After spending the last few years building and cultivating his sound, emerging newcomer Raphael is now ready to introduce himself to the wider world with his impactful debut single 'Faith'.
Channelling a wonderfully broad and atmospheric pop production for his initial outing, 'Faith' makes for a rousing introduction to his spellbinding direction so far. With its fresh and euphoric aesthetics perfectly elevating his soaring vocal performance throughout, he is definitely one worth keeping a firm eye on for the months ahead as well.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I have two loves, the piano and the violin. And, it’s ok to have a lot of love.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I loved The Carpenters when I was younger and I was fascinated with their harmonies. I think you can hear their influence in my vocal arrangements. I love recording harmonies. ABBA was also on the stereo a lot when I was growing up and they taught me how to tell a story in a three minute song. I also learnt a lot from Sting and how he structured songs.
What was the first album you remember owning?
A Stock, Aitken & Waterman compilation, I remember it was on repeat for a while. Those were great pop songs beautifully crafted and I believe they stand the test of time. Any one of those songs would sound great as an acoustic twenty years later. Proud to be a fan.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Bohemian Rhapsody is one of my all time faves. It would be disrespectful to say I wish I wrote it for myself, such a classic masterpiece, but I can relate to that song like it could be one of mine. Say A Little Prayer by Burt Bacharach equally holds a similar space.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I write a lot of my songs when I am walking to and from work. It feels inspired to not have to sit down unnaturally to write a song. Let it be is my ritual. Some songs need years to be ready for recording while others write themselves in a few minutes.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
At the moment I listen to Adele and Ed Sheeran. They write good songs.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would be happy to do a smaller show for myself and I would prefer that over opening a show for an established artist with a big audience. Every artist has their own message.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The most rewarding part of being a musician is the ability to put your experiences into song form. When you listen back to a recording, you can hear how you felt and what you experienced. There is also the language of music which paints the mood. It’s a gift.
And what is the most frustrating part?
One of the more frustrating parts for a musician nowadays I feel is finding ways to promote your music on social media for it be heard. It’s not a musical process. As a musician your gift is putting your life experiences in song form. Musicians want to make music and share it as a gift with the world and for the listener to make it their own, it feels like we have fulfilled a purpose when that happens. It’s a different process cutting up your song into 30sec clips and adding random images to a butchered song, turning it into memes for it to be heard. But like anything, you have to do a little of what you don’t love sometimes for a greater cause. So long as you stay true…
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Be yourself. If you are not The Beatles, don’t try to emulate their sound. When people listen to you, be Raphael. If they wanted The Beatles, they would listen to The Beatles. It struck a chord that advice and I took it on board and it stayed with me. So much so, when I am writing and recording, I go on a music fast. I listen to nothing except the song I am recording so it sounds like me. I like to think I sound like me.
-
Raphael's debut single 'Faith' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.