Q&A with Raiche
Just throw Pittsfield, MA singer Raiche a mic, and she will command a crowd with her stage prowess and smoldering vocals. One part vixen and another elegance, Raiche's soulful vocal chops and sleek style have her poised to find a career somewhere in the mix of Toni Braxton, Destiny's Child, and Andra Day. With the holiday season coming, Raiche can now be found on Atlantic Records' new compilation (out today) Still Home For The Holidays, not once but twice, on the heartbreak tune "I Hate Christmas" and on the romantic duet "Anticipating" featuring Vedo.
Riache grew up in the church, performing alongside her sister and mother, and she had some early success posting covers to YouTube. The chanteuse later made an impression in 2018 with the delightful bop "Money Pies" and later released her debut EP DRIVE featuring the groovy "Complicated" and title track "Drive," a bluesy throwback further cementing her sound as a retro-soul singer with a pop flair. In a universe of Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lana Del Rey, and Jessie Reyez, there is a place for Raiche. We envision her at a diner twisting her straw in a milkshake or readying her baseball bat in her Jekyll & Hyde song "Pick A Side" about the intense and distanced sides of her man. That, along with new single "Funeral," is showcasing a slightly darker song for Raiche, a modern revenge anthem, and a solid bookend to what Blu Cantrell started with "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)"
Raiche spoke with IndieWavves about how Norah Jones' "Chasing Pirates" manifested itself into her very own cover with araabMUZIK, the excitement around her two original Christmas songs, and how her Nana gave her the extra push to pursue her dream as a singer.
IndieWavves: "Drive," "Money Pies," and "Complicated" have some throwback appeal to them, like from another era. What has shifted for you in your music with new songs "Funeral" and "Pick A Side"?
Raiche: I definitely agree. I think at the beginning of my career and still now, especially in the beginning, I was really discovering myself, and I think there's a lot of pieces that are in there that are specifically highlighted and defined within each song. "Drive" seems more of a 60s sort of ethereal throwback. Moving forward into this next project, I think everything blended better. I was digging a hole and burying my past. I have a third single coming out called "Simple."
IW: How long have you been performing? Watching you on the She's On Deck showcase, you completely embodied your songs, and you make them come to life with your charisma.
R: Ever since I was younger, my mother had been the lead worship singer at my church, so I would watch her every Sunday and at rehearsals. I would go in with her three days a week before Sunday to rehearse these songs. As I got older, we had started a team ministry, and my sister Madison played guitar and harmonized, and we would team up and lead the worship. Also, she really encouraged me to sing more, and we did open mics and talent shows and plays. It was mainly church that I got my practice from. There's a really famous hotel in The Berkshires, The Red Lion Inn, and it's pretty iconic. It's a den looking thing, very small and intimate, really classy and we would perform.
IW: You did some covers early on when you were building your career, by Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande. How did these propel things for you?
R: I definitely gravitated to more of those Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande songs. My team definitely helped to mold me and introduce me to more music like Brenda Lee and classics like that. "You Don't Own Me" is another that I covered.
IW: How did growing up in the small town of Pittsfield, MA, and later living in Boston shape you as a person and as an artist?
R: I always knew I wanted to be an artist, and being younger, I thought I wouldn't pop up until I was a little older. It honestly seemed far-fetched, but I always knew I could do it if I really had the opportunity. From my childhood through high school, I really lived a beautiful life. It was very family involved and intimate, and I got to experience a lot. I always thought Justin Bieber is so young, and I don't know if I want to do that just yet. I want to have some experience and screw-ups, to be nourished and have my childhood and high school years. I lived a really regular, adventurous life. I grew up in the woods. I would go hiking to Tanglewood, and James Taylor goes there every year, and I would sneak in there with my friends every summer. When I graduated high school, I was kind of very confused, but I didn't know how to make it happen, but I knew what I wanted to do. My grandmother, my Nana, was like: "You need to get out of this town. You have so much potential; you need to get out of this relationship." She really pushed me to move. That's really when I started in music. It was not long after moving to Boston and meeting my production team at Genre Defying Entertainment.
IW: What can you tell us about your upcoming album and these two Christmas songs?
R: The upcoming album I'm really excited about. It's like totally different from DRIVE and has a different vibe - Loveland. I feel like I've really discovered myself, and that definitely shows in this next project. I'm talking about my relationships and ups and downs and my love languages and vulnerabilities. I've always wanted to do Christmas music, and they are really sick. Atlantic has a whole Christmas album - Lizzo, Ty Dolla $ign, Ayanis are on it, and I have two songs on there - "I Hate Christmas," which is really quirky and fun. The second one is "Anticipating," and that is featuring Vedo. At one point, I think I want to do a Christmas album.
IW: Twenty years from now, what do you hope to be remembered for?
R: I want to be remembered for classic music. I want to be something that people can listen to all around the clock. All around, every emotion and vibe to and be excited about, and love and party to. I just want to be classic.
Written by Michael Menachem
Photo by Ryan Hattaway