Lexxi Raine Fun While It Lasted Interview

Interview with Lexxi Raine

Question: Can you tell us about Fun While It Lasted?

Lexxi Raine: Women in music are often made fun of for writing too many love songs or claimed to only be capable of writing songs about guys. That's definitely not true, but I took those stereotypes and ran with it. FWIL is a concept album all about love and its many different facets. There are so many different ways to love someone and the beginning of every relationship has a reason, whether it stemmed from hope, desperation, excitement, jealousy, or a myriad of others. Sometimes there's not even a relationship involved and we decide to love ourselves instead. Love can end in the blink of an eye, making you question why it even started. The most important thing to remember is that everything in life, especially love, is fun while it lasted.


Question: How would you describe your music?

Lexxi Raine: I didn't know how to answer that question for years and that's never a good way to catch someone's interest. It finally hit me after writing my latest album that my music sounds as if Avril Lavigne wrote Taylor Swift's love songs. The lyrics I write could probably fit well in any one of Swift's songs, but each have a pop-punk twist that gives it an edge and feels like it could have been played with the other women fronted bands of the 80s. I always say I was born in the wrong decade!


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Lexxi Raine: I definitely like performing live better. I play off the audience's vibe (which isn't great at a coffee shop with three people). When they're enjoying my music, I enjoy it more, too. I feel like I can express the emotion I felt when writing that song a lot better.


Question: What's the story behind What The Lonely People Do?

Lexxi Raine: Rebounds aren't always a great idea. It's not fair to the person you're using to get over somebody else but, hey, we're all guilty of this. "Using" somebody in this case doesn't have to mean physically, either. Getting the attention from someone you don't really have feelings for online, in person, or over texting can all be lumped into the category of not being a good person. "What The Lonely People Do" is about this emotion. I had a relationship end unexpectedly and I was searching for anyone to fill the void and give me attention so I didn't feel so low. "WTLPD" assumes that the guy knows he's being used but is okay with it because he hopes that sooner or later, she will realise that she has true feelings for him and a true relationship could be the outcome. The song ends in a cliffhanger so who knows how the story ended?


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Lexxi Raine: Everyday life. The most random thought or tiniest incident can inspire a full song. I was in London this fall and I saw a cute guy in the audience. I had never met him before and didn't get a chance to talk to him but sure enough, he got a song written about him called "Mr. John Doe" and he'll never know. The people I surround myself with are huge inspirations when writing music. If you're in my life, you'll probably get a song written about you one day. You just have to make sure it's a good one!

Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Lexxi Raine: My top played artists at the moment are Keaton Henson, Camilla Cebello, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots, and All Time Low.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Lexxi Raine: Avril! My earliest memory of "performing" is singing her debut album "Let Go" wearing my Burger King headset into my Barbie camcorder. I thought she was the coolest person on the planet and before her, I didn't realise girls could rock out on a guitar and wear punk clothing. She inspired me to write music and express yourself any way you wanted.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Lexxi Raine: Again, Avril. If I had to choose a different person, it would be Brendon Urie from Panic! At the Disco. I've loved his music for almost as long as Avril. I'm fascinated by how much his music has changed throughout every album over the years and I think I could really learn a lot from him and become a better artist.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Lexxi Raine: I recently came back from a tour in the UK so at the moment I am a full-time musician trying to hit it big. I wake up every morning and get on my laptop. I spend up to 14 hours a day submitting my EPK to record labels, bloggers, and searching for local venues to play. A lot of people don't understand how much work actually goes into making a name for yourself. Every evening I head to band practice, the recording studio, or a 3-4 hour gig. It's never a dull or relaxing day for me!


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?
Lexxi Raine: My favorite part is definitely not the amount of money or security that comes with it. More than anything, I love when people come up to me after a show and tell me how much they liked a song I wrote. Even people commenting on a video I put on YouTube and saying that my song made them feel something makes me want to keep going. I get so happy when someone tells me they could relate to the lyrics or something I said helped them in their daily life. Making a difference is the most rewarding part of writing music. Being a musician is a hard to career and breaking into the business is even harder, but I could never forgive myself if I stopped.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Lexxi Raine: Facebook
Twitter 
@lexxiraine/
http://lexxiraine.com/
Soundcloud
Spotify
iTunes


Interview by Brooke Hunter