Hiya Ravenistic, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for joining us today… Tell us a bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
Hi, thanks for having me. I live in a coastal tourist town in south-east Australia, but I’m from the western suburbs of Sydney. I grew up during the 80s in a typical suburban house. I got into music through my school. We had very active music teachers and there were choirs, plays, the rock band and the music band. I was a part of them all. Whenever we performed in a shopping centre or at regional event like a Christmas concert, it was a thrill to get out of our suburb and perform in new places. When I left school, I realised I missed being on stage, so I started a band with my boyfriend.
What’s the live music scene like in Australia right now, specifically your hometown? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I live 5 hours south of Sydney so if I want to play live music in my hometown, I’ve got to become part of a service industry – I’d have to play acoustic covers for 3 hours in a pub as “atmosphere”. I’ve always wanted to write my own songs, so it’s lucky I’m no longer interested in a live performance as a career. I play live music on my social media sites.
That said, Australia has a nationwide non-commercial radio station that is dedicated to alternative and non-commercial acts, called Triple JJ. They have an online radio station for undiscovered musicians called Unearthed. There are some very talented Aussie artists worth checking out.
Do you think it’s easy to become a victim of our surroundings sometimes?
If you let it, but if you’re analytical about working with what you’ve got you can make it your own. Just because there aren’t avenues in my hometown to play original songs, doesn’t mean that I don’t perform live. I post a regular live session on my social sites where I perform with my piano or guitar, either one of my own songs, or a song that has influenced my music – like a Blondie or David Bowie song. I can reach more people this way while also providing glimpses into the gorgeous beaches and summer lifestyle of my hometown.
What are your ambitions for Ravenistic?
I’m rather ambitious. I’d like to release 10 albums over 10 years, with or without anyone’s help. I was part of the 80s and 90s mindset whereby, in order to succeed you needed to have music industry backing. And for that happen, you needed to have created your own path, one that led you directly to a music industry doorstep.
Now that I’m writing, recording, and producing my own music and videos, I’ve discovered that having total control over my music is the most powerful thing I’ve ever done. I am not interested in giving over control to anybody without careful consideration of what I gain or lose. In the meantime, I’ll continue following my own musical path and letting it take me to new places.
What’s your favourite social media platform to use and why?
I like Instagram. I often get messages just saying hi, or asking how I created a drum sound, or which DAW I use in my home studio. It’s the platform I get the most satisfaction from because I get the most interaction from it.
We believe it’s essential to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram and X to introduce yourself to all the different types of audiences out there, what’s your thoughts on that?
I believe social media is essential. I played in a band during the 80s and 90s and it was so hard to reach a new audience, you often had to rely on converting other band’s fans into your own.
I use, or have used, most of the social platforms, but if they don’t work, I ditch them. I’d rather be great at one or two platforms, than spread myself thin by using ones that get zero traction. What works for me are Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. Some work better for my live music sessions, some work better for sneak previews of music videos, some are there simply for posting photos of walks along the beach.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
Mixed. It’s heavily saturated, with a lot of music that nobody asked for, but I think we’re also in the middle of a revolution. It’s a fabulous time to be an independent artist. I played music during the 80s and 90s, where the perception was that if you were good, you’d get a record deal, ergo if you didn’t get a record deal you were no good. Being an independent artist doesn’t carry a sense of shame anymore.
However, the other side of that revelation is that major artists are turning independent to regain control of their music. If that trend continues, it could become the norm that if you’re a good record company, you’ll get good artists, but if you can’t get good artists, maybe you’re not a good record company.
What’s your thoughts on AI generated music?
I’m trying to think of the good and bad of AI music.
One ‘bad’ is the impact it’s already had on composers who create simplistic music, like piano score or TV ads that want a one-word chant over a rockin’ drum solo and they want it done in ten minutes. AI can easily recreate that. It’s my understanding that those composers are ditching the simplistic stuff and composing more complex, diverse pieces of music that AI can’t easily generate. Yet.
One potential ‘good’ is that AI has to learn from humans, so it will always be playing catchup because humans will have to have been doing it first. This adaptable nature of ours might lead to more complexity and diversity in our music, and that may be a good thing, since I’m hearing that a lot of modern music is becoming too formulaic anyway.
