Q&A: RIA MARIE

Nashville-based rising R&B/Pop singer-songwriter Ria Marie has an undeniable passion for creating music that runs as deep as her home town’s country roots. To say that singing is in her blood would simply be an understatement; she is a distant relative of the trailblazing Carter Family and the daughter of a singing prodigy who at one point had been associated with musical legends such as the late Whitney Houston and Bob Marley, to name a few. We were able to catch up with Ria via email and dig deeper into who she is, how she creates, and what’s next for her.

Your music is very smooth, buttery, and soulful; it’s very reminiscent of acts like Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. Do you think those comparisons resonate with you and your sound?

Thank you so much! Yeah, I would say that my sound is evolving in the direction of those amazing artists. I began with more of a hybrid between Pop and R&B but now I feel like my sound is shifting more toward R&B with Pop embellishments in my melodies.

Bristol, Tennessee, where you’re from is known as the birthplace of country music, how would you describe your sound and its influences?

It’s interesting because the storytelling aspect of country music and its lyrical depth carries through in my R&B songwriting. I’ve noticed that a lot of today’s R&B doesn’t really go beyond certain surface-level subjects, and I love digging in deeper into character’s stories while phrasing things in a clever and empowering way. Also, moving to Nashville has really shown me how to write pop-influenced music as there’s a great buzzing scene here outside of country music.

Your bio states that you were performing in Broadway productions, even being filmed for a portion of America’s Got Talent, all at the age of 14. How did you feel being exposed to that kind of lifestyle at a fairly young age?

Well, when you’re 14, you don’t really realize that you’re performing alongside incredible Broadway actors, you’re just having fun. That was an amazing opportunity because we were able to raise over $20,000 for Niswonger Children’s Hospital in East Tennessee. With filming for America’s Got Talent, that experience helped me get out of my shell and just learn to sing for anybody on the spot while staying cool under pressure at a very young age, which is always a valuable lesson.

The press release of your new single, “Playground,” states that the production was done by frequent collaborators, The Producers, a duo based in the U.K. How do they come up with the production and what fits best with your voice/sound?

Working with The Producers is awesome. Basically, I show them artists who’ve been inspiring me and they help me work those influences into my own sound as Ria. Then, they’ll send over the track and I’ll write to it. I know there are a lot of cons to social media but it’s definitely helped me develop my sound because if it wasn’t for them, I don’t know who I’d be as an artist right now. I’m super grateful for our creative partnership.

Is there an album on the way? If so, do you have any idea on how you are going to approach it conceptually?

Currently, I am working toward releasing an EP in the near future. Conceptually, I’d like to play with the idea of being an empath and telling stories through other people’s eyes.

Given the current state of the world with limited touring, events, etc., what are you doing differently to adapt and push forward?

Meditating and hoping for change! (Laughs). Other than that, I’m really focused on being a songwriter and letting the “performing artist” part of me take a backseat. At the beginning of the quarantine, it was really hard for me to find my footing but in the past few months, I’ve realized that I need to take it one day at a time and do whatever I can to contribute to my art.

If there is one thing listeners should take from your music what should it be?

I just hope that everybody that listens to my music is inspired by it. Whether it’s a melody or lyric that resonates with them, the whole point of music is to make other people feel something. As long as people are connecting with my music, I feel like I’m doing my job.

Lastly, who are you currently listening to? 

Right now, I’ve been recreationally listening to a lot of Victoria Monét, Teyana Taylor, Jessie Ware and Amber Mark. The majority of my time listening to music has been dedicated to actually studying it as a craft. I’ve been analyzing songs from the great pop producers/writers of our time, like Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub, Ilya and more. It’s helped me create a songwriting toolbox of methods that I can use to improve my work.