Introducing The Magical Songstress Azure Ryder
Azure Ryder’s stripped-back sound is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern feel-good music. The Australian-born songstress comes from a large Lebanese-Australian family, and keeps in touch with her roots through the earthy vibes and vintage-inspired sounds from her upbringing. With the release of her debut EP ‘Running With The Wolves’, Azure Ryder is ready to inspire and connect with music listeners all over the world.
We were able to chat with the rising songstress about everything from what inspires her music, her latest track ‘Dizzy’, her new EP and more…
What’s your earliest musical memory?
Music was entwined in my life from a very young age, and despite none of my family being directly involved with music, they took it upon themselves to make sure it was in mine. My parents surrounded me with the likes of Sam Cooke, Elis Presley, and Dusty Springfield while my older brother felt it was his duty to educate me on the world of R&B and Hip hop, so I was soon familiar with the poetic depth of Tupac and the fierce sultry nature of Beyoncé.
As I grew, my love for music grew with me and led me to the moment when music truly became the biggest part of who I am. I was about five years old my mum and dad heard me singing from the bathroom. As you do get excited by the simplest things as a child like the acoustics in the bathroom…the echo mesmerised me, so I sang away as I felt my voice echo off the walls, and I guess through them too because not long after that my parents put me in my Primary School Church Choir.
Did you always know that you wanted to pursue music?
Without a doubt in my mind, yes. From that second that my parents enrolled me in my Primary School Church Choir, I knew. This was where I first really found my voice and realised the complete power of music, it’s ability simply magic. I was going to be a singer from that day forward.
The music video for ‘Dizzy’ has some serious 60’s/70’s vibes. Who are some of your biggest influences?
Ohhh my oh my you know how you sometimes feel like you could have been born in a different time, or had lived there in a past life…that’s how I feel about the 70s, and from the way, I dress to the super 8 camera my music video was shot on it’s far too familiar a time for me to not draw inspiration from it daily. My biggest influences no surprises boogied through this era. Bruce Springsteen has always been a major inspiration for me, his energy electric, his voice so distinctive, and his words are raw and gutsy. Fleetwood Mac and my ultimate inspiration Stevie Nicks, a presence that is every bit mystical, poetic and distinctive, a true icon to me on and off stage, MAGIC.
Do you have any fun memories of shooting the video to ‘Dizzy’?
My goodness shooting Dizzy was the most fun and heart-filling experience. I was lucky enough to get to fly to the South of France with an incredibly talented and beautiful souled team, that alone was hard to accept as reality !! We spent a few days in a remote chateau that one of my teams Aunty’s fortunately owned (by the end of the trip we were all calling her Aunty Jane !) history laced the walls and nature was at every step, it was honestly like we had jumped into an artwork but without the frame, just endless rolling green hills to surround us. Our days were spent in flowers and fields, dancing with the changing weather, and in between shooting Dizzy, there were mandatory Justin Bieber sing-a-long breaks…nice to know that I am still as sharp on the Ludacris rap in Baby as my thirteen-year-old self haha. Nights were spent around a long-aged table with a warming home-cooked meal accompanied by crazy stories and tears of laughter. By the end of the trip, we were high on love and sad to leave but so excited with what we had created in such a magical space. It was the best sleepover I have ever had !!
What has the process been like to drop your first-ever single?
I can honestly tell you that during this process, my heart has jumped out of my chest multiply times straight into the sky, and I still believe that it’s up there beaming with the stars somewhere. I’ve been working for a long time to get to this part in my journey, and finally being able to release what I have been holding inside is the sweetest feeling I’ve experience and brought me countless moments of not knowing what to do with myself because my body had most definitely left the building !! This process has been a rollercoaster of emotions, one full of highs and lows, determination, endless hard work, trust, and patience. I have learnt and grown so much into the lead up to this first single, sharing my heart with yours, and seeing how it has affected and connected with people so far brings me to tears and only makes me even more sure that this is exactly my purpose. My world is finally open, and I am not stopping now !!
Where do you find yourself drawing inspiration from when it comes to songwriting?
I feel very strongly about only writing stories from my heart and my experiences because if I don’t connect with what I am sharing, then I don’t expect people to believe and trust in me with their feelings either. I believe that all struggles and experiences good and bad have moulded me as a human and a songwriter, I wouldn’t have a voice or anything to say without having felt the rises and the falls. I am inspired by the places where I see life, in nature, in art, books, poetry, human thoughts beating in a busy street, or hearts speaking in an empty room, I’m inspired by the life I see through my own eyes.
Your brand new EP is called ‘Running With The Wolves.’ Where did the idea for that name come from?
The wolf is my spirit animal, and I have always been drawn to the depth in their gaze. They are a sign of strength and power to face challenges in order to live a life in which you feel most alive, driven by passion and
trust in your instincts, determined to live by the heart. The second track on the EP is titled ‘Wolves’, and my first tattoo that I got last year is also of a wolf, it’s the only thing I feel fully resembles me. So, with the wolf in my heart and now imbedded in my skin, I knew this was the right introduction to me.
What are you hoping that your fans take from the EP as a whole?
My biggest hope is that through connecting with me, they are ultimately connecting with themselves. This is really the beginning of my story, these songs are my leap of faith, so I hope that this EP starts to create a world of music for people to find their own stories in mine. A space that allows whoever is listening to my music to take their emotions to every place imaginable. I believe that feelings know no limits, and music allows for that freedom. I hope that this EP will remind them that it is okay to feel everything; it’s okay to be human, it’s okay to feel alive !! So if you choose to step into my world or welcome me into yours, I promise that we are going to be running with the Wolves.
Make sure to check out Azure Ryder brand new video for her track ‘Wolves’ below…