Another thought is that there will always be groups of people who won’t care whether the music they hear is real or AI generated, much like they don’t care if the books they read are AI generated, and those people will never become a target audience for real musicians or real authors or real artists.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
That it’s not too late for me to restart my music career. I had a go in my 20s and 30s, and when I gave up music, I honestly thought it would be lost forever, but I’m creating music far superior to anything I wrote when I was young with zero life experience. I’m a better songwriter, a better singer, a better all-round musician.
I also feel a sense of belonging that I wasn’t sure I’d find, but I do feel welcomed by fans who grew up in the 80s and 90s. They’re connecting with my modern take on familiar music. It makes them feel good and that makes me feel good.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
APT by Rose and Bruno Mars. I love fun, upbeat, catchy tunes and APT is one of those toe-tapping songs that I can’t get enough of. This has serious 80s vibe. Some nights, I like to load up music videos to watch and unwind, and APT is often played at the start of the night and the end of the night.
I’m also getting back into playing vinyl. A few years ago I tracked down a copy of Kim Wilde’s 1982 album Select from a second-hand store. I had this album as a teen, and it is often the first album I play when I set up the record player. It’s a great album.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to share?
My band had finally managed to score a gig at a club in the city that was on the ‘hot’ list of places to play, and the stage was so small, and the ceiling was so low that the head of my bass guitar kept knocking into the ceiling. Small chunks of the roof kept landing on me. We could hardly move. I think I also knocked my guitar into the forehead of the lead guitarist a few times.
Got any fun, funny stories from life on the road?
They’re funny now, but back then they WERE NOT. It was the early 90s, and my band had a drummer who’d developed a gambling habit. One time he got into debt and had to sell his car, so the rest of us decided to chip in and buy a van to get us all around. Months later we are all travelling in this van on the way home from a gig, and we got pulled over for a random breath test.
The driver (rhythm guitarist) was slightly over the limit, so the cop asked if anyone else could drive the van home, looking at me, (bass player/singer) but I couldn’t drive a manual transmission. We had 2 passengers (lead guitarist and drummer) – no seats, it was just a transit van – sitting in the back amongst the amps, guitars, and drum kit. The drummer popped up from the back and said he was sober and he could drove us home. We were so lucky that night that we were just given a warning.
Later the drummer got into debt again and had to sell his drumkit to his dad and had to borrow the drums for rehearsals and gigs, and there was a conflicting gig. We had to find a new drummer after that. Like I said, funny now, but not then.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I’d love to. Cocktail Hour is a blend of pop/rock, upbeat, emotional, and fun songs. The concept was inspired by the catch ups I used to have with a group of friends. We’d catch up for drinks and dinner after work most weeks. I had just started dating someone, one of us was in an on-again-off-again relationship, one of us was searching for their prince, the other was convinced we should all stay single. These songs are like a soundtrack to those conversations. We were so full of life and hope and happiness, and I wanted to capture that essence.
What was the recording process like?
A lot easier after having worked on my previous album. I’ve learned it saves a lot of time if I can lock in the structure and theme of the song early on. These 4 songs were written on the acoustic guitar, and I played them again and again before I started recording.
The process for me now is that I chuck a guide track down of drums, guitar, and vocals, and then I build from there. I work on the beat first, is it a straight 4/4, is it a groove, because that influences how the guitars and bass are recorded. I also add in a lot of layers and work out what to keep and what to take out later.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I wouldn’t change a thing. I think this EP has captured the essence of relationships, which is ultimately what I write about. “Sugar Baby” is a note to a former lover about growing up. “Memory Lane” is about how we take comfort in the past. “With Somebody Else” is the frustrating side of being in a relationship, as opposed to “The Perfect Thing” which is about the perfect side of being in a relationship. I’m happy with the production quality. It’s something I’m proud to release to the world.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I’m already writing music for my next album, and the one after that, but for now, if you like songs that remind you of summer love, breakups, conversations over cocktails, and trips down Memory Lane, then please join me at www.ravenistic.com for the release of Cocktail Hour.
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