“This city, New York, is all over me. It’s in my bones,” confesses Raia Was, an artist deeply rooted in this concrete jungle’s vibrant ebb and flow. “I grew up feeling there was room for me as an artist here and as the city changes and I grow older, I’m more motivated than ever to hold that space, to insist that artists get to make a life here of value and dignity.”
In her latest single “If You’re Asking (I’m Offering),” Raia invites us on a wonderful lyrical road trip, a stirring sonic journey punctuated by delicate piano and deep, trance-like grooves. This two-part track is a nuanced representation of the artist’s relationship with the music industry. It is as much an offering of her heart as it is a bid to shape the industry into a space she can authentically occupy.
The single is, after “What It Feels Like” and “Tough To Love“, another precursor to her self-produced LP, Captain Obvious, a musical diary of her experiences over the last three years – a journey from anxiety to a regained sense of self. “Captain Obvious” is a technology I’ve used over the last three years to cope with the feeling of losing my ‘ness’… It was an entry way back into subtlety from the blowout of anxiety, through the simplicity of the obvious,” she explains.
In our interview, she delves deeper into her creative process, her struggles, and the transformative power of music that threads through her life’s tapestry.
header photo by Lucy Blumenfield
second photo: Album Art by Arielle Friedman
“If You’re Asking (I’m Offering)” seems to be quite a personal song about your relationship with the music industry. Was it difficult to express such intimate thoughts in a song?
To be honest I didn’t know that’s what I was writing about when I was writing it – which is often the case for me. We’re in so many different relationships and dynamics in life and I’m often writing first about a feeling before I find the container that feeling lives in. But once the subject was clear to me it was actually really freeing – the crux of the message is about wanting to offer something that is desired, not to muscle or coax desire out of someone. The verses are about the darker sides of the relationship, toxic habits, things you can’t un-say, things you can’t un-hear. And the choruses are kind of like setting down your armor, putting your cards on the table. If you’re (really) asking, I’m offering.
The song also serves as the announcement of your forthcoming LP Captain Obvious. How does this single reflect the larger themes and styles of the album?
This album is about observation, about saying what you mean, and all the nuances around that. It’s also, for me, really an offering, a breaking of the 4th wall so to speak, and letting the world in. The refrain of this track encompasses all that for me.
What were the reasons for selecting this track as the single to run with the album announcement?
For me it’s about the tone of the song – I love that it’s a two parter with a sort of sweeping scope. I love that it has a big groove and lots of space to move in it (a lot of the record has that) and that it’s a slow burn. It feels like tonally, this song is a great representation of what’s in store on the record.
“Be brave and also nothing matters. If you’re lucky life is long so just go do it.”
You mention transitioning from deep sadness to a profound drive to live. What advice would you give to someone else who might be experiencing a similar journey?
Remember from time to time to take big, deep, noisy breaths.
As a New York-based artist, how has the city and its music scene influenced your work?
This city is all over me. It’s in my bones. I grew up feeling there was room for me as an artist here and as the city changes and I grow older I’m more motivated than ever to hold that space, to insist that artists get to make a life here of value and dignity. If not for me then for the next ones.
How do you strike a balance between creating a piece of music that is commercially viable and one that is personally fulfilling?
I’m not sure that I do! I only really know how to make music that is fulfilling some type of personal need. Commercial viability is often something I’m thinking of after the fact in terms of how to talk about a piece of music and contextualize it within the environment of the industry.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be brave and also nothing matters. If you’re lucky life is long so just go do it.
Digital pre-order “Captain Obvious”: orcd.co/captainobvious
Vinyl/Bandcamp pre-order: raiawas.bandcamp.com/album/captain-obvious
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