving me. Yes I will always struggle, there will always be those discouraging moments, and yet I STILL want this, I still feel the need to make music and show that to people. If my distaste for the work I have to put in ever outweighs the desire I have to be an artist and make music, that’s when I’ll know to give up. But it hasn’t yet!
Where do you think the music and entertainment industry is headed after this past year?
I’ve actually really loved how normalized live streams have become! I think it’s really great that people from all over the world can tune into a show. It makes it so much easier for small independent artists to build and connect with a fan base outside of their hometown. I also think that TikTok–partially because of how popular it became throughout the lockdown– has quickly become a hot spot for artists to get their music heard. Lately when I turn on the radio, 80% of what I hear are songs that got big on TikTok first. It might not seem like much, but it’s actually very substantial because it gives artists opportunities they never would have had in a label dominated industry.
