Ravyn Lenae Discusses "Bird's Eye," Childhood Inspirations, Juggling Industry Pressures, Iconic Red Hair, & Collaborating with Ty Dolla $ign!
Aug 19, 2024
Nyla Symone
What happens when a gifted musician channels her childhood memories and personal reflections into an album? Discover the emotional journey of Ravyn Lenae as she opens up about her upcoming release, "birdseye." Ravyn talks candidly about balancing the pressures of the music industry with maintaining healthy habits and the significance of her iconic red hair. Hear her discuss the heartfelt themes in her song "One Wish," inspired by the ripple effects of parental relationships, and learn about the concept behind its evocative music video.
This episode is a treasure trove for music lovers and aspiring artists alike. We dive into Ravyn's creative process, where influences ranging from 60s doo-wop to modern pop guide her authentic sound. Enjoy insights into her collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign on "Dream Girl" and the whimsical yet poignant track "Bad Idea." Raven also reflects on her journey of self-discovery, both as a woman and an artist, sharing how her music brings her closer to understanding herself. Plus, find out which Stevie Wonder deep cut she holds dear and get ready for the release of "Bird's Eye" on August 9th. You won't want to miss this intimate conversation with one of today's most promising talents.
What happens when a gifted musician channels her childhood memories and personal reflections into an album? Discover the emotional journey of Ravyn Lenae as she opens up about her upcoming release, "birdseye." Ravyn talks candidly about balancing the pressures of the music industry with maintaining healthy habits and the significance of her iconic red hair. Hear her discuss the heartfelt themes in her song "One Wish," inspired by the ripple effects of parental relationships, and learn about the concept behind its evocative music video.
This episode is a treasure trove for music lovers and aspiring artists alike. We dive into Ravyn's creative process, where influences ranging from 60s doo-wop to modern pop guide her authentic sound. Enjoy insights into her collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign on "Dream Girl" and the whimsical yet poignant track "Bad Idea." Raven also reflects on her journey of self-discovery, both as a woman and an artist, sharing how her music brings her closer to understanding herself. Plus, find out which Stevie Wonder deep cut she holds dear and get ready for the release of "Bird's Eye" on August 9th. You won't want to miss this intimate conversation with one of today's most promising talents.
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
Speaker 1:
You would never believe me if I told you.
Speaker 2:
I love seeking the show Seeking Sister Wives. Don't ask.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, the name is crazy. What are you into? Please tell me, you have higher aspirations, right?
Speaker 2:
I just need to watch certain things to make me feel like my life isn't that crazy.
Speaker 1:
Understandable. Actually, it's an escape. It's an escape. Okay, I'm going to check it out. I am, I'm going to check it out. I'm going to check it out. It sounds like a good escape, hey y'all, it's Raven Linnae.
Speaker 2:
My new album, birdseye, is out August 9th. What's up, nyla? We need to talk.
Speaker 1:
What's going on, guys? Nyla Simone here with another episode of we Need to Talk, and today I got a very special guest in the building. I got Raven Lanai here.
Speaker 2:
How are you?
Speaker 1:
I'm good, babe. How are you? I'm good. I'm happy to finally get to meet you. You're beautiful in person. Thank you, and I finally get to ask you this why the color red? What draws you to that color?
Speaker 2:
I can't even tell you. I think when I was younger, I just had a vision of having red hair and it's just stuck with me since I was like 14. So it's been a long time. What, yeah? Yeah, it's been a long time and I just kind of stuck with it, like going through different shades of it. Obviously, yeah, but I don't know something about it, I just connect with At the core.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, Yo, you own that color Thank you. Thank you, but okay, before we get into Bird's Eye, which is dropping soon, let's just talk about you, where you're at right now. How are you feeling before the release of your new baby?
Speaker 2:
We're getting so close. So this week and last week I've just been really sitting in. I don't know the emotions around releasing something and I think it's different for me every time with each album. And with this album I try to at least create some healthier habits around releasing, because I think it's really easy for me to get in my head and like track numbers because that's just where we're at right now. So I've been been better about like making sure I'm, uh, getting with friends the night something's releasing. So I'm like actually in real life, around people. Yeah. So for this release, um, having a party in New York and in LA was something I was like, okay, perfect, I'll be around real people. I'm gonna be like, okay, yay, yeah, it's like real emotion, so I'm not just in a closet scrolling.
Speaker 1:
Yeah no, that's a great idea yeah.
Speaker 2:
So I think this one is gonna feel really it's gonna feel good. I love that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah and honestly, across the board, just from the outside looking in, I feel like you're one of those artists like, if you know, you know you know, you know what I mean. And I kind of I like that. It's like a gem. Everything else feels like you know, cubic zirconia, yeah.
