For those people that haven’t heard of Rainy before, could you tell us a bit about yourself, your story?
I’m a multi-instrumentalist – singer-songwriter and I record and release all my music from home. I strive to write positive, uplifting music that draws on influences from Rock, Folk, Reggae, Afro-Cuban, West African, Jazz and Funk styles. I grew up on the edge of the moors in the Peak District in Derbyshire. It’s a wild and beautiful place that undoubtedly nurtured my sense of wonder and imagination. As a writer I tend to analogise the patterns and intricacies I experience working in nature mixed with a fascination of expressing something of ourselves.
I studied sound engineering in London for a year and was lucky enough to begin working as a studio sound engineer straight after college. It wasn’t long before I’d moved to West Wales where I recorded and released ‘What It All Boils Down to’ from a tumbledown farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.
I formed my band ‘Little Gaia’ after finishing the album, picked up a little studio work here and there, surfed when I could and worked in the woods learning about trees and plants. We played pubs, surf clubs and festivals up and down the coast for a few years. We’d rehearse night and day at my place for hours and hours on end, exploring all kinds of different rhythms and music. Inspired by stories of the great bands and how they worked so hard to find ‘the pocket’ when we weren’t playing music we were all hanging out together. In many ways, I always wanted to be part of a family band and I think those years were the closest I’ve ever got to being in one. It also began a long-standing love of West African and Afro Cuban rhythms through playing congas. We had no money and all the time in the world….
It wasn’t long before wanderlust found me dreaming of what lay beyond our well-trodden patch. After travelling and performing in Australia I eventually landed in the South West back in the UK where I recorded and released ‘Hold On To The Rhythm’ from my home here in Wiltshire. After playing Glastonbury in 2008 and a band name change to ‘Rainy And The Dust’ we played gigs and festivals all over the UK. For the last few years, I’ve performed as a solo act running up to my most recent album release ‘Fell For The World’.
As a multi-instrumentalist I’ve been lucky enough to produce a couple of albums for fellow songwriters from home over the years, giving me a chance to sit in as their studio band and play lots of instruments which I have loved.
I’ve always endeavoured to approach music as a place to be open. A place to prod at how I think and feel about the world whilst releasing myself from a sense of knowing.
How has the recent lockdown affected your music and your creative process?
In many ways, my creative process hasn’t changed at all. Although I have written more music over the last few months than I have for many years and I’m really excited about playing and recording the new songs that have emerged. Everything I’ve ever written and released has been recorded at home on my own with minimal equipment. Just a couple of mics, and a willingness to create.
In my teens, I started playing around with four-track tape recorders and I haven’t really looked back. I loved working in professional studios as a sound engineer but it never succeeded to tempt me into the conventional ways of recording music. By then, the home recording had become part of my writing process. Something did shift during lockdown though. Finishing my last album ‘Fell For The World’ before the pandemic was tough. It had seen me throwing myself at the studio for months in my spare time to get it completed and I think I needed a break away from the four walls. I play lots of instruments so I’m never short of ways to indulge in music and yet the lockdown has seen me writing a lot in my head rather than exploring with an instrument, which was unexpected. I’ve never written an album quite like this before…
Who inspired you to play music, to perform?
My earliest memory of music is my Gran’s piano. I was apparently obsessed with it, although I had no idea how or what it did, I just seemed to like it a lot. My Mum played the guitar and sang to my sister and I when we were young and I think she must have had a big influence on us both. I danced a lot when I was a kid, so music was always around. It wasn’t until I started to play guitar and drums at around 15 that I knew I wanted to be a musician. Grunge appeared alongside the Skate Punk and Metal scene and it was all I listened to during those teen years. Just about anyone who had the nerve to stand on stage and do what they do with conviction inspired me at that point.
Are there any particular artists or albums that have inspired you and have stuck with you throughout the years?
There are just so many…. it would be really hard to pick… some long-standing inspirations that have undoubtedly influenced my music are ( in no particular order ): Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, Stevie Wonder, Guillermo Portabales, Ali Farka Toure, Ravi Shankar, James Taylor, Nick Drake, Bill Withers, Paul Simon, Phish, Robert Hunter, John Williams, David Crosby, Melody Gardot, Steely Dan, Dave Matthews, Eliades Ochoa, Bob Marley, Blues Traveller….
As far as albums go, again, it’s just so hard to pick!
I’ve always said that Joni Mitchell’s album ‘Blue’ is my dessert island disk and if it was the only album I could take, at least it would go some way to expressing how I felt to leave all the other great albums behind.
Your music seems greatly inspired by nature and natural places has that always been a major inspiration for you?
Huge. I’ve grown up and worked in and around nature all my life and for many years now as a gardener and woodsman. I’ve travelled around the world seeking and finding connection everywhere. It has lead me to believe that we have a deep interconnection with the world that is available to us all. Acknowledging this gives me strength and compassion and an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It ultimately reminds me of how incredible we really are; not removed from nature but distinctly part of its wondrous vibrant dynamic.
Could you tell us a bit about the writing/recording of the song Wishing Well?
‘Wishing Well’ would not exist if not for Marcelo Andrade. A fellow multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Marcelo is a Brazilian maestro. It had been my honour to sing backing vocals on ‘Coco Pera’ from his incredible album ‘African tree ‘. During this recording we had experimented with a couple of other songs and out of these sessions I’d stumbled upon the chords for Wishing Well. I always imagined that Marcelo would be on the track somehow and his traditional Brazilian Rebecca ( a relative of the violin ) seemed like the perfect match.
‘Wishing Well’ had a clear feel from the moment I wrote the intro hook. As with all songs I write, I feel like my job is to show up, be present and listen. ‘Wishing Well’ became a song to encourage us to be kind and compassionate to ourselves and our planet; which why I choose to release the video in honour of His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s 85th birthday.
Recording was smooth on this track. It had such a strong identity from the get-go. The main challenge was letting the track breathe. It’s so easy to get excited and stick lots of instruments in when you’re having fun with a track especially when you work on your own. That’s when you need to switch to your producer’s hat, stop indulging and faffing around and call it.
What are some of your favourite venues to perform at?
Some of the best shows I’ve played have been in smaller venues or at festivals. We had a storming show at Small Nations Festival in Wales a few years back when the headliner didn’t make it and we got bumped to headline the stage. I used to love to play The Troubadour in London. It’s hot, loud and viby! We used to drop into percussion breakdowns a lot back then and I love it when people dance.
My favourite venues would be the ones that I’ve had the most moving experiences in as an audience member… top of my list would be Paradiso in Amsterdam. Its very nearly the perfect venue for me. I’ve never played there…. one day.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have anyone to recommend?
My current obsession and a band that can do absolutely nothing wrong in my book are The California Honey Drops.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
My new single ‘Home’ from my latest album ‘Fell For The World ‘ drops on 26th May ( you can pre-save it to your Spotify here https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rainy2/home ) and I’m working on the video at the moment. I’ll be releasing more singles and videos from that album throughout the rest of the year. I think it might be about time to start the next album too, so at some point, I’ll be diving into that. I’ve really missed performing so I’m hoping that I can land some shows soon and get back out playing again.
Find out more:
Website: http://www.rainyandthedust.
Bandcamp: https://rainyandthedust.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/
