Amelia Rae: "Vermilion Lies"
What inspires your music?
I'm always inspired by spiritual concepts that uplift rather than debase. I believe that music is one of the few things in this life that has the potential to really raise people's spirits, so I find that my purpose in creating music is to do exactly that. If I'm going to write a song about how anger or sadness has consumed me, I'm not going to leave it at the surface emotion, I'll lift the song to a level that discusses a solution to the problem.
How did you start your recording career?
I've been singing and playing music since I was a kid. I remember the first mic parents bought me when I was in middle school — it was a Blue Snowball and I'd plug it directly into GarageBand and start making terrible — but necessary — a cappella arrangements. After a while, I kind of paused songwriting because I didn't believe in my lyric-writing ability. Then, out of the blue, my very secretive sister told me she writes poetry, and the problem was solved! So my sister and I started writing songs together in 2018 and haven't stopped since.
What is your EP (or single) called? How did you come up with it?
My new single, "Vermilion Lies," is the first single off my upcoming debut album, "Through the Valley of Search." We actually had the full album completely written and some already recorded, but we knew something was missing. Then, when we were vacationing in France, my sister, Juliet, had the idea for a song that's about a person reflecting on their life, wishing that they had lived by a better moral code. So she runs to me and says, "Amelia! I have this verse for that track that's missing but it's like a rap but I can't rap so I'm gonna rap it but don't laugh at me," and that ended up being the first verse. My favorite thing about the songwriting process was that when I was struggling to write the melody for the chorus I suddenly visualized a staircase that goes up three steps and then immediately down three steps, and that was it. We made a full on bop.
What is your genre of music?
As a blanket statement, my music is alternative-pop. However, each song (especially on the upcoming album) has its own distinct feel. I make music that I want to make and I wouldn't shun anything away just because it doesn't sound like alternative-pop.
Who are your influences?
I gather a lot of inspiration from artists like The Beatles, Norah Jonas, Lorde, Finneas, and Adele. One of my favorite songs ever is "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian, and even though I don't think I could ever make a song as truthful, painful, and beautiful, songs that tell stories like that inspire me a lot. I also am so inspired by the production of pretty much any Finneas or Billie Eilish song because it's so innovative. In high school, I pretty much exclusively listened to Lorde's debut album "Pure Heroine," and I didn't realize it until quite recently but I think my sound was very much inspired by that album.
How do you describe success?
Success is achieving a goal. I feel like we're taught that success is wealth or rank or popularity, so it's taken me a lot of introspection to change the meaning for myself. I believe that if I achieve a goal that I've set for myself, that is success. That being said, it can't end after just one goal has been achieved. Human beings have endless capacity, so success is an ongoing process.
What can we expect from you in 2020?
The first thing coming out is my debut album on February 13th, followed by an album release show and a bunch more gigs. I also have potential plans for a music video, and my sister and I are always writing music for the next release! We're toying with the idea of releasing a jazzy EP later in the year, but haven't landed on anything solid yet.
SOCIALS
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2sX71sKSY55XluACX5F4E6
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/amelia-rae/1458575290
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Twitter -
https://twitter.com/heyitsameliarae