Speaker 2:
This is a gem. Thank you, I appreciate it. Fuck those numbers man.
Speaker 1:
But I would say I did really like the Instagram post that you put up about your dad and like the letter that you wrote, because it really it just gave sincere I mean I feel like it added that much more to the record.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, sorry.
Speaker 1:
OK, one wish yeah, it really added that much more to the record. One wish, and I actually want to read just the first four lines of it. Yeah, I like when people pour their heart out, though, because that's what's relatable. Yeah, but you said one of the most beautiful things about making bird's eye was the amount of reflection that was required to truly tell a story that felt clear and honest. Yeah, I was like oh wow, I love that for you. What made you even? Are you a journaler? You journal all the time sometimes.
Speaker 2:
I fall in and out of it, but I thought with this song and this album, it was just important for me to make sure my voice was in I don't know in the music and in people understanding the context around certain songs or certain themes I touch on, which obviously made a huge difference in how it was even received. So I'm going to do that more. Yeah, but with that song in particular, it's just, it was just a sensitive thing for me and I wanted people to not hear it and be like oh this, this is a cool song, it has a cool vibe, the instrumentation, whatever. I wanted people to truly understand what the words mean and why this song um feels the way it does. So, yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:
It was a touchy one for me it was great what shooting the music video. I thought the video was dope too. I did get a little lost, though, with the storyline. Okay, so I might need you to break it. Love me, not storyline. I fall completely. Love that one too. Love the way that was shot.
Speaker 2:
Love how you ended up dancing with the girls who were dancing like that was well put together, but for this one, I guess, can you just break down what the treatment was yeah, I think one of the major things that is expressed throughout the video is how a breakdown in a parental relationship can affect a lot of other areas in your life, whether it's relationships, romantic relationships with men in particular, or me feeling dizzy or confused about the road I'm on seeking friendships and sisterhood throughout.
Speaker 2:
You know those tough moments, so it just shows how something from the top down can affect you, know, and trickle through all these parts of my life. That's why you kept going back, yeah, and then using the car, um, like I wrote that down like pretty early in the process of um, the car was one of the places me and my dad like had one-on-one time and like actually had moments, um, to connect. So those are like the only moments I really remember where it felt like it was just us. So so using that as a vehicle to kind of tell that story and bring people into Little Raven's brain in a way was really cool to see happen. I've had it in my head for a while.
Speaker 1:
And.
Speaker 2:
Andre brought it to life for me.
Speaker 1:
Love that, love the storyline too, and I, too, spent a lot of time with my dad in the car. Yeah, that is like our, I guess that's maybe it's normal, yeah, but um, and our, our connecting thing in the car was the music. Same was, like you know, kanye West college dropout taking me to school. It's like yep, so yeah. When I saw it I was like damn this, yeah, you know how to trigger emotions out of people.
Speaker 2:
I'm realizing that because even going through the comments and seeing people like really be moved by. It was something like I just didn't expect this type of emotional response and I'm like so happy I decided to share were you not going to. I think I was just nervous about going that real and going that honest in my music. I've never even thought about myself talking about our relationship publicly ever, so that whole idea was new and scary for me.
Speaker 1:
So I'm just so happy, he felt good.
Speaker 2:
Honestly, like I I said, it's opened up a lot of dialogue, hard dialogue, around certain things in the video, certain lyrics that I had to kind of break down for him to understand yeah but I think just public perception is something that is hard for people, for anybody. So, um, just talking through it, it's a day-by-day thing.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, with us yeah, man, it's a day-by-day thing for all of us, we all have these relationship dynamics and we're all human. So, yeah, but I like you showing you're human both of you guys showing exactly it really heals, it really heals. But okay, so let's get into Love Me. Not because this record I had to like, see, like when did this come out? Because it feels like it wasn't even created in this era. Yeah, what does it feel like? It's like a nostalgic, I don't know. It almost gives me like Dolly Parton.
Speaker 1:
It's like you know, it's somewhere, somewhere else, and that's actually something I was going to ask you too, because a lot of your projects pivoting, but a lot of your projects sound different. So like, I guess, when you were creating this one, what was? What were you listening to? Or like is that on purpose, when you switch your sounds? Like what is it? Um?
Speaker 2:
I don't. It's not a thing of like going into a project and saying I'm going to make a country album, I'm going to make a. It's more so feeding, feeding that inner voice of like what I want to hear, like what do I want to hear right now in the world. I'm gonna make that. So, um, I think a lot of my songs and my music fall like between the lines of a lot of different things I listen to. Yeah, so I'm glad to hear, or happy to hear, like what people like take from it, because people take very different things. Like I've gotten like 60s doo-wop from Love Me, not like from people like people just hear different things in music. So I'm always interested to see but like Dolly, that's a new one it gets like it's pop, yeah, but I don't know.
