Emerging from California, Adri-Anne Ralph is what we would call a pop connoisseur. Among her strengths is her ability to craft immersive, relatable and catchy melodies, which her vocals can deliver effortlessly. Often exploring R’n’B and soul territories, Ralph’s artistry has been growing over the years, borrowing bits here and there to achieve a personal, unique and charming identity.
‘Make Me Feel’ is the American talent’s latest effort. Co-written and produced by her artistic collaborator Israel, the track offers groovy and bubbly R’n’B, featuring a very catchy chorus and emotional vibes. It is the perfect match for those needing a helping hand in communicating their feelings to a special someone…
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Adri-Anne Ralph to find out more about her artistry and future goals. Interview below!
Hey Adri-Anne, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
I’m an R&B Pop singer and songwriter, originally from Western Canada. I moved to California to work with a non-profit music program, and that’s where I met my husband. From the beginning, we bonded over our mutual love of R&B and soul music, and he has been my biggest supporter ever since. I love writing lyrics and creating melodies, and then the whole process of creating a song, from beginning to end. I want my listeners’ energy to change when they listen to my music, so all my efforts go into creating a kind of vibe-bubble with the lyrics, the melodies, the track, the background vocals, and the way I sing the song. I’m based here in California now.
I miss Canada a lot, but I love living in California! I wanted the song to give you the feeling of freedom and adventure that I felt being young and in love here, like floating through the clouds in a hot air balloon! I wanted the artwork to also reflect the colours and feel of Southern California, and use the motif of a hot air balloon, and I think my artist, @Moondoggo (Instagram) captured it perfectly. My producer and co-writer, Israel Flores, who also collaborated with me on my previous release, Season Bright, created the most beautiful and vibey track that gives you the feeling of movement and possibility.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
I started writing songs around the age of 8, when I began taking piano lessons. I loved playing with the different sounds that the piano could make. I also started to write poetry around age 10, and was in a youth choir around that time too. When I was 14 or so, I started to sing solo, and I realized that I wanted to write my own songs to perform and record. I remember learnings songs from the radio, and studying them, and then patterning my own songs after those. I think I love most how the combination of words and melody can be so incredibly powerful to motivate, empower, even change the mood chemistry of the listener!
If you had the opportunity to pick any artists in the world for a collaboration, who would be your first choice? (and second choice, perhaps?)
I love the British artist, Nao, and I admire her singing, her songwriting, and that she produces her own music! I’d love to collaborate with her. Second? I’m a big fan of Anderson.Paak, so he’d be my second choice.
You have just released ‘Make Me Feel’, a charming and groovy R’n’B number. Would you say that the record represents your style and your energy?
I think it represents an aspect of me. It’s definitely more gentle and optimistic than some of my other music, which can be more dramatic! I do have a love of hip-hop and soul that goes all the way back to my teens, so I do like a lot of bass and a good groove in my tracks. In this way, Make Me Feel is more laid back and lighter than my other music, but also has that groove and vibe that I love.
You wrote ‘Make Me Feel’ with fellow producer Israel. Do you prefer writing solo or in a team?
Both! I love bouncing ideas off a co-writer, and then retreating to my own space to process and think through ideas, so I can take my time deciding how I want to express what I want to say. Then, I like to bring this work back to a co-writer and refine it, change it, until we have really edited it and shaped it into the very best it can be. I think there is real strength in multiple skilled points of view.
We get the feeling there’s a strong professional career behind this artistic project. How active are you in the industry?
I write and perform my own music, work as a studio singer on others’ projects, write for TV and Film music publishing catalogues, teach vocal lessons, and do vocal production in-studio to help singers get the best performance on their recordings. I have also recently begun learning more about the publishing side of music by working on the catalogue of a music publisher I am associated with. I don’t perform as much as I’d like, due to time and energy constraints of being a mom and running a household! But I have really been enjoying this part of my career honing my skills in recording (ProTools), vocal arranging, and music production (Logic Pro).
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
Mainly, lack of time and energy! As I mentioned above, I’m a mother, and I take that role seriously in the traditional sense (not that you can’t be a good mother and have a non-traditional role!!) But I pride myself in cooking for our family, keeping our household clean and organized, and trying to be social and involved in our community as a family. I’m also working part-time in a non-music field, attending night classes, and very active in our church. So it really takes skills to balance all these roles and make sure that I devote enough time and energy to each one to be able to keep the ball rolling in every area.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
Yes! I am finishing up a collaboration with a musician/producer from Greece that I connected with during the pandemic lockdowns, and I plan to release that song early in 2023! I’m excited for it, it’s a fun 80’s throwback jam inspired by Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”! I’ve also been collaborating continuously with Tennessee Production Group, The Streetburnerz, on an R&B project, that I’m hoping to release around Valentine’s day!
RECOMMENDED!
