Ryan Duffin speaks to up and coming alternative pop/rock artist Raya Rose about Brighton, BIMM, touring with rock stars and the future of the music industry. Rose’s single Double Up is out on October 25 and she has her first Brighton headline show the same night at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar.

Who is Raya Rose and what are some of her biggest musical influences?

I’m an alt pop/rock artist from Brighton.

I write and play live with some incredible musicians who I should probably mention; Luke Stone, Rob Bensusan and Mike Coltman. It’s been described as raucous. My father is one of my biggest musical influences.

As a musician himself, he taught me everything I know and some of his musical taste rubbed off on me (Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, B B King). As I grew up I discovered artists like Joan Jett, Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless. They really inspired me and encouraged me to pursue my own musical growth as a female rock artist.

Growing up on tour with legendary rock bands such as Journey and Rage Against the Machine – how does that happen?

After playing as a musician in his late teens and early twenties, my father then moved on to the more business side of things like management. He was part of the management team for RATM when they were in Iceland in 1994, and my mother and I joined him out there for six months or so.

Would you say those experiences as a child have inspired you to pursue a career in music?

Most definitely. One of the first moments I really realised that I wanted to be a live, touring artist was around 13 years old, while we were out with Journey in America. They were playing these beautiful, open air amphitheatres and I just remember being totally in awe and promising myself that one day I would do the same.

What is it that separates you from the abundance of other musicians in Brighton?

I understandably stand out being female in a sea of male rock artists in Brighton but apart from my higher pitched vocals, my gender is irrelevant. I believe my sound is really unique. The music pays homage to classic rock design, yet it’s intertwined with modern sounds and songwriting.

More than anything the live show really sets me apart from the rest. I feel most comfortable on the stage and it shows. I let myself loose and anything goes in those few minutes.

How has your experience in BIMM affected you as a musician?

It’s thanks to BIMM that I found the incredible musicians that work with me now. The networking aspect at BIMM is its greatest asset. I’ve had the chance to write with some amazing artists like Luke Sital-Singh because of it.

What is the most important lesson that BIMM has taught you?

No one’s going hand you your career on a silver platter. It’s going to take hard work, dedication and a lot of sacrifice. You need to be able to get straight back up when you’ve been knocked down. If you don’t, you won’t survive in this industry.

What is your opinion on the direction the music industry is currently heading?

There are pros and cons. On the one hand, it’s easier than ever for artists to put themselves out there and reach their audience but I do believe that the current state of the industry has devalued the work that musicians create now.

What has been your personal highlight of 2016?

That’s a tough one, I did my first show in February and have had so many special moments including and since then but I think my personal highlight was seeing people dancing and singing along at the last couple of shows. It’s an incredible feeling to have someone sing your own words back to you.

Listen exclusively to Raya Rose’s new single before its release here: soundcloud.com/iamrayarose/doubleup/s-3wnTf

The event details for the single launch on Tuesday, October 25 can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/681871151961972/