Exposed Vocals Interviews Adri-Anne Ralph
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I grew up in the small, beautiful town of Victoria, on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast. I was exposed to lots of different styles of music as a kid, and naturally gravitated towards R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel and Motown. I think I was a bit of an oddity at that time, because none of my friends like the same music as I did! Of course, it was the Pacific Northwest at the time of Nirvana, right in the middle of the grunge movement… So there were really no venues for me to perform the kind of music I loved. The only place where I could sing anything close to R&B was a little jazz club called Hermann’s Jazz Cellar. I was too young to get in by myself, so I made my dad take me in the evenings for the Jazz jam sessions. Because I was singing there so often, I started to listen to and learn any vocal jazz I could find to expand my repertoire. This started a life-long love affair with Jazz. I still sing it whenever I can.
I used to want to be a ballet dancer, but at about age 14, I realized that wasn’t going to happen because of my body type. So I re-oriented myself and decided that I wanted to be a singer instead. At that time, it was difficult to legally record other people’s songs, so I started writing my own to be able to perform and record them.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Adri-Anne Ralph : It’s my maiden name. Through the years, I tried on many aliases, including Adri-Anne R. But in the end, I decided to just stick with the name I was given.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I have a love-hate relationship with online music sharing. I like it for incentive/promotion or for a giveaway to loyal fans. I think streaming, at this point, is essentially giving music away for free because the streaming services don’t fairly compensate artists for plays. I also like to provide people who curate podcasts via places like Music Alley with my music, since it’s put together by fans of music so artists are played based on value to the caster, not based on how much of a promotions budget they have.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Just get out there and play. Perform at every opportunity, and then go home and watch videos, take songwriting classes, take music classes, and get better at your craft. Be unique and don’t try to copy or emulate what’s already out there. One thing I’ve noticed is that if you’re really good, if you’re unique and genuine,and if you’re constantly performing and putting out music, people sit up and take notice. Then opportunities start to build on opportunities and you start to build a buzz that people pay attention to.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Haha yes! Not as often anymore, but I think anyone who has done a decent amount of performing has. As a kid I took lots of music and dance lessons, and what they always told us was, “If you make a mistake, just keep going! If you just keep going as if it never happened, no one will probably notice the mistake.” Either that, or they will notice it for a second, but as you continue to perform, they will forget all about it. On the other hand, if you stop and freak out about it, they will definitely notice, and then you’ve ruined your performing experience, and the audience’s experience as well, because that will be the main thing they remember.
One time that really stands out was when I was performing a song in Venezuela in Spanish— I can understand Spanish and speak a little of it because of my time as in missions in Venezuela, but there’s no way I can come up with Spanish song lyrics on the spot. I was singing in Spanish and playing the piano, and my sheet music/lyrics just blew off my stand! So I just had to improvise and riff on the Spanish words that I knew were in the song until someone brought my charts back! Afterwards I asked the band, and they said they hadn’t even noticed.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I have toured before when I was in pop/gospel group 100% Cotton with some other girls my age. Recently I haven’t had the time or the resources at the same time to tour again. The main thing I remember about touring was that it was really fun. We couch surfed, barely slept, laughed, goofed off, and then got to do what we loved— sing! One thing I’ll never forget was my sister (who was also a singer in the group) zipping herself into a keyboard case. #rockstarlife hehe.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I always tend to start with either a phrase that contains a complete concept, or an instrumental groove. If I start with the words, things usually come together really fast, because for some reason I get a melody as I write my lyrics. Starting with a groove is easier for me to come up with a melody, but then it can be harder to come up with good and cohesive lyrics because there are meter, length, and rhythmic constraints already in the groove.
