Q&A: Country rocker Nicole Rayy on her inspiration for the “Guilty” music video, community building, and more
Nicole Rayy’s latest single “Guilty” is a spicy, country-rock bop.
There are Canadian country singers that put on a solid live show, and then there are others that set the stage ablaze. Country rocker Nicole Rayy is the latter, and if you've had the opportunity to see her with a full band, you'll agree that the Ontario-born talent is beyond captivating.
With many CMAO Award nominations under her belt (including two current nominations for the impending 2024 Awards this June), millions of streams, multiple albums and EPs, her own songwriters series, and her own music festival HarmoniaFest, this driven woman is as adept behind-the-scenes as she is at performing live.
TL;DR - Nicole Rayy is not one to rest on her laurels!
Seeing as the music video for her latest single "Guilty" just hit over 50,000 views on YouTube (no easy feat these days), we thought we had better put Rayy in the hot seat to chat about what drive her creativitiy, the importance for fostering community amoung independent musicians, and more.
The “Guilty” music video is sexy, spicy, and moody. How did you come up with the idea for the video?
I had a very specific vision for it. I wanted the vibe to be similar to the “Cell Block Tango” scene from Chicago and Roadhouse Productions made it happen!
This shoot was the first time I had the chance to work with a group of professional dancers on set. The experience of watching people bring my song to life through dance was so surreal. Our choreographer Jordan Lenz did a perfect job to give the video a mix of originality and that 1920s-feel of Chicago.
The dancers brought so much female power to it which really helps give it that sexy and empowering feel. This is definitely is my spiciest video yet and I hope people love it as much as I do!
Musical style is a culmination of personal interests and influences from the world around you. What's something non-musical that has helped to shape you into the artist you are today?
A lot of my music is inspired by my relationships, and those relationships have all shaped me into the person and the artist I am today. Especially the ones that have been hardest or hurt me. I think early on in life I let those people who hurt me defeat me, but now those are the relationships that inspire me to be a better person and a better writer.
How many songs do you write a year versus how many get released?
It depends on the year. In the last few years, and especially during the pandemic, I wrote a lot! Last year I wrote close to 100 songs, but I only released a few.
It's hard to find the balance of sounding "radio-friendly" and being unique in country music. Where do you think you land on that scale?
I think with each single I release I start to feel more empowered to make the music I want to make. I have definitely stopped trying to follow “the rules” so closely.
For example, with my single “Graveyard” I didn’t think about radio at all when I recorded that song. It’s not a song that would appeal to country radio, but I knew it was a special song that felt so much like me and I wanted to record it for me.
You and your friend/frequent collaborator Sam Davs have coined the term “witch country”. Can you explain that in a nutshell?
It’s our own little sub-genre of country music which, to us, really just incorporates our love of all things spooky, witchy and magical with country-style songwriting. Also referred to as "Spookytonk", it is a unique niche in country music that hasn’t really been at the forefront of the genre before, and it allows for the opportunity to tell a story with darker imagery.
Sam and I have taken this love of the sub-genre and channelled it into our new podcast too! Ghouls Country Club gives fellow spooky season lovers the opportunity to talk about their music and share their experiences with the paranormal.
Nicole Rayy and Mackenize Leigh Meyer.
Community building is the foundation of both your All Woman Music series and your annual HarmoniaFest. How have you seen other artists interact or work together after being part of one of your shows?
I certainly cannot take credit for it, but since starting the All Woman Music event series, I have seen a lot of community-building happening here in Ontario. There really is a lot of genuine collaboration between independent artists, whether that be writing or recording songs together.
I see a lot more all-female shows or just women in the country music scene hanging outside of music-related events and really supporting one another. I think that’s really important.
When I was younger, I used to always feel this barrier with women in the music industry. You know, the idea that we all knew we had to fight to get to the top, so we were afraid to be friends, but I see that mentality crumbling down.
You love Winnipeg and we do too! What’s something special about the city that keeps you coming back again and again?
The music community in Manitoba is just so amazing! Maybe because it is a smaller community than in Ontario, but all the artists and musicians there have this very special way of supporting each other. They have also always been so welcoming of me, and that is why I love going back again and again because I feel true community spirit in Winnipeg.
From the artists to the musicians to the industry folks, every time I am there it really does feel like I am one of the family.
In honour of your most recent album Now and Then and the title track—that always makes us reminisce about our exes—Who do you think the following celebs would think of when hearing “Now and Then”?
Jake Gyllenhall - I would have to say, Taylor Swift. Although hopefully, he has become the better man that “Now & Then” wishes for!
Ariana Grande - I know nothing about Ariana’s love life, actually! Ha, ha! Who are her exes?!
Miranda Lambert - Blake Shelton, for sure. Presumably, he is a better partner for Gwen Stefani than he was for her.
Brad Pitt - Jennifer Anniston! Hopefully, he is listening and wishing her a happy future with someone else.
For future updates on Nicole Rayy, from new music to live shows, HarmoniaFest and more, follow her on Instagram: @nicolerayymusic.
