Interview with Dema Raye

Dema Raye is an incredible artist who I discovered quite a few. months ago now. I've been following her journey on Instagram, where she shows the process of making her music. Her debut single 'Red Light' is out now, and I am super happy for her. I really enjoy listening to this song and think you guys will to. Dema Raye is one of the sweetest people I've ever spoken to and so I am so happy to share this interview with you today.

Hi, how are you?

Hi! I’m good. Thanks for asking. I hope you’re also doing well!

How would you describe your sound to the readers?

Hmm... That’s a big question. It’s not easy for me to be as objective about it or define it in more concrete terms. Generally, I suppose I would categorise it as an alternative sort of dream pop; it tends to be more ethereal and sparse, with mostly organic tones and textures.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

I listen to a broad range of music and I admire so many artists but I suppose what tends to come out of me when I’m writing usually resembles music from artists like Imogen Heap, Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift and The National.

How did your musical journey start?

Oh gosh! Well, I knew that I wanted to sing ever since I was a little kid. I was always running around the house, singing my heart out and my parents loved it. My little brother, however, not so much!

I didn’t start writing songs until I was probably around 10 years old and of course, they were all horrible... Absolutely terrible! I remember thinking that I just didn’t have the talent for it but I kept writing because it became such an outlet for me to express myself and my feelings in a way that I never could before.

It wasn’t until I was 16 years old that I started writing consistently and became more serious about pursuing music as a career. After that, I eventually gained enough courage to start an Instagram account where I started reaching out to other artists and producers. I'm so grateful I did that because the people I’ve met and the opportunities that have presented themselves have been extraordinary.

Your new song ‘Red Light’ is out now, congratulations! How was the process of making this song for you?

Thank you so much! Wow... The process of making this was such a roller coaster to be honest with you, because I was putting in a lot of extra hours and not getting enough sleep…I don’t know how I managed to pull that off!

Fortunately, I was able to work with an incredible producer and sound engineer in Nashville, who have been nothing less than supportive and encouraging to me. My producer Stefan ( https://www.producerstefan.com) would always call me when they were in the studio so I could listen in and give feedback throughout the production process. It made me feel like I was really there in the studio with them instead of being in my bedroom. Honestly, some days were better than others but I’m so happy with how it all turned out.

I love the more minimal sound of the music in this song, it really makes your vocals stand out! Was this something you wanted to achieve with this song?

Oh definitely! I really care about every single detail that goes into my songs in terms of composition and production. I wanted every single instrument to enhance the story I tell in the lyrics and the overall feeling I wanted to convey.

For example, there’s a piano arpeggio that plays on a loop for almost the entirety of the song, which represents the idea of being stuck in a loop, unable to move forward. Generally speaking, the composition is minimal by design and the mix is intentionally sparse to help create a moody, surreal sort of backdrop but yes, we wanted the verse vocals to be more intimate, up-close and personal.

Could you explain more about the meaning behind the lyrics for this ‘Red Light’? Where did your inspiration come from?

A lot of things inspired me to write this song. Lyrically, it was a synthesis of my own personal experience, stories of people I know and things I’ve read about emotional infidelity, which is what this song is about. I was thinking about the feeling of being frozen in time, unable to move forward. So the visual of being caught in a red traffic light immediately came to me and I wrote the rest of the lyrics with that analogy in mind.

Do you have a favourite lyric or line from the song?

Oh that’s really hard to answer! I like a lot of these lyrics and I’m really proud of them but if I had to pick one line it would probably be the last line of the song in the bridge: “Maybe we’ll never regret the moments we stole, just the ones we never did.” That part always gets to me. I just feel like that’s a really universal feeling you know? Like I think most of us regret or at least fear to regret the things we didn’t do rather than the things we did.

What do you hope listeners take away from listening to ‘Red Light’?

Wow. That’s a great question. I mean considering this song is about emotional infidelity, I hope it can shine some kind of light on that topic and help people become more aware of their feelings and how important it is to confront them head on rather than live in denial.

This is your debut single, so can we expect to hear more from you soon? Are there any other songs on the way?

Oh yes! You can definitely expect to hear more music really really soon. I have an EP in the works and I’m really excited for it to come out!

I love how open you are on Instagram about your writing process and doubts that someone can feel as a musician or creator, you keep things very transparent with your audience. Was this a conscious decision for you?

Thank you so much. That’s really sweet of you to say! Yes, It was a conscious decision but it also felt very natural to do so because not only did I feel so comfortable and connected with my followers; I really value authenticity and being as genuine online as I am in real life. So, it really feels like I’m talking to my friends and I love that. I’m so grateful to have such amazing supporters and I want to continue building solid relationships with all of them.

I think that as a creator, you know, it’s so easy to doubt yourself and dismiss your ideas because ultimately, you’re your own worst critic. So sharing moments of doubts and uncertainty not only helps me get out of my head; it also shows my supporters that things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows when you’re making a record or building a brand and career. So it’s good to be honest about bad days where you think you’re not doing anything right because we all feel that way at one point or another.

And lastly, what music have you been listening to recently? Anything you can recommend to us here?

I love this question! I’ve been listening to a lot of old rock music recently. More specifically, music from the '70s to the '90s. Some of my favourites are The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones and Fiona Apple.

As for something for you to listen to, I definitely recommend Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice. That record is just phenomenal! I love that band so much and I’ve been a fan ever since their first album. I think their sound is really cool and unique.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for us, it’s really appreciated!

My pleasure. This was so much fun! Thank you! I hope to talk to you again soon, take care. X

You can listen to 'Red Light' wherever you listen to music right now. Make sure you give Dema Raye's social media a follow to keep up with her and her music, it's really worth it. Thanks again to Dema Raye for answering those questions for us, and thank you for reading.

Until next time...

Listen to Red Light on Spotify here.

Follow Dema Raye on Spotify here.

Follow Dema Raye on Instagram here.

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