Hello Ria, How are you?
Good. Super excited to be talking to you. Thank you so much for having me on.
Congratulations on the release of Alpha She – how does it feel?
I’m feeling very proud of this body of work. I started writing the EP during the pandemic and to see everything from the past two and half years come to life has been super rewarding.
Describe the EP in three words.
Empowering. Independent. Passionate.
What are your 3 favourite tracks from it?
Tennis. Monday. Work for it.
You are an artist from Nashville – how did it all begin for you?
I grew up with a voice teacher as a mom who is also in the industry. So from a young age, I always knew music would be a part of my life. I went to Nashville for college and graduated a couple of years ago, and during the pandemic, I was able to find my voice as an artist.
What did you listen to growing up?
Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Jill Scott, and other pop and R&B influences.
Your sound is solid R&B/pop with a little more. How does a writing session usually begin for you?
It’s different each time. Sometimes I like to start with lyrics and form a melody around those words as I did with my song “Morning Would”. Other times I start with a track and I’ll topline a melody with a co-writer or alone and then I’ll fit the words to that melody and track.
You visited the UK and played SXSW to promote the EP – what was your favorite memory from this experience?
My favorite part of the UK was traveling to each city and hearing all the different dialects, accents, and ways of life. My tour manager, Steve Hughs, and guitar player Micheal Lindo were so amazing to have on the road. And my favorite memory from SWSW was just being able to perform. To be given the opportunity to perform at such a huge festival for after only just releasing my first debut EP was one for the books.
Post-pandemic, what have you learned about yourself in the last three years?
How long do you have? Lol. No, but for real, I’ve learned so much about myself as an artist and what I want in life. Also, I’ve learned that being stuck on specific goals and achievements can sometimes narrow the opportunities the universe has in store for you. It’s so important to learn how to go with the flow and just let the universe work for your good.
Did you pick up any new skills during that period?
Being an independent artist, you have to be able to move efficiently, so I’ve definitely sharpened that skill. Random fact, I’ve also been able to learn a lot about investing and real estate development.
Living in Nashville, what are the three things that have surprised you about it?
Collaboration, genre inclusiveness…besides country, and a lot more traffic than I thought, lol.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Raye, Tinashe, and Victoria Monet…Girl gang
What are you looking forward to next?
Taking over the world with my new manager Madison. *Insert evil laugh lol.
