RAZ TILLEY

https://if-it-happened-yesterday-its-history.com/2017/05/26/raz-tilley-flying-solo-with-street-smart-sensibility May 26 2017

Raz Tilley might be hard to pigeonhole, but I have to hand it to her, she’s a smart and fiercely independent artist that loves what she does. In recent years, she had begun to carve herself a niche with her distinctive brand of eclectic genre-hopping and genre-bending music. Music, of course, has always been a huge part of her life. From an early age she trained as a classic pianist, played sax in her high school Jazz band and even played drums in an all-girl pop-rock band. As a young woman, she graduated with a degree in both music and drama (adding the guitar to her skill set) to become a very talented multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter. 

I contacted the Brisbane-based singer songwriter early in April (last month) after being caught up by her unique talents, especially her fondness for classic Rock n’ Roll. Though admittedly, it is her determination to persevere in what is a fierce, ruthless independent music industry, which led me to ask Raz if I could interview her. Anyway, without further ado, here are some of the things we talked about. 

A few years ago you recorded a self produced 10 song demo album and more recently you recorded all the songs from the demo with the intention of releasing them as singles over the next couple of years or so. It is a unique approach to releasing music. Can you elaborate why you chose to take this approach? Why not release an EP? 

I mostly chose this approach because the music industry has evolved so much since the turn of the century with the advent of iTunes, You tube, streaming and social media. In the past, a physical copy of your music, such as an EP, was the only way you could get your foot in the door. People would literally be handing physical product to various record labels, radio stations and at gigs in the hope somebody, somewhere, with the right connections, would hear it. Today, people don’t listen to or consume music in the same way. They’ll cherry-pick and choose one song at a time and construct their own playlists. So, with releasing and promoting one song at time, Facebookers, YouTubers, Bloggers and Tastemakers have an opportunity to really hear a single and digest it. Also, the notion of the “album” as a concept is sadly dying. As it was in the past, singles are the way people come to discover an artist. It only takes one banger hit to get a reaction that ripples and creates interest, and if you’re really lucky, an awful lot of money. Just ask Gotye or Lorde. 

Your first three singles My Therapy, Stitches and Mellow Harmony are a nod to your eclectic love for music. Your arrangements are clever, and I particularly liked your Beethoven (tribute) introduction to My Therapy. Though, at the heart of it all, your gorgeous vocals occupy the very centre of the mix. What would you say is your strongest attribute as an artist? 

Thank you so much Robert! I’m impressed and elated that you got the Beethoven reference and enjoyed my use of his Adagio in the opening bars. I’m often influenced by Baroque, Classical and Romantic music as it’s what I have played growing up and through training in traditional repertoire. I think my strongest musical attribute might be my love of these styles, too. Imitation and adaptation is my sincere form of flattery and homage. Using some of the chordal movements and harmonies from that of Mozart or Bach, for instance, is a wonderful starting point for the music I write. My other, non-music related attribute is probably a thick skin. Sadly, the music industry has its fair share of bigots, knockers and mean-spirited individuals who will dislike or even hate artists like myself. I’m difficult to pigeonhole, I don’t belong to any music cliques or ride any particular style bandwagon, I don’t like a lot of modern music, which is mostly crap and won’t stand the test of time, and I’m fiercely independent. 

What can we expect from your next forthcoming release? 

Well, if I told you that, I’d have to kill you, Rob. Only joking! My next original release is Silent Ones, a tripleJ and fan-favourite from my demo album, once described as “a haunting lament imploring us to listen to the deep and observant, but often silent thinkers among us.” Not what you’d call a typical pop song. A bit Leonard Cohenish, perhaps. After Silent Ones, expect some uptempo, fun and lighter-hearted releases, perhaps sometimes with a touch of silliness. Life is too short to be serious all the time! 

What’s on high rotation on your stereo at the moment and why? 

 At the moment, I have a mixed CD in my car that I listen to a lot and it’s got a range of different artists, from The Beach Boys to Metallica. I’m not really one for sticking to any genre. Because I teach music, I have to open myself up to what my students enjoy, so that broadens my horizons. I recently got hooked on the riff for Jax Jones’ You Don’t Know Me and did a classical arrangement for one of my piano students. 

