Well here we are on a wintry April in New England as April is now the new early March. So I am so excited to bring on the Rayne Michael but before that some music news. Lets kick it off with As part of Universal Music Publishing Group’s ongoing effort to deliver greater value to songwriters, its production music arm, Universal Publishing Production Music (UPPM), announced today a new agreement with SESAC to enhance UPPM songwriters’ compensation. The agreement, which is effective April 1, 2016, covers those production music songs controlled by UPPM that were previously registered with ASCAP for U.S. exploitation. It does not affect royalties collected outside of the U.S. In other news, The BPI, the record labels’ organisation which promotes British music, has spearheaded a major drive in recent years to support the growth of the legal music market by disrupting the activities of illegal music sites. Concerted efforts by the wider music community to build a healthy digital market have been held back by search engines and other intermediaries continuing to direct users and revenues towards sites that defraud artists and labels. The BPI has repeatedly called on Google and others to do more to ensure that consumers searching for recorded music are referred to legal services in preference to illegal sites, many of which pose risks from viruses, trojans or other harmful or inappropriate content. So now we have an artist by the name Rayne Michael. I caught wind of Rayne through his single “Someone Please” and I had to hear more. Rayne has an album out now that he is offering for free as at this point he just wants to be heard, and I respect that. So join us this week as Rayne speaks to us on his motto ‘Dare to Dream’, the new album ‘Dare to Dream’, streaming rates for play, and so much more!
Stoli: Where are we talking from today and how is 2016 so far?
Currently residing in Fargo ND. 2016 has been and will be a year of firsts. First album release, first press release, first album review, first blog feature, and now my first Kickstarter campaign for a music video I will be shooting soon.
Stoli: Growing up how did you get into music and when did it become more than a hobby?
I started out first singing in church as a young boy. After my parents divorced we didn’t always have a lot of money so we would dance and sing around the house for fun. I didn’t realize this dream was something I wanted to pursue professionally til I was about 13.
Stoli: What two artists inspired you most and what did you admire about them?
I’ve always hated this question because honestly there is no one or even two artists that have inspired me nor any one genre. I grew up listening to country, 80’s, and 90’s r&b, pop, and rock. Unique emotional voices have inspired me the most. The type of artist when you hear them their voice is so distinctive.
Stoli: I love your motto ‘Dare to Dream.’ What does that phrase mean to you & how do you apply it to your life?
Dare To Dream is really my way of life. There has always been doubters in my life including myself at times. Daring to dream that I can one day make a career in music is the driving force behind my passion. I dare to dream that one day the world will hear my voice and know my name.
Stoli: Your new album ‘Dare to Dream’ is out now. How long did it take to write & record that album?
I started writing most of these songs in 2006. I was in my moms kitchen on the computer and all these ideas and thoughts just started pouring out of me. 2014 is when I decided to get out of my own way and make this dream a reality. I reached out to an amazing composer Topher Williams i found on Reverbnation. The thing that was so brilliant about working with Topher that is so rare is he could play by ear. I had the melodies and lyrics mapped out for my songs and as I sang he would build these amazing tracks based off of my voice and the direction I wanted for each song. “Thank You” was written for my mom during a writing session. He played a few seconds of that piano riff you hear in the beginning of the track and i wrote an entirely new song. Once all the compositions were finished I realized shortly after that I needed to really invest in these songs if I really wanted this album to be heard and go somewhere. So in the summer of 2015 I answered an ad for JM Audio Production. I met up with the producer Jack MacArthur just to do a trial run of “I Know That I Hurt You” and see what he was able to do with it. The very first draft of the track he sent to me I heard my voice and I cried. I was so blown away by how good it sounded. I can honestly say I didn’t even believe that was me singing. So after hearing that track I decided to have him do the rest of the album which took about 6 months.
Stoli: You can grab the album for free on your site – raynemichael.com. What was the strategy around that to give away free?
Honestly my main reason for singing and doing music has always been to be heard. It’s not about money for me right now. I’m an unknown emerging artist. I think it makes sense in order to gain more fans for my music to give it away for free.
Stoli: I love your song “Neverending.” What does that song mean to you & what inspired you to write it?
Neverending is something I wrote thinking about the trials and tribulations we all have throughout life. My mother has always kept things real with me in regards to what she believes life is about. “Thus is life” or “That’s life” she would say. Life isn’t ever going to be easy and you most definitely will have your share of battles. A lot of people in the world live their life like it’s a never ending struggle. I was one of those people for many years. This song is my way of releasing all those feelings.
Stoli: You are a solo artist but when you need other musicians/producers/engineers who do you turn to?
Topher Williams Studios has already offered to help with my 2nd album when I’m ready. I actually do a lot of different features this year with several different composers and producers who have found me thanks to social media. JM Audio Production would be my first choice for producer but he moved to Cali.
Stoli: If you were to do 1 music video for this album what song would you use and what would be your vision?
My favorite track on the album is “Someone Please”. I’ve started the process of mapping out a plan for the music video that involves me performing the song with a band in a dark hangar. The rest you will just have to wait and see.
Stoli: There is a lot of debate on streaming rates for play. How much should an artist be paid when their song is streamed on Spotify, Pandora, etc?
Youre talking to a guy who released his album to the world wide web for free. I guess I never really thought about how much I should be paid for doing something I love before? Maybe that’s naive to some people but artists have other ways of making money without worrying how many cents they should get per play.
StolI: What is coming up for Rayne Michael and where you @ online?
I started my first Kickstarter campaign – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/raynemichael/someone-please-official-music-video – “Someone Please” music video starts shooting in May. Started booking venues to do shows and get my music heard more. A track where I rap a little bit by KThaProducer titled “They All Know” just dropped last week for free download @ soundcloud.com/kthaproducer
More features and free music @ soundcloud.com/raynemichaelmusic
Can always get ahold of me @ http://raynemichael.com
Follow me on twitter @raynemichael
Instagram @therealraynemichael
Like my page @ http://facebook.com/raynemichaelmusic