Psyvera’s Ray Ray and Austin Sybouts on California, Alaska, electronic production, creative confidence and spreading the Lovelution.
Psyvera begins with two very different maps. Ray Ray came up in California’s Central Valley, turning funny high-school raps into original lyrics and songs. Austin Sybouts was raised in southern Alaska, where nature, Native Alaskan art and the possibilities of synthesizers pulled him toward piano and electronic production.
Together, those paths meet in a sound that moves through psychedelic pop, R&B and electronic color without losing its human center. In this Exposed Vocals conversation, Psyvera talks about saying yes to opportunity, the confidence required to survive a mistake onstage, the tools inside their evolving studio and the artists they would most want to share a stage with.
The Exclusive Conversation
Inside Psyvera’s Lovelution
Exposed Vocals:Tell us your story. Where did you grow up, and what made you decide to become artists?
I grew up in a small town in California’s Central Valley. I’ve always loved singing, but I really started my artistry in high school when I began writing funny raps for my friends as jokes. From there, I started writing my own lyrics and singing my own songs.
Austin:
I was raised in a small town in southern Alaska, where I became fascinated with nature and traditional Native Alaskan art. In middle school, I began exploring the sonic possibilities of synthesizers and grew interested in music production. From then on, I taught myself piano and how to make trancey electronic music.
Exposed Vocals:What advice would you give smaller or local artists looking for gigs and airplay?
Make as many connections as possible, and say yes to every opportunity. You never know who you’ll meet or where the opportunity might take you.
Exposed Vocals:Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle them?
Of course! Everyone makes mistakes, but that’s what keeps the performance human. People don’t go to see perfection—they want art. If you make a mistake, act like you didn’t, keep your confidence and perform your heart out.
“People don’t go to see perfection—they want art.”
Psyvera
Exposed Vocals:Do you tour?
We haven’t toured yet, but we look forward to spreading the Lovelution.
Exposed Vocals:How is the studio evolving, and what are you working with now?
The studio is constantly evolving. We would love to add new percussion instruments to the studio and our sets, as well as some new synthesizers. We use FL Studio and Logic to produce, Native Instruments and Lexicon plugins for mixing, and Pro Tools for recording.
Exposed Vocals:How do you promote your music? What works best?
Social media. We’re constantly updating our pages, sharing and reposting our music. We’re on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud and Twitter.
Exposed Vocals:If you could perform anywhere with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
I would choose Amy Winehouse, anywhere, because she had so much raw talent. To sing with her beautiful soul would be fascinating.
Austin:
I draw a lot of inspiration from Tame Impala, Manatee Commune and Glass Animals. Performing alongside any of them would be grand.
Exposed Vocals:What’s next?
We’re working on a bunch of projects, with another EP as the main focus. Stay tuned.
Exposed Vocals:If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
I double as a hairstylist, so I imagine I would still be doing hair and hosting fashion shows.
Austin:
I would be creating sci-fi sound effects for games. I love audio as a whole.
Exposed Vocals:What should fans look forward to?
New art, new music, more performances and the We Come in Love merchandise line.
Exposed Vocals:Any shout-outs?
We’d love to shout out Natalia Chippa, aka Gobbles the Goat on Instagram, for her amazing Mother Goddess of Love artwork, and the very talented Azzy Audio for mastering our tracks. Thank you so much!
