Think the love child of Ben Howard and Dua Lipa: if that’s the answer to all your dreams come true, then look no further than Bristol-born artist, RVBY. Master of angelically soothing vocals that transport you to a countryside landscape far away, her country roots are interluded with pop-infused melodies that take you to an electronic soundtrack straight out of today’s charts.
New kid on the block, the 21-year-old artist’s footings into the industry are as organic and wholesome as the tracks she creates. As a student in college, RVBY threw away her football boots and swapped them for guitar strings – ready to take on the charts with her electronic-come-country sound. It was a bold move: the youngster already had a professional career on the pitch well underway, but it was one that paid off.
In fact, it didn’t take long at all for RVBY’s professional career to flourish at. In just her second year of college, she scored a hattrick when she was scouted by a label as she took to the stage at a local venue – and she’s never looked back since. With her songs attracting the attention of music fans across the globe as quickly as the name of her single, ‘Wildfire’, Student Pages caught up with RVBY to find out what lies ahead.
Given her already extensive catalogue of skills as a footballer-come-musician, you’d be forgiven for thinking her talents end there. In reality, her capabilities are limitless… and you don’t have to look further her latest music video to find out why. With an eye for design and a knack for getting crafty, RVBY self-animated ‘Wildfire’s visual accompaniment using stop-start motion – and the end result is simply breath-taking. Nostalgic melodies flow in time with a dreamy pastel world you could’ve sworn you’ve already visited, resulting in a heart-felt production that fuses the traditional with the modern.
But what was the inspiration for the track? Well, RVBY professes that it’s about being in that very moment. “It’s hard to describe but I think people will understand better when my single comes out in May,” she explains. “I’ve grown up influenced by artists like Fleetwood Mac, Cyndi Lauper and all the kings and queens of pop from the ‘80s, but I’ve also got a love for Country music which is where I started out.”
In the end, the young singer-songwriter became influenced by so many different artists that she outgrew her Country scene and masterfully crafted a new genre that speaks louder, more vibrant and is more reflective of her. “I started becoming influenced by so many different artists and suddenly felt a sense of freedom from what had felt like a bit of a creative cage,” she says. It all started with an investment in a pog pedal for her guitar – and the rest is history.
More than anything, though, her creations are born from a desire to share in the moment. To connect with others in that very second and transform them to another place. It’s a pretty handy tool in today’s quarantine climate – and one RVBY is looking to utilise to make sure nobody out there feels solitude in isolation. “I just want people to feel what I feel when they hear my songs and then realise they’re not alone,” she says. “Then I want them to dance it out.”
With her new single ‘Red Light’ set to drop soon, the Bristol-born artist is planning on helping you switch the quarantine blues for dancing shoes – and when you hear her latest track, we don’t think you’ll need much convincing. “Now we’re in lockdown I wanted to think of a way I could bring people together and create something wicked.”
If the news of more weeks of isolation has left you feeling deflated – keep your eyes peeled for RVBY’s latest track, and get ready to move.
Author: Gabriella Wieland
Gabriella Wieland is a writer and English Literature graduate. She spends most of her time trying to keep her mini-poppadom obsession at bay and finding adventures of the ‘free’ variety. Residing in Manchester, she also spends much of her time liaising with scientists to find a geographical cure for eternally-grey skies and Vitamin D deficiency.
