A Chat with Writer’s Rain (27.10.20)
While completing her degree in neuroscience, singer-songwriter Writer’s Rain gained a reputation for engaging and honest music. After returning to her home town of Bristol, UK, she released the new single ‘Eleanor’ showcasing her delicate vocals and sophisticated lyricism. We speak with Writer’s Rain about ‘Eleanor’, favourite meals and discovering new music.
OSR: What can you tell us about ‘Eleanor’?
Writer’s Rain: ‘Eleanor’ is a song that I didn’t know I needed to write until it happened. It’s a deeply personal song that I wrote the entirety of in one sitting and very much follows the format of a confessional letter addressing someone from my past. It has a simple sentimentality that perfectly sums up what I wanted to say and I’m really proud of it!
OSR: Does it hold any significance for you?
Writer’s Rain: Absolutely! It’s based on an experience I had where a friend of mine was incredibly careless and insensitive with the words that she was using and probably didn’t realise that I would be so affected by them. It reminds me of a time when I didn’t feel so comfortable in my own skin and didn’t have the capacity to stand up for myself, but also how far I’ve come since then.
OSR: What do you hope people take from ‘Eleanor’?
Writer’s Rain: I hope that people will realise that the words that they choose can have a profound effect, even when they’re not directed at someone they may still stick with them for a long time! I also hope that for a lot of people it will give them comfort to know that you can grow from your past and get closure from people without having to confront them and make a big deal out of it – moving on is something that you can do yourself.
OSR: How would you describe your music to a new listener?
Writer’s Rain: I would probably say that my music lies somewhere in the indie/folk/pop realm, but really the main attraction of my songs are the vocal lines and honest lyrics. They really reflect me and my ethos every time, even if I’m not sticking too closely to a single genre.
OSR: How did you “get into music”?
Writer’s Rain: I’ve had classical music lessons from a young age and in my teenage years I was lucky enough to train with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. This was really a massive eye-opener into vocal melodies and phrasing and how to understand lines of music within the context of a whole song. My style of music is also really influenced by the music that my dad would listen to when I was younger – people like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
OSR: What is your favourite meal?
Writer’s Rain: Some kind of brunch I think! Eggs and halloumi, maybe avocado and you can’t go too wrong!
OSR: What do you consider to be the smartest thing you’ve ever done in your life so far?
Writer’s Rain: Getting my degree in neuroscience has to be up there for sure. It took a lot of brain power to get through and I’m really proud of myself for making it!
OSR: What do you think is the best way to discover new music?
Writer’s Rain: I love to find new music from going to open mic nights. Obviously, it’s a little tricky at the moment, but scouting out the local music scene is a great way to discover new artists and often people will play covers of classic songs that I don’t know all that well. I also love listening to music that friends or other musicians that I follow have shared on their Instagram as it’s often a way to find new music that’s similar to the things you already like.
OSR: Can you recommend any bands for our readers to check out?
Writer’s Rain: I worked on ‘Eleanor’ with the lovely Mikey who has a music project called epilogues and is releasing new music soon, so would definitely have to recommend that. Two of my favourite albums released this year were by Haim and Rina Sawayama so they also have to be in my recommendations!
OSR: Do you have any plans for the future?
Writer’s Rain: I hope that I can keep releasing music for a long time in some way, shape or form. My favourite thing to do is to co-write with people so I hope to do a lot more of that in the future too. I’m currently working on an EP on the subject of mental health with Rachel Mason, so I’m looking forward to releasing that as well.
Thanks to Writer’s Rain for speaking with us. For more from Writer’s Rain check out her official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
