We recently connected with Aria Rai and have shared our conversation below.

Aria , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on is probably my first EP “Losing Grip”. Three out of five of the songs on that EP are ones that I wrote when I was fourteen and fifteen years old. At that time in my life, I never imagined that those songs would be heard by anyone, let alone strangers from around the world. I put everything that I had into those lyrics and music and I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out. Recording and releasing that EP was such a special and surreal experience that I will never forget. I feel so grateful that the songs I wrote to get me through difficult times are now helping others in the same way many years later.

Aria , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up, lyrics and music have always been how I expressed myself. Writing songs were and still are my creative outlet and how I get through difficult times. Because of this, I always wanted to be a singer and a songwriter. Eventually I found out how to release my music so that other people could finally hear my words. I place a lot of importance on the lyrics that I put into my songs and what they mean to me and others. I write with the intention of helping others through my music and I think that shows in my songs. I think very carefully about the weight that my words can hold in music, so I always make sure that every line in my songs offers some kind of deeper meaning. I am most proud of the way that my songs can relate to people. I always try to leave my lyrics up for interpretation so that listeners will be able to relate it to their lives, no matter what. It is so important to me that my songs can help people feel seen, heard, and less lonely. If I succeed in that, when making a song, then I feel like I have done what I was put on this earth to do, and that is help the people around me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is hearing the way that my work has touched other people. When I write a song, it’s usually to help me overcome something or come to terms with a situation in my life. I’ll sit for hours and try to create something beautiful out of what is, at times, a bad experience for me. Once I record and release it, I’m then putting it out with the hope that it will help someone else the same way it did for me. I feel so happy when I get messages from people that I’ve never met, saying that my words have touched them. Hearing that someone feels a connection to my lyrics and emotions is al I could ever want.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was growing up I always felt like I had to get it perfectly the first time and if I didn’t then I should just stop trying. I would get so down on myself every time I slipped up on stage or in practice. It didn’t matter what type of mistake I made, whether it was something small, like missing a chord, or something big, like accidentally starting the song in the wrong time signature and messing up the whole band, I would get so upset. As I got older and more involved in the music community I learned that everybody makes mistakes and everyone has embarrassing stories of themselves onstage. Experiences like these are what will make you a stronger performer, because you learn from the mistakes and get better. Now I understand that mistakes are just opportunities for growth and not a reason to give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ariarai.com
• Instagram: @ariaxrai
• Facebook: @ariaraiofficial
• Twitter: @ariaxrai
• Youtube: Aria Rai
• Other: Spotify: Aria Rai

Image Credits
Brandon Sosa Hannah Cunningham Jeri Cunningham