6 Questions with Renaé

RENAÉ is an up and coming artist that released her debut single ‘Head in the Clouds’ at the start of December. RENAÉ has an everlasting passion for music with her sound being heavily influenced by soul and R&B and draws inspiration from artists such as Amy Winehouse, Alessia Cara and Lady Gaga. RENAÉ has been writing for as long as she can remember and is excited to finally share her stories one track at a time.

Head in the Clouds’ mellowed chords, addictive melody, tight rhythms and zesty bass will leave you wanting to call your ex.

We had the opportunity to chat with RENAÉ about ‘Head in the Clouds’ and her musical journey in general!

Hey RENAÉ congratulations on your debut release! Head in the Clouds is AMAZING! Can you tells us more about how this song came to life?

Thank you so much! Being my first release, Head in the Clouds is really special to me. I have been songwriting my whole life, however the way this song was created was quite unique. In real 2020 spirit.. Head in the Clouds actually came to life over zoom. I was lucky enough to work with the amazing Melbourne producers MSQUARED and record this track in my home studio. The inspiration behind Head in the Clouds, stems from the idea of thinking about someone you know you shouldn’t be thinking about. I wanted to bring this infatuation to life in a lighthearted and fun way. I also challenged myself to tell this story visually through the Head in the Clouds Music Video which is up on Youtube. Definitely check it out for a whole new perspective on the track. Those who know me often say that I am in ‘my own world’ most of the time, I hope to bring this quirky world to life through my music and allow my audience to get to know me as the ‘dreamer’ I am.

As we are facing this unfortunate pandemic, is there anything specific that you are doing in order to stay creative?

One thing I have found during this pandemic is that I am spending a lot of time procrastinating, especially scrolling on TikTok. This means, wasting valuable time that I could be using to work on my music. One thing I have found effective is setting small achievable goals for each day. Designating time in my day for tasks such as writing, rehearsing and even scrolling social media, has allowed me to stay motivated and on track. Being locked at home has definitely forced me to become more self disciplined and accountable.

What are some of the long-term goals that you hold for your career?

Looking ahead, a long term goal for my career would be to go on tour. It has always been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Performing for audiences around the world would be such a surreal and rewarding experience. However, the main goal I have for music is to use it as a tool to not only inspire others and encourage positive social change. I have always been passionate about raising awareness for social injustices, and would love to use my music as a way to educate and inform others. In 2019, I hosted my first music chatty event RISE UP supporting the Zahra Foundation, in the future I hope to continue organising more music events with a greater purpose.

If you could collaborate with any musician dead or alive, who would it be?

Hmm, this is tricky one. There are so many musicians that I would love to work with. However, if I had to pick one it would definitely be Amy Winehouse. Amy Winehouse is a fusion of so many elements from jazz, soul and blues music. I would love to experience her songwriting process and of course soak up her unique contralto vocals.

What has been your most memorable performance this far and why?

So far, my most memorable performance was performing my unreleased original ‘Bridges & Trains’ at the Rhino Room for the Semi Finals of Listen Up Music’s National Songwriting Prize. It was the first songwriting competition I entered and I was super excited to have made the Top 40 and then the Semi’s. Most importantly, it was super sweet to share the moment with some of my closest friends who happen to be in my band. Sharing the experience together, made it so special.

Lastly, what’s the best piece of life advice you’ve ever been given that you’d like to share with your fans

If I could give one piece of advice it would be to trust the journey and don’t be so hard on yourself. Having very high expectations of myself means that I am my own worst enemy and put myself under a lot of unnecessary pressure. We are the ones that create these expectations of ourselves so why not let it go and trust that we will get there when the time is right.

Stream ‘Head in the Clouds’ on Apple Music & Spotify

Follow RENAÉ on Instagram