We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rhea the Second . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rhea the Second below.
Rhea the Second , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I just recently quit my job to pursue music full-time. I’d been investing so much time and energy into other peoples dreams and businesses that I lacked the time and energy necessary to successfully support my own. The idea of quitting was really scary at first. I was mainly afraid of financial instability. In addition to rent and bills, I was funding my first full project. Having spent hundreds of dollars on studio time, I felt I had no other choice but to keep a job even if I hated working there. The closer I got to finishing my project the more motivated to bet on myself I became. I often confided in friends who are full-time musicians about my situation. One day I was told I haven’t quit my job because I didn’t believe in myself. It was a hard pill to swallow at first but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true it actually was. Shortly after that I put in my two weeks notice. After several days of praying and meditation, I was finally able to see how much and how long I’ve been holding myself back from reaching my fullest potential in the music industry. It’s been a little over two weeks since I quit and so many opportunities have fallen into my lap since I quit. Despite the risks, taking a leap of faith has shown me that dreams really can be manifested if you make room for them too.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a Chicago based independent recording artist, songwriter and producer originally from Detroit. I’ve been performing since 2004. I make alternative, pop and r&b music. After graduating from the Detroit School of Arts I went on to study Contemporary, Urban and Pop music at Columbia College Chicago. I started singing background for a few local artists I’d met on campus. I joined an all female band called SHE shortly after. In 2014, I went on to pursue a solo career and began performing at music jams, small bars, lounges and restaurants all over the city. I also joined a corporate band called Bluewater Kings. In 2015, I started introducing myself as Rhea the Second. My moms middle name is Rhea. I grew to love how unique it was and how regal it sounded. I decided to make it my own thus came Rhea the Second. About a year after releasing my first single, I took a break from playing shows to save money for my next project and to work more on establishing my sound. I went on a short tour of the east coast with another band I joined in 2018 called Chicago Afrobeat Project and started collaborating with one of my bandmates on new music. In December of 2022, I released my third single ‘So Into You’. I released my debut ep ‘Alt Pop Rnb’ on September 22 this year. Since then I’ve performed all over the city in venues including Schubas and House of Blues. I’ve also sung background vocals for Leon Bridges during his Endless tour, rapper, Noname, at Coachella 2023 and rapper, Roy Kinsey.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To best support artists and creatives, society can share our work on their socials weekly or monthly, attend or help promote our shows, donate money to fund our projects, buy our merchandise, buy show tickets for those who can’t afford it and share resources or contacts of other creatives or professionals they think we can successfully collaborate and grow our business with.
Society can also help bring awareness to how little upcoming artists are paid for their time. The last show I headlined was at Schubas. There were at least 30 people at the show and the tickets were $15 each. That’s not a ton of people but 30 times 15 is 450 and I went home with nothing. You’d think a venue that has been in business since 1989 would have the means to offer the artists money for their time but that wasn’t the case. All of my ticket sales went to the venue. It’s taxing enough putting your own show together so to leave with zero profit was extremely discouraging. Maybe on a different night the turnout would have been better but regardless of that situations like these really do make me want to give up sometimes. So many people came up to me after the show expressing how amazing it was. I should’ve been excited and proud of myself for putting on another great show but truthfully, all I felt was defeat. It’s not always about the money but when you’re already struggling financially, it’s tough not to be affected by it when it plays such a huge part in building your brand.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I just want to be free and create beautiful art that makes people feel good. I’ve had to deal with physical, emotional, financial and spiritual adversities for a very long time. Being creative has always freed me from the pain those adversities can bring. I also hope to inspire creatives like me and help them find their way to success in this business.
Contact Info:
- Website: rheathesecond.com
- Instagram: rheathesecond
Image Credits
Kenneth Leftridge, Morgan Durrah, Javi Gutierrez