Where do you write and find inspiration for your music? 

Inspiration is everywhere really. Some days it can be the oddest or seemingly insignificant thing that sparks something. I write from what I know and feel, as well as from who and what I observe. There’s nothing better than people watching to get the creative juices flowing. This doesn’t always translate into some literal or obvious meaning, though. One of my songs came to me while watching a favourite TV show and you’d never guess from the song. 

We seem to share the same love for artists like The Beatles, Sheryl Crowe, Missy Higgins and Carol King. Can you name one artist in particular who you love and why? 

Oh wow, that’s a really difficult question. I mean, there’s so many inspiring artists out there who I love and would love to meet, but if you forced me to choose, it would be Neil Finn. 

His career has been so impressive and he’s achieved the heady heights of musical legend and yet he’s so sweet, funny and self-deprecating. I like how he’s always been about the music and his family and that recognition and stardom is just a symptom of his brilliance. I love everything he does, from his songwriting in Split Enz to more mainstream Crowded House and his solo work like Try Whistling This. His voice can soothe me anytime, too. 

I understand you performed a duet with the late, great Wilson Pickett at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in front of 8000 people, when you were only 14 years old. That must have been a great experience. I bet you were nervous? Who else would you be nervous to meet and why? 

 Oh yes! That was one hell of an experience. I mean, Wilson Pickett was a god of Motown! My parents are so wonderful and have always influenced my musical world. I was very privileged when younger that they would often take me to see greats like Wilson Pickett and Ray Charles when they toured. By sheer luck, Wilson Pickett picked me out of the audience and asked me to sing along with him on Midnight Hour. I think I was too in awe of him to be nervous, quite frankly, yet in hindsight I was probably shitting myself. And Ray Charles was listening in the wings. I can say that Ray Charles has actually heard me sing. How cool is that? Nowadays, I don’t think there’d be anyone I’d be nervous to meet. Excited, but not nervous or anxious. 

I’d like to ask you about Crowdfunding. It seems to be an advantageous way that allows artists to directly connect and engage with their fans. Are Indie artists like yourself heading more and more in that direction out of necessity or is it about giving something back to the fans too? 

Thank you for using Indie in its correct and original form to mean independent. I’m a proudly independent musician. Crowdfunding is a fairly recent phenomenon sparked from the internet and how music is delivered and received. To produce a song along with a video to go with the music takes a long time, dog-eared persistence and money. If people enjoy your work and become fans, then they’re often more than happy to donate to your music video or recording. I’m overwhelmed with my fans generosity, encouragement and willingness to help a sister out! Of course I want to give back to my fans and followers and it annoys me when some artists don’t. Do they not realise that, without fans, they’d be musically irrelevant, going nowhere and confined to their bedrooms making music that no-one will hear. 

What is your motto or advice you live by? 

Be appreciative to everyone for anything and everything they do for you. The love and support of family and friends are the most important things in life. Always strive to do your best. But have fun and have a laugh along the way. 

Any last words Raz? 

Stay tuned, I’m not going away, well, not quietly, anyway. 

A huge thank you to Raz Tilley for her time and contribution. You can connect with Raz via her Facebook Page or Twitter. You can also visit or contact Raz via her website, where you can also help crowdfund one of her next upcoming music videos.

http://www.elliedofficial.com/musicnews September 14 2016

Where did your musical journey begin?

My musical journey began in utero with my mum playing classical music to me through headphones placed on her belly as I frolicked in the womb. I guess you could say I’ve never been without music. But in more practical terms, from what I can remember, my musical journey began at about 8-years old when my dad arranged for me to have my first piano lessons. Like most children, I was slightly reluctant to practice and saw it more as a chore than a pleasure, but as I grew up a little, I started to see results and the value in practice. From then on, I loved music and wanted to learn more instruments, such as the saxophone, which I started in grade 5 and continue to play to this day. During my childhood I was very lucky that my parents had, in my opinion, great taste in music and exposed me to music a lot of my peers never heard. So, as a child, I was familiar with Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks, Beach Boys,Talking Heads and many others. Furthermore, my dad would often wind down after a long day at work by playing some guitar and practising scales, so music was always around me in some shape or form. I have my parents and music teachers to really thank for supporting and signposting my musical journey.

