We had the opportunity to interview up-and-coming band Raynes! A recent signee to Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Raynes is making waves on the alt scene. Their sound is alt-pop with folk seasoning. Check out our interview with them below!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
We've been together roughly two and a half years. Joe and I were playing then we came out to LA, met up with our manager and attempted to find a singer. On Instagram we were looking for vocal feature videos, stumbled across Mark. We asked him if he wanted to come LA and be in band and he said sure.
When Mark was told the band had been offered a "pub" deal, he thought they meant a residency in a pub not a publishing deal.
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
We have a couple of different processes. Part of it is due to necessity, Mark stays in LA part time. When he's back in England, they'll track a song and send it over. But when they're all together it's much more collaborative.
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
Individually it's different for everyone, but this brings something to collectively. Their sound has been compared to Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, and Imagine Dragons. John Mayer has been an inspiration as well. 4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
One thing we have been using lately is a Bouzouki. We also use a lot of violin and mandolin as well to achieve that folky sound.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
We all playing live, that's part of the reason we got signed to Sony, we bring a lot of energy which can be infectious. We try and sound as good as possible. We also enjoy being able to connect with people on a personal level.
Venue-wise we want to be anywhere the people are excited to be there and hear you.
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
It would be great if they understood that even though it is pop, there is more depth than just a regular run of the mill pop record. We also want our lyrics to say something. It can be easy to put together a song that's catchy that doesn't mean anything. If you like how it sounds on the surface there's more than just melodies and production.
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
We're in the process of releasing three singles over the next couple of months in a way that makes sense. We are always writing, in the hopes that we get more and be able to tour and play more live shows.