Raye - Hotbox

Hailing from South London, more specifically Croydon, emerging newcomer RAYE (real name: Rachel Keen) has today announced details regarding the release of her forthcoming debut EP Welcome To The Winter, along with the unveiling of her new song entitled "Hotbox".The EP, which will see its release this coming November, was recorded, written, and co-produced by Raye over the past 18 months, and stands as the first full body of work to come from the exciting young artist.

At only 17 years of age, you would be forgiven for thinking this all might be something throwaway. But Raye is something of an anomaly for a person of her tender age, and is showing early signs of incomparable potential. Brought up in a musical family - her parents met at church - both of them musicians in the parish, her musical heritage goes right back to her Grandfather, who was a songwriter and musician in his own right. Since the age of 10, she's been writing her own music, slowly developing all the time to become the artist she is today. Along the way, Raye has become confidently adept at various different instruments including the cello, flute, and piano, alongside honing her production skills, while also learning the play the guitar.

Music has always been a huge part of Raye's life. Brought up on the classic soul/jazz maestros of the 40's and 50's like Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole etc - this is where her love for songwriting and melody began. Since then her influences, have aligned with the times, citing Drake, and her all time hero Lauryn Hill as huge sources of inspiration.

Welcome To The Winter features 7 tracks, all of which document the thoughts and trivialities of a young adult's life. "Hotbox", written at the age of 15, specifically details an experience Raye personally had. Finding herself on the top deck of a Croydon night bus, she was greeted by a group of 20-somethings who decided it would be socially acceptable to light up a joint, and "hotbox" the top deck. Raye recalls this experience as a moment of realisation, that people at this young age like herself, have to passively inhale a lot of crap, whether they like it or not.

The title track and EP as a whole, revolve around the idea that this time in her life and career is pivotal. Up until now, it's all been sunshine, summer holidays and ice creams, little-to-no worries, few expectations, and limited responsibilities. But now, Raye is having to grow up fast to keep up with her own talent. "When you get to a certain age, everything quickly begins to get very real and cold," she explains. It's time for Raye to throw on that thick winter coat, and dive into the unknown, to be vulnerable, and to immerse herself into the potentially scary world of mass popularity, and equally scary world of critical evaluation.

Raye's subtle take on warm, electronic-infused R&B is one that instantly captivates listeners. Carefully drawing inspiration from a finely tuned set of musical eras, genres, and artists; rarely is it the case that a songwriter and performer at such a young age is capable of delivering such well-rounded, exciting and impressive music. The world is at Raye's feet, and you'd be hard pushed to say she isn't capable of delivering the goods.

Raye's Welcome To The Winter EP will be released as a free download this November, but in the meantime, you can stream "Hotbox", as well as her previous track "Need Me" below.




Premiere via Hillydilly.

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