Featuring a freeing, empowering message, ‘Running In The Rain’ is a slice of blissful honesty and hopeful nostalgia. Penned by Canadian songstress Moira Chicilo, the song finds its charming livery in alt-folk stylings and poppy organic instrumentation, perfectly complementing Chicilo’s evocative, playful tone.
Written as a motivational, celebratory piece of breaking the chain of self-doubts and boredom, ‘Running In The Rain’ seeks to inspire the listeners to fight for their dreams and wellbeing, finding their place in life. It’s a catchy, relatable gem that will resonate with a wide audience out there.
Intrigued by Moira’s colourful artistry, we caught up with her to learn more about the record and the idea behind it… Interview below!
Hey Moira, how is it going? Those are challenging times for Western societies; does creating music help you deal with reality better? perhaps alleviating the pain…
It’s going well, thank you. You’re right, society is indeed darker these days, and people are skewing more negative in perspective than ever before. I find writing music — and the simple act of picking up my guitar — an act of healing for me, helps calm the worries and allows me to put colour and shape to the world. I am grateful to have this creative outlet.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
I’ve always been a writer, but the combination of my sister passing away and being worn down by a corporate job was when I started writing music. My heart was aching, and I was tired. That’s when I started writing about loss and social injustice, which was my emotional “wheelhouse” at the time. I’ll always be on that long journey, working to write songs that combine emotion and notes.
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?)
Just 2? I’d have to start with Gillian Welch — love her sparse and dark musical style. And maybe Courtney Barnett or Phoebe Bridgers, love their witty lyrics.
We just discovered ‘Running in the Rain’ and appreciate its cathartic, anthemic outlook. The arrangement is very grounding, and your vocals are as bright as the sun – what does the song mean to you?
For me, it’s a way of looking at personal freedom and courage, and not wasting time waiting for all the right elements to be in place. Life doesn’t wait. The image of running in the rain became the metaphor for doing what’s hard and not playing it safe in life.
Do you feel like you are in a better life situation now? Do you feel more fulfilled? If so, has the character of your songwriting changed? For instance, you might be drawn to write more positive stuff – or do you still feel close to your melancholic self?
I am definitely doing what I love, and life is good. I try to write what feels honest to me, and so that takes me to different emotional places. I’ve written a few songs lately that speak to the fragility of our environment (forest fires are raging in British Columbia, Canada this spring), but also trying to tell stories of little beautiful moments between people.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I love collaborating with people, and have had some incredible experiences working with kind and generous souls. While I love the solitude and pace that comes when you write alone, I believe collaborating will make you a better songwriter.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
I can’t help but be disheartened by how few people come out to support live music these days, and it makes artists question whether there really is a point in putting their music out there. But ultimately I make music for my creative expression, and I’ve learned that’s a good enough reason to keep on the journey.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
I’ve recently been in the studio recording some new music, which I’ll be releasing in the next few months.
