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Scarlett Rabe is turning heads with her new EP Scarlett and her breakout hit “Battle Cry.” GroundSounds recently caught up with the talented singer/songwriter to discuss her start in music, the EP, her ‘dream tour’ and more. Check out the interview and watch her video for “Battle Cry” below!
Tell us about how you got started in music and what kind of music you were initially attracted to.
Well, it’s a strange answer, because I was a classical pianist for most my life, since I was 3 years old, so my first experiences with music came through very intense classical training. And my up-bringing was quite rigid, so until I was a teenager, I really didn’t have exposure to music other than classical music or sacred music. Didn’t even know any other music existed! But then when I discovered popular music, I was permanently changed. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is the first song I remember consciously hearing- electrified me! “Ghost” by Indigo Girls, same thing, just hit me hard. Joni Mitchell was in there, my early loves, as well as Fiona Apple and Tori Amos. And Faith Hill the “Cry” album! Oh and the Beach Boys! “Surfer Girl”, melted me. I guess since I started soaking it in all at once, there wasn’t really a “kind” or “type” of music I was drawn to…I just loved a great song that really said something, you know? And some gorgeous chord changes, I always fall for that.
How old were you when you wrote your first song? What did it sound like?
I think I must have always written songs, because I can’t remember when it started. The first songs I wrote sounded like little sonatinas, but with words. I mean, even in my classical pieces, I’d get in trouble all the time for changing them. Even as a 6 year old, I remember hearing in my head what it could sound like if the piece I was playing were to veer off in a completely different direction, and then my fingers would just play that instead of the notes on the page (which I wasn’t reading anyway), sometimes a whole new key, whatever…and my mother would get so frustrated. She didn’t understand how the music constantly played in my head. I vividly remember the day I realized that it wasn’t playing in everyone else’s. My mother told me she couldn’t even hear two notes at once in her head, and I just couldn’t comprehend it.
“Battle Cry” is such a powerful song that builds into this huge anthem. What inspired this song?
I never sat down to write an “anthem”. I mean, I’m intense, but I never considered myself the anthem writing type. But there was always this line to walk, and this box to fit in, and for all of my life, the definition of “acceptable” was a very narrow place. I never fit, but oh, I tried. My childhood taught me discipline, responsibility, dedication, sacrifice, work ethic, and many more very strong things. We use our strengths to cover our emptiness, and then life breaks that cover down. It brings you face to face with yourself and demands that you choose. Will you erase what you are inside? To make things comfortable for someone else? And we finally get to the place where we’re not sorry for what we are, and we wouldn’t change it even if we could. And they don’t give medals or throw parades for those victories, but it’s the hardest thing to achieve. I guess maybe a “Battle Cry” can only come from somewhere like that…
I really love the song “Fight For This.” What is the story behind that track?
Well, I’m just no good at casual relationships. I’m either all-in, or I’m not-at-all. And I do believe in commitment in a relationship, but I don’t believe in obligation. I’d never want it to last a day longer than it actually lasts, you know? The kind where people stay even though it’s long over, it’s just that nobody has done the leaving yet? Or they stay out of a sense of duty? I’d honestly rather be alone. Maybe it’s from growing up with 10 people crammed into a tiny house, but I love being alone. So the song isn’t about a dramatic slam-the-door-and-leave moment where you’re silently begging your lover to chase after you and say they can’t live without you…it’s just saying that anything worth having is worth fighting for, so if we’ve stopped fighting for it, then I guess we’re letting it go.
Is there one song from the EP that you are especially proud of?
I mean, I don’t know if I’m more “proud” of one than another? I wrote a lot more songs that I didn’t include on the EP, so the ones that were included really meant something special to me. I’m always most in love with the song I’m currently writing…
How were your shows in California? What was the most interesting venue out of those shows?
I loved playing Hotel Cafe, it was a magical space…It was also the first show I’d ever played with my band, so I’ll always remember it for that.
What are your plans this Summer and Fall?
Perform, perform, write, write, perform, perform, write write…
If you could tour with any two artists/bands today, who would you choose and why?
Lana Del Rey, because I haven’t fallen for anyone the way I fell for her in such a long time, and Justin Timberlake, because wow, what a musician. What a performer. To me, there is none above him.
What has been your best or favorite moment on stage? Was it in an intimate setting or in front of a large crowd?
Every time I look into the crowd and see them singing along, they know my lyrics and they are SINGING ALONG WITH ME. It is the best. It is the whole reason.
Do you have a defined goal for your music career or do you prefer to enjoy the ride and let things fall into place?
Oh I am far too intense to just enjoy the ride and let things fall into place! I have huge dreams that push me and push me and push me…and I know they’ll never stop, and neither will I.
Scarlett Rabe – “Battle Cry (I’m Not Sorry)”
