Rainlights
I am super excited to share this new interview with the amazing Rainlights ! She has just released her debut single “When My Phone Dies” and it is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. First of all, Rainlights is a storyteller before anything else. She’s not afraid to share her personal stories with the world. She knows how to tell stories through poetic and emotional lyrics. Second, she is a brilliant producer. Her production is dreamy, cinematic and simple but yet captivating. Third, she has a beautiful and unique tone that will make her stand out from everyone else. Her debut single “When My Phone Dies” is better than most songs we hear these days and I’m so proud to feature such an amazing talent and song on my blog. So please, make sure to stream “When My Phone Dies” - you won’t be disappointed :)
And congrats Rainlights on this amazing debut single - so proud of you !
Photo credit: lish kabir
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I have been playing guitar and writing songs since I was a child. When I was sixteen, I played shows around the village and my music was very folk-based— just me and a guitar, with most of my focus on the lyrics. (Fun fact— I couldn’t sing for a long time!! But it didn’t stop me from doing it. When I was thirteen I would walk around school with a pink guitar and sing outside during lunch. Some of my peers would let me know that I didn’t sound great/that I sounded tone deaf— and question why I was performing at all. But I loved writing songs so much, I couldn’t help myself from wanting to sing what I had created in my head. After a handful of voice lessons and years of singing all day in my room, I finally got to a place where people would come up to me and tell me I had a beautiful voice. To this day, I am deeply grateful and quietly surprised when I hear kind remarks like that.)
Over time, I grew more curious about the world of music production. I applied for a Master’s degree in Audio Production at a university in London. There, I fell in love with the city and with becoming a producer/mixer. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to live on my own in a different country. That experience in itself affected me as an artist as much as studying did. While working towards my degree, I also worked as a barista in a couple of coffee shops around the city. I moved back to New York in September.
Who are some of your biggest influences ?
The 60’s music my dad showed me growing up (Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash), Sigrid, James Blake, Léon, Frank Sinatra (not for genre, but because his music makes me feel like I’m in a movie), Frank Ocean, Sufjan Stevens, Wet.
How would you define your music ?
I have synesthesia/I see colors when I hear sounds. Because of this, my memory has always been very visual. Sometimes I use melodies/synths to try and recreate images sonically (things like the color of the sky on the day when I wrote a song, if that makes sense haha). And writing lyrics is like writing poetry. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a folk singer anymore, I think the melodies are still pretty folky and the production is like a mix of dream pop/cinematic synths.
“When My Phone Dies” is your debut single - what's the inspiration/story behind this song?
One day last summer, while sitting on my bed and scrolling through my phone, my screen went black. What seemed like an uneventful moment took me by surprise. Instead of immediately grabbing a charger, I looked up from the screen and let the silence of my room wash over me.
I hadn’t been home in nearly two years. It was the longest I’ve ever been away. I was living in London and creating a life for myself there. The only thing that made New York (home) still feel tangible was my phone. That’s how I saw the faces of family and friends, that’s how heard their voices and stayed connected to their lives. So on that day when my phone died, the distance between the place where I grew up and my own body felt little more real. Holy shit, there is a literal ocean separating us, I thought.
I wrote this song to capture the feeling of being alone with no access to distractions. On one hand I am incredibly grateful to my phone for keeping me connected, on the other hand I accept that I use it as a distraction from the feelings my body is waiting to embrace.
If I told you I loved you with a paper and a pen, would it feel more real than this neon blue message? That’s the question I sat with when my phone died.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? When did you start working on it?
I wrote and recorded “When My Phone Dies” over the summer, but didn’t sit down and work on the production/mixing until a few months later. I wanted the vocals to be the main focus of the track, so I paired them with a gentle piano line and long, drawn-out synths/strings to cultivate an air of nostalgia.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I find that (sometimes) it’s easier to write sad songs when I’m in a good mood. I think on the day I wrote "When My Phone Dies”, I was feeling pretty relaxed. My bedroom at the time had beautiful old windows with patterned frames that overlooked the neighbor’s garden. I was sitting on my bed, staring at my phone (like always haha). But this time when my phone shut off without warning, that room was the perfect little spot to have that click and be reflective.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
My favorite thing about “WMFD” is how clean the production is. I’ve had moments in the past where I created a lot of pretty sonic elements and couldn’t figure out how to make room for them in a mix, so I’m proud of myself for balancing big synths and delicate sonic details within the space of this track.
What made you want to release "When My Phone Dies" as your first single?
I feel like “WMFD” is a good introduction into the world of Rainlights. There is a confessional element to it which shows up in a lot of my work. If my songs were lined up chronologically like movie scenes, this track would be a fitting opener.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork is a photo I took on my phone in Scotland a couple of years ago. I felt that it was fitting to have a shot-on-my-phone cover for this song in particular—because of the title/theme.
The photo was taken on a family trip, right before I moved to London. It was raining but the sun still peaked out through the clouds. A lot has changed since that summer, and I have a newfound tenderness for images from that snippet of time.
What do you want to accomplish with this debut single?
I hope releasing this song encourages me to stop being shy when it comes to continuing to share my music in the future.
What do you want people to feel when listening to your music ?
My favorite songs are the kind that take you away for a moment, wherever you are. Like the world is yours for three minutes and fifty seconds. That’s the kind of feeling I try to capture with my own work—when your chest is warm and your soul exhales. Or the streetlights look like they’re shining a little brighter because of the music you have playing in your headphones. That would be my dream, to make people feel a sense of belonging. Because whenever I am unsure of where I belong, sound is my solace, and I would like to share that.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry?
I think there are new creative freedoms for artists today when it comes to music production. Recording technology is much more accessible and home-friendly now than it was 10/20 years ago. This is not to disregard the importance of studios, but rather to say it is easier for artists to bring certain ideas to life at home, which is exciting.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More summer days spent outside.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Keep going.
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