We recently got to speak with the lovely Riley Clemmons! We are adding her to our On The Rise artist series!! Her beautiful music and message should be heard by everyone! Check out our conversation below!
Starting your career so young is both exciting and daunting in a way, have you ever felt pressure to be someone you’re not?
Of course! That kind of pressure will always exist but from what I’ve experienced, I’m made the best music and grown the most when I fall back on who I really am. If you channel the pressure correctly, it can actually become productive.
What was it like getting signed to Capitol CMG?!
Unreal! It’s genuinely a dream come true. Anytime a company as famous and amazing as Capitol would choose to invest in a young woman like me, it’s just one of this dream come true moments. Being able to put out music for a living is still such a pinch myself concept to me – it’s amazing and a huge motivator!
How would you say you’ve evolved since your debut single “broken prayers’?
It’s always been a priority of mine to bring something honest into a room when I’m writing. The older I get and the more life I experience, the more writing material I have. The growth has just been really organic in that way because it’s just a reflection of my life.
As a woman of faith, do you aspire to have your music touch and inspire it’s listeners?
Another priority of mine is to be able to spread hope and light because I think right now in the world that’s what we need most. I want to provide goodness in the darkest places and as a young woman of faith, I want to take the light and hope that I get from that and share it the best I can no matter what a person believes or thinks. Hope is accessible to everybody.
what’s your favorite experience from getting to tour and share your music & message with a crowd?
Seeing people beginning to know the songs and singing along and getting to see the faces that are actually listening is so special. I love getting to interact with my fans.
Out of all your songs, which one has the most meaning to you?
My most recent single “Fighting For Me” is my most personal song I’ve put out yet. When I wrote that song, I was in the middle of a dark spot and “Fighting of Me” served as an anthem of lyrics that I needed to hear. Everybody has a desire to be fought for on their worst day and on their best day and for me, that song reminded me that I was worthy of a real kind of love.
Can you take us through your creative process for creating a song?
Song inspiration comes from just about everywhere for me. A lot of it usually comes when I’m driving or working out – I’ll jot something down and bring it with me the next time I’m in a writer’s room. I normally start at the piano and from there collaborate with a producer and co-writer and really start to dive into a concept or title.
Who are your musical influences?!
I love old-school music like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac but I also love pop vocalists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande.
What’s next for you?! can you share any details on your upcoming projects?
My EP “First Christmas” is out on Oct 25th. It features three Christmas classics and I wrote one for this project which was a really special experience. I’m super excited to put out this music and then I’ll be back out on the road in January! Come see me!!
Connect with Riley! Instagram, Twitter, & Spotify