Speaker 1:
I think because it has so much soul, it just doesn't sound like it's from here.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's what. Yeah, I just soul it just doesn't sound like it's. Yeah, yeah, that's what. Yeah, I just love when music hits that like middle of the road type of feel, where it's like I can't put my finger on what this is exactly I literally was like yeah, this is a new record. Yeah, but it still feels it has like a pop sensibility to it, which I thought was just so cool about it.
Speaker 1:
So with this record about like a relationship, because I know you took time to put this together and in the that note you shared yeah you said that you know it's a direct reflection of everything that you have been going through. Yeah, so is this like a fresh relationship or old relationship? Or maybe just like an observer.
Speaker 2:
Third perspective, I think sometimes songs like I have, songs like one wish that feel like completely like like something I've been through and other things are just fun for me to imagine or to talk about. Of course I've been through a situation like I'm singing about it love me not, but I do love this idea of creating characters for certain songs or certain predicaments like that. And approaching like a subject like love that's talked about on every single song in a really kind of juvenile way is something I like to do that's fun.
Speaker 1:
I like it yeah how many characters have you created on this project?
Speaker 2:
um, I mean all of it's me, but I think I tap into like different different parts different layers, yeah, different voices, I love it that's fun.
Speaker 1:
Um, okay, and then let's talk about oh dream girl with ty dolla sign. I actually really like this collaboration between you two.
Speaker 2:
Thank, thank you Sonically very well put together.
Speaker 1:
How did that go? Because I know he's also a producer too. Yeah, what is that session like?
Speaker 2:
So sadly we weren't able to do this in person.
Speaker 1:
Oh boo. Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:
The schedule is just crazy and he's doing a lot right now. Yes, he is, I'm so happy he made the time to do this feature. Um.
Speaker 2:
So when I heard that he wanted to do it, I flipped and I was like I hope he does it, because I think he will add something, just as perspective to the song um, which he did, so I'm super happy with it. Um, and then Dahye's production is just insane. Um, something that I think is similar about us is that we like, like I said, to live in those in-between worlds and like combine them to make something new, I guess. So when I first heard that drum I mean that sorry, that guitar loop, almost like Brazilian, spanish guitar, with the Prince drums underneath I was like what made you do that? Like that should not make sense in any world, but it felt so good.
Speaker 1:
So we kept it, and then I'm just going to get into a few other records. I didn't get to hear these yet, but I'm just curious. The name Bad Idea really strikes a chord.
Speaker 2:
What was? Going on when you wrote that record, I had gotten out of a long-term relationship and I knew I wanted a song on there to kind of wrap up the remaining emotions around it. But I wanted to do it in a really fun and playful way, because I'm not angry about the breakup. I just wanted to approach it in a way that felt kind of like I said, juvenile. Or even the melody on it once you hear it feels like like I'm at recess, okay okay, I like it good for you.
Speaker 1:
How do you, or how long did it take you to put this project together?
Speaker 2:
me and dahi started working on bird's eye about a year and some change ago, so not not really that long considering my track record. So not that long and why bird's eye.
Speaker 2:
Um, I think that phrase came to me because just throughout the songwriting process I found myself really dipping back into my childhood and growing up in Chicago and just these pivotal moments in my life where I started to really pick out these things that made me who I am and my identity. So that's why, you see, love Me, not back on the south side of Chicago and my grandmother's home.
Speaker 1:
I love the way you shot that video. Thank you, yes, thank you, and I love how people are actually in the home.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's all my family, acting as if you're not. It's all my family. I love that, so it was important even just to have that family feel involved with this one. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
That was dope. I like the two women eating. It's like, yeah, I really feel like I was there.
Speaker 2:
I love that, Love that, so wait are you shooting more videos in Chicago like that? Not yet, okay, but it was so fun to do that one and get my family involved and even see people comment like from the neighborhood, like oh my God, it's so cool to see the South Side, you know, portrayed in this way. It feels real man. Yeah, honestly, yes, I haven't been to Chicago.
Speaker 1:
I feel like I would like Chicago, though, just because the people I meet there I end up liking. I feel like you guys are cousins to DMV type people yeah, I do, I agree, I agree with you, but when it comes to just like the sound that's coming out of Chicago, yeah, I feel like you know you're definitely in the lane of your own and it's thank you, what I guess? And now I'm just backtracking completely, but like, how did you find your sound?
