Scarlet Rae. Photo via publicist.
The Opener is The FADER’s short-form profile series of casual conversations with exciting new artists.
Music has a misfit crisis. Forget the indie rock artists who weakly gesture at feelings of alienation while going all-in on the guitar-rock-as-background-noise bubble. What’s needed are songs made with the tension of the deepest cringe and the softness of a weak and gentle excuse: It’s not you, it’s me. Enter Scarlet Rae, a 23-year-old singer-songwriter based in New York City making music aimed at the sore, thorny region of your brain that keeps you feeling like a walking, talking wound.
Before releasing her new EP No Heavy Goodbyes last Friday via Bayonet, Rae had already built some buzz with previous projects and collaborations. She was still a teenager in her hometown of L.A. when she joined the indie rock three-piece Rose Dorn, with their debut album Days You Were Leaving arriving in 2019. COVID gave Rae time to invest in her solo project and develop a formidable range with singles like the Yo La Tengo-flavored “Parachute” and “Waking Dream,” a song that would have gone triple platinum if it had been released the same time that The O.C. was on.
Perhaps Scarlet Rae’s greatest asset is her ability to tease out new melodies from familiar soundscapes, something that’s on display all over No Heavy Goodbyes. That applies to her voice, naturally ethereal but leaden with the past, and her guitar, producing some of her heaviest and most blissful music yet. She skips like a perfectly flat stone over the sea of sonic trends, briefly touching shoegaze and dream pop but spending most of its time in the air suspended by only herself, for better or worse. The spectre of suicide haunts No Heavy Goodbyes, both as ideation and aftermath; in a perversely compelling twist, Rae’s predilection for catchiness isn’t lost. If anything, she digs in deeper than ever.
On the day of the release for No Heavy Goodbyes, Scarlet Rae graciously took the time to answer a few questions about her current favorite songs, movie, and least favorite advice.
Describe the first show you ever went to.
High School Musical Live at the Staples Center. My dad surprised my sister and I. This was in 2007, I just fact checked. We sat in the very last row way up top, but I still remember just being in awe of the concept of stadium concerts and the whole thing.
What was the first CD/album/vinyl that you ever bought?
Keep It Like A Secret by Built To Spill. Found it at a Goodwill in Canoga Park. I played that in my car on a loop when I got my licence.
What was the last movie you watched, and give a short review.
I just watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I haven’t read any of the Potter books or watched any of the movies until this year, so after finishing a book I’ve been watching the movie multiple times. This was my second time watching Goblet of Fire and Wow. Just wow, honestly. I hate to be a snob, but I will say I wish they included a lot more from the book, but they did a great job with the whole thing. Robert Pattinson was a big surprise, and he killed it. I just wished I lived in that world so bad it’s insane.
Name the last three songs you played/streamed.
Let me check- So literally “La Jumpa” by Bad Bunny, “EoO” by Bad Bunny, and honestly my own song, “Light Dose.” Look, I’m honest! I was listening to Bad Bunny in my car last night while driving home with my coworkers after work, and let's just say it carried over into the morning. And as far as streaming my own music, to be fair, it came out today and I had to give that lossless audio a listen, sue me.
What’s a motto that you think everyone should live by?
“You Miss 100% Of The Shots You Don’t Take” felt like every word should start with a capital letter in that one, idk. I heard this quote for the first time very recently, and it’s been lingering in my ear.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Save your money, treat yourself like you treat your cats (gentle and kind), and take everything with a grain of salt.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received?
“Post on Tik Tok Everyday! Make Vlogs! Get off medication it doesn’t work! Go to College! Give them another chance they’ll change! Maybe get a job in the music industry!”
What do you wish you knew more about?
Soooo much. Mostly, I wish I knew how to speak Spanish. I wish I knew how to code. I wish I knew more about climate change, I wish I knew more about the development of the frontal lobe and what that entails. I also since being a kid wish I knew more about the deep sea. Lastly, I wish I knew more words. I want a larger vocabulary.
Forward us the last meme that made you laugh.
