It's moody, dark, don't give too much," he says. I want the art and the way it looks and feels to reflect the sound. We just want it to feel mysterious and enigmatic - that's a huge thing - and less is more. I have nothing but love for that dude and his ability and creativity. " was able to come in and take what's up here in my head and put it to paper. He worked with creative director Ben Swantek, who's previously worked with the Weeknd to design the House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence mixtape covers. She has the same kind of mindset: it's good to be vulnerable and push yourself into those kinds of vulnerable states."Ħ. We just kind of got on very well and the vocals complemented each other. It was one of the truest female counterpart to how I see myself as a musician. "That voice just kind of knocked me back. Single "Repeat" features fellow Toronto artist Jessie Reyez, someone he holds in high regard. Right now it's definitely a singer-songwriter thing right now."ĥ. And then you kind of find your lane, your spot and get real confident in that pocket. Everything is constantly changing for me as an artist - I didn't know what I wanted to do or sound like in the beginning. "We were fairly quick in getting these songs together. The new album took about a year to create. I love HBO, we're always hooked on these shows every Sunday we tune in - what if music was like that, in the sense of you know that there's more to a story coming down the line?"Ĥ. I love character development and a solid storyline. Roadhouse 01 is designed to be a holistic cinematic experience Rayman is hands-on in developing the visual shorts for the singles. Because I'd move to Alaska and become a fisherman for her if that's what she wanted."ģ. What's dangerous is that, if a woman comes along and sweeps me off my feet, then music's fucked. But music is also the death of my love, because I can't find the balance between the two. And if I fall for something or someone, I kind of throw myself at it. I don't see the importance of self-promoting," he says. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance the friendships. I'm finding, in this line of work, it can be very selfish. "For me, it's all about the balance of your personal desire with your responsibilities to the people around you. His dark, moody sound can be attributed to his ongoing struggle between making music and maintaining personal relationships. Pretty crazy what's going on right now."Ģ. A lot has changed since then, but I always just keep my head down. I was in construction and that's kind of where I thought I was going to end up. I wasn't really a part of a scene in the city," he says. He admits to being a shy kid growing up in Toronto he was also a construction worker before turning to music full-time. His aesthetic is steeped in heartache and melancholy yet awash in rock, blues, funk and soul sounds - painting a surreal and cinematic backdrop for his distinctive lyricism and vocal style.Īnd with the 13-track album Roadhouse 01 out now (via Communion/ Universal), learn a bit more about the enigmatic singer-songwriter, below.ġ. And I have a really good team behind me to help fulfill that vision." I don't have the mindset to be some kind of icon or anything like that. "That kind of stuff scares the shit out of me. I'm also not cut out for some kind of limelight," he tells Exclaim! in an exclusive interview. As he puts it, staying off the grid is intentional: the Toronto native isn't interested in fame, glamour or worrying about how many retweets he gets on social media, preferring to let his music speak for itself. He eschews media interviews, maintains an enigmatic presence on social media and cultivates a laissez-faire approach to self-promotion. Published Allan Rayman wears his mystery like a multilayered shroud.
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