What do you hope to achieve through your music?

I think music is a deeply personal art and you have to make it your own and tailor it to you as an artist. I hope to achieve an original sound that shows my development through life and how individual experiences changes and moulds you. If you stagnate or stay in a musical rut, people of only a certain age will identify with you and your music and it’s harder to grow as a musician and reach different audiences. Additionally, like most musicians, I dream of making a living from my music. Only a lucky few ever realise this dream. I’d love to tour with my music but, if that’s not to be, I still intend to keep performing for the rest of my life. Even if no one else is listening, I can go to a magical place while sitting and playing at my piano.

How do you define success in the music industry?

Success is a hard concept to define in any calling. Music is one of the most moving and emotional art forms. It can take you back to a specific time and place; it can make you laugh and cry; it can raise your spirits and stir your imagination; it can be the soundtrack to our lives. Imagine a wedding or any celebration or any social and community event without music. I can’t. For me, then, I see success in terms of reaching out and connecting with as many people as possible and having them feel or experience or imagine something special or memorable through my music. To have someone say that your music has touched or changed their lives is perhaps the highest honour and achievement. At another level, success is making music that stands the test of time, that span generations. At a more mundane level, success would be to make a full-time living from my music.

What’s your proudest career moment to date?

My proudest career moment would be hard to say, but I have two in mind. One was the completion of my first album and seeing my loved ones’ faces light up when they heard it in full. The other would be receiving a lovely message from the wonderful and inspiring Missy Higgins. I had done a cover of her hit, Scar, and she took the time to both congratulate me and commend my cover version. That was a real honour and privilege. Singing a duet with Wilson Pickett in front of 8000 people and meeting Neil Finn and Roger Daltrey were quite an honour and privilege too.

As an artist, what’s on your musical bucket list?

I suppose I’ve always fantasised about playing famous venues around the world, such as The Filmore in San Francisco, Troubadour in LA or Carnegie Hall in New York. But, coming down to Earth, I’d settle for one day playing to a full house at my home town’s Tivoli theatre, that is, if it hasn’t been knocked down.

I love learning new things and I’ve come to enjoy a challenge as I’ve grown older, so I’d really love to have my music take me around the world.

I’d like to work with other musicians who I admire, such as Neil Finn. There’s nothing quite like working with talented and exceptional people to improve yourself.

I teach music, so continuing to see my students progress and excel and develop a love of music is one item on the list I’d like to say I can already tick off.

What words of wisdom do you have for upcoming music artists?

Cherish and thank and communicate with the people who love you, who stand by you, who believe in you and support you, who come to see you play or who take the time to say hello or tell you their stories (My debut single, My Therapy, is actually a friend’s story.)

Avoid celebrity culture and all it’s mindless trappings. Aspire to be a celebrated musician, not a celebrity.

Develop a thick skin and ignore the haters and back-biting, bitch trolls. They’re typically pathetic losers, consumed by jealously and envy, who are venting and deflecting their anger and frustration over their own shallow and unfulfilling lives. They’ll often hurl insults at your music when really they just don’t like the way you look. I’ve even had local musicians and people in the local music industry, people whom I’ve never met and who have never been to see me perform, denigrating or maligning me because of my looks or because I heavily promote myself on social media or because I don’t belong (and certainly don’t want to belong) to their pretentious cliques or frequent their “indie” cubby houses.

I don’t know about other places in the world, but I’ve found that, in parts of Australia, there isn’t much love and support for live original music. Original music venues are few and far between and their patronage low compared to the cover music scene. So, original artists should try putting on events like house gigs, perhaps with live streaming, and share their music and heavily promote themselves on the internet. No one will visit you and get to know you and your music unless they know that you’re there.

Work like shit at your craft. Practice, practice, practice. Like all great musicians, Jimi Hendrix was a brilliant guitarist because he honed his prodigious natural talent with thousands of hours of practice.

Become music literate. To aid communication and work with other musicians across different genres, it’s always an advantage if you can sight-read notated music and know your music theory. And it can open doors that may otherwise remain closed.

February 12 by intravuze