I love trying to take a phrase or cliche and trying to write a song around it where the message of the song is unexpected or not what you’d usually think of when using that phrase. When I’m deep in the middle of writing a song, it’s like my brain is on overdrive— It’s always working on the song or the lyrics, even when I’m shopping, reading, working out, or cooking. I even wake up in the middle of the night and try to work out a melody, or a rhyme or lyric. Then once I finish the song I need like 2 or three days of doing mindless stuff like TV or hanging out with friends to give my brain time to rest and recharge.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Adri-Anne Ralph: My official website is at www.AdrianneSoundsLike.com . I use any outlet I can find. I’m on Music Alley for podcasters. I’m on Soundcloud, Facebook, MySpace (just because), Reverbnation, CBC Radio Website, YouTube, Spotify, SonicBids. As many as I can. Plus, I’ve signed on with CD Baby for digital distribution.
On of my songs was featured on BoomboxFM, a service that finds the best new music out there and delivers it to subscribers weekly. My entire “How Long” album is published by Love & Laughter Music Group for Sync (film & TV licensing), so they are helping push those songs for film and TV. And a digital record label picked up my single “Nothing Left to Say” for inclusion on one of their Best of Indie Music compilations, which they distributed. So there are many avenues right now.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Honestly, I’m not embarrassed of any of the songs I own! I buy music I love, and I’m not ashamed of it! But if I had to pick a band that people might make fun of me for listening to? Umm… Maybe NSync? I don’t know. I am pretty unashamed of my love of Pop, especially from my teens and early 20’s. I also have a lot of random songs on there that I’ve downloaded to listen to for my vocal students. Like “All My Exes Live in Texas.”
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Oh man… Buy a better recording system– by that I mean, replace our computer that’s on it’s last legs already! Buy some better recording microphones. Soundproofing. Definitely invest in a good motorhome. Write and record the quickest album I could, and put together a band for a couple months of touring up and down the West Coast (in our good motorhome).
I’m not gonna lie— I might buy some cute clothes with it too.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Nothing planned right now. We have a desktop with lots of extra storage, an Akaii controller keyboard, ProTools and Reason. A limiter, a microphone shield, and a couple of mid-range vocal mics.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Adri-Anne Ralph: The best way I’ve found is to be playing out where the people are. Radio and even social media is so crowded with people promoting themselves that it’s hard for music lovers to even sift through all of it. But people who are getting coffee, eating at a restaurant, browsing at a market, when they hear a good artist, will stop and find out who it is, and even buy a download card or CD. That’s also the best way I’ve found good gigs. People who booked or who knew of booking opportunities heard and invited me.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I’ve always loved The Roots. Anywhere with The Roots. Also love Hanson. Anywhere with Hanson.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I’m finishing up the art and arranging release details for a single I wrote last year called “Give Up So Easy”. It was written during a 6 week challenge with the Songwriters Association of Canada during their annual challenge, and it’s always just stood out to me and whoever has heard it. I put money into having it professionally produced, mixed and mastered, and I’m really excited about it. It’s very soulful and very current. Keep your ears open!
Currently I’m in the writing phase for a new album that will be Christian R&B, in the vein of Mali Music or B. Reith, whose music I love.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Adri-Anne Ralph: I’d be an artist or a fashion designer. I still do find time to draw, paint, and sew things when I’m not working on music. In fact, sewing is a great meditative activity to help my brain work out songs.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Adri-Anne Ralph: Yes! The first albums I bought (at the same time) were Deborah Cox’s debut, and the Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack. Which again, ties back into my musical influences as a kid and teenager!
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Adri-Anne Ralph: It’s very difficult. I have a 15 month old son, and for the first year or so after having him, I just had to put music on the back burner. Kids take a lot of your time and energy, and they are also the most worthwhile thing I will ever do, so they deserve to be a priority. However, he’s getting more and more independent, leaving me more time to write and do music. So it’s such a treat to be getting back into writing and singing again!
In the past I’ve also traded voice lessons for things like help with social media assistance. So for a while I had a vocal student have a free lesson, and then she would spend a couple hours arranging and queuing Twitter/Facebook posts for me and replying to some of the inquiries I received. It really helped me keep on top of all the activity and keep my pages full of new content.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Adri-Anne Ralph: More music! More YouTube videos and more recordings. And definitely music that has a clear and positive message.
