Today we’re interviewing folk-pop artist Violette Rain. Over the last year she’s been steadily releasing one track per month, culminating in the release of December’s track, “Little Heart Locket,” alongside her full album reveal.
The album, titled, Charting the Stars in Her Eyes, was inspired by the shifting seasons.
“I wanted to express grief through the shifting seasons because I’ve found it to be cyclical rather than linear,” she explains. “Each song aligns with a month of the year, mirroring where my own grief rests as the seasons change. Every track opens a door to a different world- to moonlit castles, mermaid lagoons, glamorous old movies, haunted cemeteries… My adventure through these worlds has been my quest for the Holy Grail, my Odyssey, my journey to find magic in the world after loss. Charting the Stars in Her Eyes is a gaze both upward and into the past-searching for our loved ones in every starlit night. “
You can find our interview with Violette Rain below, and follow her at:
In your opinion, how do artists in this industry stay on top of the game when faced with so much competition? What is the secret to making yourself noticed?
I am not a naturally competitive person and I do not enjoy competing at all, haha. I’ll plan the next year or so of projects and keep focused on executing my vision with the resources and abilities I have. I think I’ve garnered more attention by staying in my own lane, but that’s not to say that will work for everyone. I do think it’s important for artists today to watch what others are doing, go to live shows, and show up for other artists, be supportive and learn. As a friend, I love watching fellow artists perform, and as a fellow artist, it’s like attending a masterclass. I think there’s got to be a balance between doing your own thing artistically and being aware of how the Earth and its inhabitants keep moving.
What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?
I think this most recent body of my work is quite strange-on a technical level, I wrote them with little regard for modern pop song structure and broke a lot of rules along the way. “Forget Me Nots,” the first track on the album, is the best example of this, as the song , broken down, is a mismatched verse and chorus that I stitched together anyway. I wanted to write a song that captured the push and pull of a tumultuous, whirlwind romance, a song that says “he loves me, he loves me not.” I wrote it without a pre-chorus to make the song feel like having whiplash. I wanted there to be this huge contrast, lyrically and melodically. I didn’t think this song (and many others on the album) would be popular, and I figured many might question my songwriting choices, but I was happy with it. I guess it’s a little rebellious to record them and put them out there that way, haha.
What is your current music project about?
Charting the Stars in Her Eyes is a gaze upwards to a night sky full of memories and dreams. The stars in our galaxy exist billions of light years away, and from our perspective here on Earth, we don’t always know if the exact star we’re looking at is even still alive- yet, its memory burns bright enough for its light to still reach us. Looking at a star in the sky is like looking at the photo of a lost loved one- a moment captured from the past, powerful enough to reach us. Our lost loved ones are like stars, they feel so far away and intangible, yet their memory remains, and all we need to do to find them is look towards the night sky.
When you create music, what is your personal purpose or goal?
I want to write songs that transport people to the places they want to go. This body of work focuses on finding lost loved ones through fantasy worlds I’ve created, mirroring how we often find those who’ve passed on in nonsensical dreams. Loss is hard and so many people quietly go about their days with grief, and I want to write songs that can be comforting for those who need it. Grief can rob us of whimsy and magic, and it took me a long time to find magic in the world after my own loss. Writing these songs helped me find it, and I wanted to breathe a little bit of that magic back out into the world.
Does your music fit into your local scene? If so, how do you take advantage of that? If not, do you see that as an obstacle and what do you do about it?
Absolutely not, haha. It’s a very masculine dominated local scene, and it was never a very good idea for me to try to shrink to fit in- it was important for me to learn that. I think many in the local scene look at me in my princess dresses with my pink guitar at these dive bar venues and have no idea what to do with me, haha. I’m a little out of place, that’s alright.
What do you think of garden gnomes?
I have a lot of respect for them and the work they’re doing for the environment.
What would you do if you had to work but didn’t need the money?
I’d collect moonwater and forage for the fairies.
If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?
Ooh I love this question. (Have thought about this a lot) I think that I am like a Victoria sponge cake, which is composed of strawberry jam, whipped cream, and sponge cake. Behind the cake’s sweet exterior, there is a science to its composition, an exact precision needed to follow the recipe… This cake is structured and organized, yet full of whimsy… So me, haha.
What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?
An oven baked salmon served over a bed of sauteed asparagus and various greens, with a side of fondant potatoes. I know it’s a lot, I’ll help.
What makes you nostalgic?
Late night drives. Waiting in line for popcorn at a movie theatre. The first crisp breeze of Autumn. My cats basking in spots of sunlight in the garden. The last page of a good book. The scent of cookie dough. Christmas Eve. Stranger Things.
What is next for you?
I am exploring the possibility of a regional Pacific Northwest Tour in Fall of 2026, and will hopefully make a couple of festival appearances throughout the year. Stay tuned!