Speaker 2:
I think that's something I'm doing every day. Honestly, every session I find something new about what, what I enjoy out of music, um, but I do think growing up in Chicago and being around certain artists um, definitely put me in a certain, uh, I think, section of music and what I enjoyed and what I was inspired by.
Speaker 2:
So being able to meet Saba and no Name and Mick Jenkins Chance you guys are a whole renaissance, yeah so being like kind of the youngest one and seeing um them experience certain things and make like careers out of music was something that was super inspiring for me um and pivotal in me pursuing music period. Yeah, so.
Speaker 1:
I love that yeah and what are some of the artists or like albums that you are listening to? And I'm only asking just so I can, like when I'm getting to know people, or back when I was dating I'm not really dating anymore, but when I was dating, um, I would, when I would go on dates with guys, I would be like yo, what's your top five? And I would judge people. I'd judge them, but it just let me know, like where your head's at, if that makes sense, like if a guy's telling me he listens to Future and fucking Boss man D-Lo all the time, it's like all right, I see where you at, you know. But if you're more into like I don't know, kendrick or something, I think we have a chance.
Speaker 2:
I don't know, but what is like, what are the things that you were listening to if you had to like name five when I was a teenager? Yeah, yeah, um, it was a mixed bag. I remember just like discovering, like J-Paul, like at early high school, like freshman year, so that was something that was cool to me. Um, stereolab I started listening to around the same time Brandy, um, janet, and then I grew up like obviously listening to Soul R&B Denise Williams, diana, beyonce, just go talk.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, just go talk.
Speaker 2:
I like it.
Speaker 1:
I just was curious, because your palette is obviously diverse. But okay, so on, we Need to Talk. We play this game called questions that need answers. Yeah, all you have to do is fill in the blank. Okay, the older I get, the less I Overthink. Ooh, yay, we love that. You would never believe me if I told you.
Speaker 2:
Never believe me if I told you. Never believe if I told you I love the show Seeking Sister Wives.
Speaker 1:
Don't ask. Yeah, the name is crazy. What are you into? Please tell me, you have higher aspirations right, I just need to watch.
Speaker 2:
certain things make me feel like my life isn't that crazy understandable.
Speaker 1:
Actually, it's an escape. It's an escape. Okay, I'm gonna check it out. I am, I'm gonna check it out. It sounds like a good escape. Um, he said the name what the fuck? All right. Um, what I can't believe. I actually blanked when I was younger I can't believe I actually.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I have to think about that let's put a pin, okay?
Speaker 1:
I'm a little embarrassed by the fact that I know so little about.
Speaker 2:
I know so little about cooking mmm, okay Work in progress. I get it.
Speaker 1:
Sometimes I look back at my life and Laugh. Hmm, laughing, that's good. I made a complete fool of myself when I when I Forgot my own lyrics on stage. Oh man.
Speaker 2:
What Actually you got to hit the?
Speaker 1:
the Normani Play it off. Play it off, I like it what did I say, all right, my personality trait is giggly, giggly. Yeah, I can see that. And then the last one I will do is from time to time it's good to do.
Speaker 2:
From time to time it's good to go back home. Love that. How long do you stay when you go? It depends on what I'm doing, but, like the last couple times, it's been like a week at a time, good for you.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I love going home, so it's always a reminder of like, yeah, why you're doing it, 100, what you're doing it for 100 I feel it all right. So, and then also a question I meant to ask earlier too is like with this project, what era would you call yourself in?
Speaker 2:
um, I would say, and discovery wow you still think it's discovery.
Speaker 2:
I think it's gonna be discovery for a long time, honestly. I mean, I'm 25 and I feel there's a lot of career ahead of me, so a lot of learning myself, reinventing. So I think I think it's gonna be. I think life is just a cycle of feeling like you know yourself and then falling out of that and then getting there again and out of it. So, yeah, I think with this album I definitely feel like I'm getting closer to who I am as a woman artist, but still there's so much about me that I'm like ready to unveil yeah, I love it and we're ready for it.
Speaker 1:
Thank you, um. Shout out your instagram. Oh, oh, sorry, um. And then the last thing is what is one record that you're listening to that you feel like is a sleeper and it can honestly be mine. It could be anything, okay.
Speaker 2:
It could be a.
Speaker 1:
Stevie Wonder record. It could be your own record, it could be any record.
Speaker 2:
Since you mentioned Stevie Wonder, he has a song I'm forgetting the name oh, rocket. Rocket, I think, is a sleeper. It's one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs, but it's like a deep cut that I love.
Speaker 1:
I love that I'm listening immediately and then just shout out to Graham and let everybody know who doesn't follow you where they can follow you.
Speaker 2:
You can follow me on everything at Raven LeMay R-A-V-Y-N-L-E-N-A.
