Autumn Rains is a rising underground musical artist whose career trajectory is on the upswing, thanks to her exceptional songwriting, unique vocal style, and soulful delivery. Her impressive body of work includes several acclaimed albums, including "Run2u" and "Safehouse," which have earned her a dedicated fanbase.
Most recently, Autumn Rains released her newest album, "You Know I Can't Stay," which features eight tracks that showcase her artistic growth and emotional depth. The album is a testament to her artistry and ability to craft deeply personal and moving music that resonates with listeners.
The album's standout tracks include "Without You," "Stay," and "Running Away," which highlight her vocal versatility and her ability to convey raw emotions with power and nuance. The production on the album is also noteworthy, with contributions from talented producers such as DV$TPH, Tokiowahl, and Cyclope Beatz, who bring a fresh and innovative approach to Autumn Rains' sound.
Autumn Rains' music has a way of drawing in listeners and creating a connection that is both personal and universal. Her lyrics are relatable, and her voice conveys a sense of vulnerability that invites listeners to share in her experiences. Her ability to capture the complexities of human emotions is what sets her apart and makes her a standout in the underground music scene.
Overall, Autumn Rains is an artist to watch, and her latest album, "You Know I Can't Stay," is a testament to her creative prowess and her commitment to delivering honest and impactful music. She is poised to take the music world and establish herself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
Autmn welcome back to Nefarious Supply. To date this is our third feature with you and we are more than excited to have you back on. To get this interview started give us a brief update on what’s new with you, how was 2022 for you and how has the new year been so far?
Thank you so much for having me back! I appreciate how much Nefarious Supply has supported me since my very first EP a couple years ago now. I went into 2022 with the intention of having music out towards the beginning of the year, however, I experienced some personal setbacks last year which unfortunately delayed my music until the end of the year. When I reflect now, it probably worked out best because I wouldn’t have been able to deliver the music that came out. The new year has started off good I think because I am more open to riding the waves of life now.
Since our last interview, what are some things you’ve learned about yourself, the overall industry, and what is a big goal you have for yourself for 2023?
I’ve learnt that I actually operate better when I take my time and avoid rushing the music processes. I think it’s really easy to get caught up in feeling behind in the music industry because there’s always so much happening. I’ve come to realize that everyone’s timing is different depending on their own path. Sometimes things are just meant to take time and being frustrated only hinders your own progress. For me personally, you can’t help but always feel you aren't doing enough in the industry. I feel I've shifted my mindset in what success looks like to me now. I also learnt to take better care of myself including my physical and mental health. Giving myself permission to take breaks without feeling guilty has helped me with being able to sustain all the things I want to do as this career is a long game. I want to start working on some of my own production this year and I’m looking forward to exploring this, even if I don’t end up producing for myself I think it will expand my creative process either way.
So let’s get into your new project You Know, I Can’t Stay. Walk us through the project including the meaning behind the name, what inspired the overall project, and what was the creative process like putting it together?
With all of my projects I usually try to remain open to what I am being guided to do and what the body of work wants to be named. A lot of the time the projects are about my own life and what I am experiencing. I don’t intentionally plan to do this though it’s almost like the theme comes to me, I make the songs, put the whole thing together and then usually leading up to the release is when I actually feel I go through those situations in my life. It’s hard to experience this but I know it’s needed. It’s like I have to feel the whole thing myself before it’s shared with the world.
With You Know, I Can’t Stay, I remember going on a trip to the snow (which is where I recorded some of the Spotify canvas videos just for random content) and on the way back I was thinking about how sometimes we feel obligated to be in relationships that don’t benefit us and in order to grow sometimes we have to leave even though we don’t want to. I was experiencing this with general relationships in my life lately. And the name “You Know, I Can’t Stay” just felt right. As soon as I wrote it down in that way I knew that was it. I usually structure my projects intentionally to tell a story through the track list order and this one was no different. And so with that theme in mind I decided to start with the intro “Different” to set the scene which shares that the person feels there are underlying issues within the relationship. Though after that it’s almost like we're going back in time as I am now beginning to tell the story where two people are starting their relationship and so “I Just Want You” is the first official record to start the story. “Cartier” is where the good vibes are continuing. With “LA” the person is basically saying they see the potential in the relationship and being vulnerable about this. “Meeting in my Bedroom” is kind of self explanatory. “Last One” is where the arguments are starting to begin and they’re questioning the status of the relationship. “Responsible” is the ultimate end where they’re describing what the other person has been doing to them. As we get towards the end of the project with “Change” as the outro we learn that after everything, although the person wants to stay, they can’t because life is pulling them in another direction. It then loops back around to “Different” seamlessly.
