Rella
Interview conducted April 09, 2021
By Dan Locke
Rella is a natural-born storyteller. The daughter of a bass player, Rella is a child of the Nashville music scene, attending the same high school as Taylor Swift. After having her heartbroken at the start of her 20s, Rella took solace in songwriting and released her first single in 2019. Over a bed of lush guitars and harmonies, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter spins tales of unrequited love, loss, and personal growth. Rella approaches indie-pop through a country lens, drawing inspiration from songwriters like Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Lorde. In 2020, Rella contributed three songs for the soundtrack of “The Last Christmas Party” on Amazon Prime Video. Her new single “Maryland” is the latest chapter in her storybook
What is your upbringing?
I was raised in the suburbs of Nashville where almost everyone I knew had at least one parent that moved to Nashville to become a musician so I was always surrounded by music. Growing up I was obsessed with Hannah Montana and I remember putting on Hannah Montana concerts on my trampoline for no one.
How did you discover music?
My dad is a bass player so he was definitely my first introduction to music, but I quickly branched out to discover my own music when I started listening to Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, who by the way were my first concert.
How did you start to write music?
I was constantly singing as a child so I just naturally started singing stuff that I had made up. But I taught myself to play guitar at 15 so by that point I was starting to write actual songs that had chords that I could perform.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
My dad gave me my first guitar, and no I don’t still have it 🙁
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make, and model? And does it have a name?
I just bought a Copley CA7E acoustic-electric, which I love because it’s a Nashville brand and it’s made of solid wood. Her name is Bonnie after Bonnie Raitt. But my dream guitar is a Taylor!
Why did you pick your grandmothers’ name as your stage name?
It’s actually my great-great grandmother’s name, and I picked it because my given name is so common and I wanted to pick a name that’s meaningful and pays homage to my family.
Describe your music.
Sad indie-pop songs with a country twist.
What was your first performance like?
I’ve been performing my whole life so I don’t remember what my first performance was! It was probably at a Christmas program at church or something. But my first performance as a singer-songwriter was at Historic Rock Castle in my hometown where they feature local songwriters and it was really fun!
Did you perform at the West End Cabaret Theatre?
Yes!
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Yes, I am registered with ASCAP.
What makes a good songwriter?
I think it takes someone with imagination to fill in the gaps between reality and the fantasy story a song tells.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I’ve been writing songs since I was 5, so I don’t remember. But the first song I wrote on guitar was called “Run Away With Me” and no I didn’t record it, but I still remember all the words so maybe I will one day!
Tell me about your first single “Intervention”?
I wrote that song after getting my heart absolutely smashed by someone that I had a really complicated relationship with, who started dating someone else while I was still going back and forth about being in love with them. When I found out they had a girlfriend, I was like, I feel like I’m crazy for still being in love with this person, and I was so terrified of running into them because they lived right next to my university.
In 2020 you contributed 3 songs to the soundtrack of “The Last Christmas Party”. How is it to tell friends that your music can be heard on a soundtrack from an Amazon movie?
It’s kind of crazy! I know the director personally and he asked me to contribute songs for what was his first post-grad film and I didn’t really think anything of it. But he held a screening in Greenpoint of the movie and it was so good so I knew it was going places and when I heard it got picked up by Amazon Prime, I was surprised but not really because it’s such great work!
Tell me about your latest single “Maryland”?
Maryland is a fictional song about trying to get someone back after messing things up because of your chaotic ways, which I definitely relate to. It’s produced by March Martin of the band Rockland Road and I’m so excited for people to hear it!
What is the process of writing your music?
It’s different every time, but almost always it’s just me sitting on my bed or the floor with my guitar and saying random words until something meaningful comes out.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think streaming is great because it makes music so accessible! It’s definitely not a perfect system and I wish it was better about rewarding songwriters, but it’s gotta start somewhere.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Digital
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
What comes to mind is Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal) by Fergie. I love that she wrote a song about needing to be single and spend time with herself. It’s such a good self-care anthem.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I think the pause in live music is temporary and things will go back to normal soon. I also think that the pandemic has created the opportunity for people to innovate live music as we know it, like with drive-in concerts.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I’ve been writing a ton of songs and working on improving my songwriting and singing skills!
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I went on a lot of walks and wrote about my problems.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I learned to crochet during lockdown!
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I don’t know but I think it’s lame to prevent artists from making money from their art at a time when artists are struggling the most. Hopefully, another platform allows artists to do that and Facebook comes to their senses.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I don’t think that’s the only way to keep fans by any means. We just have to be creative!
Is pay-to-play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Pay to play is definitely still a thing but in my opinion it shouldn’t be.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
That sounds cool!
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, which provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
I hope so! But the best thing for music venues is if we act responsibly about COVID so things can go back to normal.
In the past, if a musician stops doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice-over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
Well, I’ll always be making music even if it’s not professionally. But professionally if I can’t do music I would love to work in film, which I have a degree in.
What is your happy place?
My Aunt Susan’s house!
A lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artists based on sales, airplay, and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late ’80s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax-friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs? Another factor is mortality.
I definitely want to own my songs for as long as I can.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still, back at the beginning of the year, Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to the independent artist?
I think there’s a lot of competition, so you have to distinguish yourself for sure. But it’s important to be authentic because that naturally draws people to you.
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I already use TikTok all the time and I love it!
The British government, buoyed by early good news on a brisk roll-out of vaccinations in the UK, set out a roadmap that, as things stand, would see the re-opening of large music events in the UK, with no audience limit, on June 21. Live Nation and its subsidiary, Festival Republic, didn’t hang about after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made this announcement on Monday (February 22).
The companies quickly announced that their Reading & Leeds festival – an annual fest taking place across two locations in the UK with a combined capacity of around 180,000 – would be going ahead between August 27and 29 this year, and that tickets were on sale.
With this announcement Live Nation; USA wants to following the lead of Live Nation: UK. If this happen and live concert start happening this summer, would you be up to playing live shows again and under want precautions, would you like to have in place?
I would love to play live shows again! I’m fully vaccinated so I feel safe doing anything at this point, as long as I’m wearing a mask to protect others who aren’t yet vaccinated. I think what’s more important than my safety is collective safety, so I wouldn’t want to be a part of something irresponsible
