Eva Rawlings
Eva Rawlings has recently released her new single “5 Steps”. Co-written with her fellow Berklee students, “5 Steps” fuses elements of pop, hip-hop and r&b. It’s edgy, dark and catchy.
On this single, Rawlings highlights her unique and effortless vocals that immediately catch the listener’s attention. The melodies are astonishing. The production and the mix are perfect. “5 Steps” is a big record and it deserves so much love and recognition.
Go stream “5 Steps” now available worldwide.
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I was born and raised in Vermont. I started piano lessons when I was 6 because my older brother was doing it. When I was 8, he actually played piano while I sang, in my first ever live performance in our town's talent show. That made me fall in love with performing. I didn’t start writing songs until I was about 13, but I didn’t really find my sound until a couple years ago, and honestly, I’m still developing it!
What did you grow up listening to?
As a kid, I loved the hits on the radio- I loved the way they’d get stuck in your head. As I got older into high school I became obsessed with Lana Del Rey, and hip hop. I loved the way they both made me feel very different things.
When did you know you could sing?
Obviously when I did the talent show I certainly thought I could sing, and I always sort of knew I wanted to make music my career, but I don’t think I really believed it until high school and I started singing in my school’s jazz band.
When did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music? What was the biggest challenge when you first started?
I had been writing songs for years by the time I released any, and I’d been playing my originals with a band at gigs around Vermont. I decided to release some as an EP so I connected with a producer, Jeremy Norton, in Vermont and we spent months creating these tracks and giving a lot of thought into the project. My first EP was called “Control Freak” which Jeremy would likely confirm to be an accurate description of me at the time- I’m a much better collaborator now! The biggest challenge has been and still is figuring out hwo to market my music because as an artist it’s your art, and its hard to think about it in such a calculated way.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My parents. There is no one in the world who has ever believed in or supported me the way my parents have- I feel super lucky.
"5 Steps" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this single?
The song is about when you have a breakup and you’re falling apart, yet somehow your ex seems to be just fine. You find out they got with someone else the night you broke up, so the song is a snarky way of saying “Oh, I see how you got over me so fast. Wanna teach me how to do that?” hence the “5 Steps” to get over someone, which ends up just drawing out the “steps” of the drunken hookup.
When did you start working on this song? Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I wrote the first half of the song the night before a writing session and had some basic production. I brought it into the session the next day, I showed them what I had and we finished it that day. The people in the session were all other Berklee students or alumni. We had Ian Kimmel working on it who’s an 11x platinum and gold certified producer and songwriter, he’s amazing. Everyone in the room is a super talented songwriter or producer and i felt really lucky to have so much talent in one room!
What did you feel when writing this song?
This song was really fun for me because while there clearly was some bitterness when writing it, it’s also playful and snarky, which is very much my personality. I wanted it to hit so hard that it would be hard for someone listening to it to be sad about their breakup, and be able to channel the feeling that the other person missed out.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I love the hook- love how catchy it is!
How's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What message do you want to give to women out there?
It can be so hard to navigate. The message I’d give to women is to know your worth and never feel like you have to sacrifice your boundaries to be successful. It’s easy to feel like you have to act or dress or do something for someone to work with you, but you don’t, and the people who don’t see you for all that you are, are not worth your time anyway.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I think it would be great to have more inclusion and representation of minority groups in positions of power and higher executive office. I think it’s important we continue to try to push women and BIPOC individuals into positions in the music industry and allow them to take up space there.
Besides music, what are you passionate about? Could you tell us about the causes you've been supporting?
I’m very passionate about a lot of causes. Recently, I pledged the profits from my song ‘LIKE ME’ to abortion funds, and organized and performed in a show raising money for an organization support gun control. I am hoping to get more involved in anti diet culture organizations & anti racist organizations and other important causes.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
So many things. In the US, I think if we were to provide better social services for people experiencing homelessness and addiction, we could help a lot of people and reduce crime rates. People just want to be treated like people, and I think that’s one thing we can be better at.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
It’s not about me. These people are not thinking about me. The choices I make don’t only affect me. Sometimes I have to do things that do not benefit me, but make space for someone else.
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