In terms of the creative process, I had been sitting on the second last song “Responsible” for over a year though it was unfinished. I wasn’t sure if I was going to use it initially. Lxndxnave helped me a lot with the writing this time around and there were a few of his random demos that I ended up recording and we built on from there to align with the theme. We were really focused on having all of the beats work seamlessly together production wise, to the point where you don’t know where each song begins and ends. I was initially trying to make songs with a faster BPM to try something different though I felt it wasn’t me so I scratched a lot of them. I think we managed to get a balance of stepping up the craft while keeping it to what people are used to hearing from me.
How was the creative process different for this new album vs Safehouse?
With Safehouse a lot of the records we started, were finished and added to the project. This process was quite different. I recorded a lot more demo’s of full songs that didn’t end up making the project. We were also in a different space during the recording process so I think this was quite challenging because I had to push myself beyond my usual comfort zone. A lot of the demos were scratched as some of the recordings weren’t up to our usual standard because of the environment. I feel like I questioned myself more this time around as I felt some underlying pressure to raise the standard as Safehouse did really well. I didn’t feel as much pressure with Safehouse because I was still getting my name out there and experimenting with the sound. Despite the challenges I am happy with how it ended up coming together.
Who was the production team behind You Know, I Can’t Stay?
Lxndxnave executively produced the project and we had additional production by DV$TPH, Tokiowahl and Cyclope Beatz.
How do you push yourself and evolve as an artist?
I think for me I have always had an innate fire to constantly improve with every project I do. I never want to look back and regret not trying my hardest at this and that's something I think about a lot and it fuels me. Mindset plays a huge role in this, doing the work to block out the negative thoughts and limiting beliefs is what I have to work on consistently. I think artists have such a unique way of viewing the world and so I try to do a lot of different things to broaden my perspective so that I am always growing in the way I write and sing. It’s important for artists to look after themselves because this can impact their ability to create, it requires a lot of focus and energy to do this. So I try to do things I enjoy such as explore different areas often, read books about things I’m interested in that don’t necessarily relate to music, watching random things, working out really challenges my mind and I guess just living life but taking notice of the subtle things around me, letting it inspire me to put into the music. Discipline and dedication to the craft is also super important, there are definitely periods where I am not actively making music though I am still contemplating about it all the time and what I can do next.
So in terms of being an artist how has your experience been so far, and if you could go back in time and give yourself advice from when you first started what would it be?
It’s taken a lot of hard work and I feel very blessed to be where I am. There are definitely ups and downs though I feel I have achieved more than I thought I could so far. I am so thankful to have people who I don’t know, genuinely enjoy the music and can relate to me and my message. It’s surreal at times. I hope I've been able to inspire people who are in places that I used to be mentally. If I could go back in time I would tell myself to stop doubting and that I don’t need anyone to believe in me but myself.
For an R&B artist that is just getting started, what is some advice you would give them?
I would recommend finding someone to team up with for example a producer/engineer who you can build your sound with. You really need someone you trust to be in your corner who sees the vision and can also be honest with you along the way. This journey is extremely difficult, you will have many days where you will want to quit and give it all up. So having a support like that to keep you on track when it gets hard is crucial.
So what’s next for you in 2023, where do you hope to be before the end of this year?
I’ll be starting to work on my next project very soon. I am not sure what it’s going to look like just yet but I’m excited to try out some new sounds and vocal techniques. Hoping to have this one out by the end of the year. I’ve also been coaching new artists with vocal lessons and overall development so that’s an exciting thing I want to continue to do alongside my own music journey.
Shout some people out who should we feature next on NS?
If you’re open to featuring producers! Lxndxnave, DV$TPH, Tokiowahl and Cyclope Beatz.
Any last words?
I really appreciate Nefarious Supply always supporting me and everything I do! The community you guys have created for independent artists is unmatched. I appreciate the opportunity you provide artists to share their story and the creative process behind the art. It's always therapeutic for me to write about my projects in this level of detail.
This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI.