RAYE on surviving the music industry: “Keep good people around you”

RAYE has spoken to NME about her music industry battle to be shortlisted for the Mercury 2023, as well as her recent collab with Stormzy and hopes for longevity. Watch our interview above.

The London singer-songwriter was speaking at the launch of the Mercury Prize 2023, where her 2023 debut ‘My 21st Century Blues‘ was shortlisted alongside albums by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Fred Again.., Young Fathers and Shygirl.

“To be recognised for a body of work is something that I’ve really wanted for a really long time,” she told NME. “It really feels like it’s happening. It really feels like people have taken the time to dig into this album and I know that this shortlist will bring even more ears to people who have never heard it or heard of me.

“It’s growth, it’s stepping stones, but it’s also just ridiculously unexpected. You know, all of the positive words in the dictionary listed here.”

Asked the thread or idea that holds her album together, RAYE replied: “It’s a little bit all over the place, but maybe that’s what I’m like. In life, there are a lot of different colours and textures to what we experience and go through. It’s not happy all the time, it’s not sad all the time – it’s waves and stages. I just try to be as honest as possible, really.”

This comes after last month saw RAYE link up with her old friend Stormzy once again for another collab in the form ‘The Weekend‘.

“I was back in London for literally a day,” she recalled, “I had just got back from America and the next day I was headed somewhere else. I was so jet-lagged and Stormzy called me out of the blue like, ‘RAYE, what you doing? I’m in the studio, do you want to come?’ I went to the studio and we did it!”

She went on to list Quincy Jones and Hans Zimmer as her two bucketlist collaborators.

A key element of RAYE’s rise to success was the Number One single ‘Escapism‘ – which has gone on to become the second-biggest song of 2023 so far.

“I’ll take that!” said RAYE. “My goal is that before I die, I want to create things that stand the test of time and live on once I’m not here anymore. Maybe that’s a little taste of that, maybe that’s a bit big-headed to say, but at the end of the day having music that people are listening to is the goal.

In the summer of 2021, RAYE made headlines when she parted ways with Polydor Records after claiming that the label had refused to release her debut album, despite signing a four-album deal in 2014. Since then, she has gone independent to find success with the eventual release of her debut album. She also have a powerful speech on her past label troubles and sexual assault during her Pyramid Stage appearance at Glastonbury 2023.

What advice would she give to those feeling fearful of entering the music industry?

“It is a scary thing, I get it,” she replied. “It’s really important to find people you can trust and people who allow you to be the artist you want to be. That sounds obvious, but it’s actually not. When you’re an artist, you’re so vulnerable and susceptible to every opinion. Maybe it will effect how you feel about something you once loved, but you’ve just got to get that noise out and trust your instincts. Keep good people around you.”

And back to the Mercurys – and who would RAYE’s money be on to take home the Prize this year?

“Fred Again..’s album is so brilliant, so maybe him,” she replied. “I think Ezra Collective should take it – they’er so top-tier brilliant. Also, Olivia Dean – I love her – and Shygirl is so fire. Maybe everyone should win? And me!”

The winner of the Mercury Prize will be announced at a live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on September 7.

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