About the Artist – Raymond Revel:
Raymond Revel is an American Singer-Songwriter originally from Burbank California. While his music is now on the rise, music is not something that is unfamiliar to him. Raymond started out by playing the piano by ear at 5 years old, and he was writing full songs by the age of 11. Through the years, Raymond has participated as the lead singer in a band, has led multiple a cappella groups, has performed with various choirs, and has served as a background singer to multiple celebrities (Demi Lovato, Pharrell, Little Big Town just to name a few). Needless to say, Raymond brings experience to the table when writing and producing his own music. However, beyond Raymond’s experience, it is his sound and approach to music that makes him unique. Raymond utilizes various raw and synthetic instrumentation to create a joyous and authentic sound. Raymond’s sound is not overly processed, and even he would likely argue that it is not always produced perfectly. But THAT is the glory of it all. People long to hear a genuine sound when they listen to music, and that is exactly what you get when you listen to Raymond Revel’s musical stories. Raymond is most definitely an artist to keep an eye out for.
Q: Would you say that making a record is more exciting or stressful?
Raymond: “I would absolutely say that it is more exciting, for me at least. Generally speaking, I write my music in waves, and when I can lock in things usually flow pretty easily and naturally. I think for many people, the stress in writing comes from writer’s block – if that ever happens, I just take a break, hang out for a bit, and come back to it when another creative wave hits!”
Q: When it’s time to write, how do you focus on your music and block out the outside world?
Raymond: “I write and produce all of my music in my home studio. The studio is soundproofed, blacked out, and it has all kinds of lava lamps and LED lights in it. It is the perfect place to write, because you kind of feel like you are entering a different world. I’m very thankful that I have a space that it is super easy to lock in and create whenever I want to.”
Q: What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
Raymond: “Everything happens for a reason. That’s something that I’ve lived by ever since I can remember. And as life goes on, and as things get more and more crazy, the saying only seems to get more powerful.”
Q: For our readers who have never heard your music, explain your sound in 5 words?
Raymond: “Singer-songwriter that’s consistently inconsistent”
Q: You write all of your own music; where do you draw inspiration from when you write songs and what’s your favorite part about the process?
Raymond: “I really like this question. To be honest, there’s not one particular place that I draw from when I write my music. It really could be anything, from a simple conversation to a deep life changing moment. One thing is that I do like to tell stories through my songs – but they aren’t always things that I’ve experienced. I mean, here I am at 23, there’s only so many stories that I have to tell. So often times, when I write my music, I think of it like writing a fiction book or something. I start completely from scratch and pull influences from all over, but they aren’t necessarily things that have happened to me.”
Q: If you could perform with anyone, in the future, who would it have to be?
Raymond: “Well, you can’t exclude the legends. If I ever had an opportunity to perform with someone like Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, I mean… the list goes on and on, and I would definitely take an opportunity like that. However, huge names aside, I think it would be a lot of fun to sing with Ben Rector. We both play keys, and I think in many ways write similarly, so…I think that would be a lot of fun.”
Q: Are you working on any new content currently? Any behind the scenes takes that you can give us?
Raymond: “Oh all the time! To be completely honest, I think that I have too many ideas to manage, which is a great problem to have. I think that 2020 is going to be a breakout year with so much new music. In terms of behind the scenes takes…I do have some distant plans for a thought provoking album, but it will take some time to put that together. There will still be lots of intriguing singles to keep everyone entertained in the meantime!”
Q: Where does your musicality come from? Is your family musical?
Raymond: “My family definitely has music in our genetics. My mom studied vocal performance at UCLA, and worked at Warner Bros for a while. She was the one that first got me harmonizing when I was young because we would sing along to tunes in the car. And my dad, well he’s a hidden saxophone player. I’ve never actually heard him play, but he played up through college, and he has such a good understanding of the rhythmic and instrumental draws of music. Between the two of them, I would say I lucked out. Beyond that, many of my cousins/extended family sing and perform in a variety of genres as well. I am very thankful for my artistic family!”
Q: Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
Raymond: “I think it’s more difficult for me to find artists that I don’t admire than to find artists that I do. Throughout my life, I have spent time listening to so many styles of music. My admiration of musical styles is just like one giant melting pot. From smooth jazz to pop, from a cappella to indie-alternative. From 60’s music to the 2010’s. I’ve even had reggae phase somewhere in all of there. I guess my point is, there is so much to admire and take away from all styles of music. People try to narrow their focus on things, but I think it’s important to try to admire the craft of everybody before you can make your own.”
Q: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town?
Raymond: “I can distinctly remember the feeling of writing a new song on the piano growing up. I would call my family downstairs and play for them my newest piece, to see what they thought. I would just become so excited to share whatever it was that I came up with. I know that is such a simple answer, but those moments have become so impactful. When I play shows for a large audience someday, my hope is that it still feels like you are family in my living room, listening to my latest tunes.”
Thanks for taking time out of your day J
Raymond: “Thank you so much for having me. This has been a blast.”
