Raleigh Moore

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before, and what makes it undeniably you?

My sound is cinematic and intentional. Each song has a level of quality that is not easily duplicated.

What's the story behind the music you're releasing right now? Where did it come from emotionally?

WTA is a song inspired by Cyberpunk 2077 video game. A soundtrack song that is good for when you're a gunfight. Emotionally aggressive and intended for the underdogs.

Is there a lyric or line in your upcoming release that you're most proud of? What does it mean to you?

"I've been underestimated for the last time."

What do you want listeners to feel when they first press play, and what do you want them to feel when it ends?

I want the audience to feel hyped up and energetic when they first press play. When it ends, I want the audience feel like they have an idea of what to look forward to when they listen to my music.

If your music were a place, what would it look like, smell like, feel like?

A cyberpunk hotel casino. Flashy, intentional, and welcoming to the person looking to spend their time and energy here.

What genre do you officially claim, and what genre do you secretly belong to?

Cinematic Alternative

What emotion do you find the hardest to write about honestly?

Love. I've never been the type to write romantic songs nor have I been in a situation to write a love song.

Is there a sound, instrument, or texture you keep returning to, one that shows up even when you don't plan it?

Guitar.

What's your creative process like? Do you write from life, from imagination, or somewhere in between?

I write from all 3 because it provides a healthy balance without being mostly fiction.

Do you make music better alone or with other people in the room?

I make music better alone.

How do you know when a song is finished, and have you ever gone back and changed something you thought was done?

The song is finished when I send it to the music distribution.

What do you do when creativity stops flowing? How do you get it back?

I let go of trying to control creativity and let my natural flow state work in my interest.

Are you consciously thinking about how a song will feel on a 15-second clip when you're writing it, and how does that sit with you?

I do think so sometimes.

What do you do outside of music that secretly makes your music better?

It's a secret 🙊 😉

What's the song you wish you had written by someone else, and why?

None that I know of.

Was there a specific moment, song, or artist that made you think, "I need to make music"?

None. I just decided to do music.

What did your younger self think your music career would look like, versus what it actually looks like now?

I think it was visuals and rehearsals

How has your city, background, or culture shaped the music you make?

My culture introduced me to the roots of genres and how I could use it to artistic expression.

What's a part of your personality that shows up in every song whether you intend it to or not?

My willingness to be myself.

How do you separate the artist version of you from the everyday version of you, or do you even try?

I just don't think about it. When it's time, I think like an artist.

Are you the same person on stage as you are in the studio, and in real life?

No. I am a different person. For the best though.

Have you ever almost quit? What made you stay?

Yes, the God-given talent to develop and create.

What's something people would never guess about you just from listening to your music?

I have an alter ego. Necessary and needed for music.

For those releasing for the first time: what took the longest, making the music, or getting the courage to put it out? For those releasing again, have you developed a template or process that makes the process easier?

No I'm just deciding which songs to release according to the era.

What's something you sacrificed to get to this release?

My comfort zone and my self-doubt.

Who owns your music right now, masters, publishing, everything, and was that a conversation you knew to have, or one you learned the hard way?

I do.

Are you registered with a performance rights organization, and are you collecting royalties internationally? If not, what's stopping you?

Yes.

Where do you think music actually lives right now, streaming, vinyl, live shows, short-form video, something else entirely? What Social Media platforms do you use to release your music to the world?

IG and tiktok.

If a label called you tomorrow with a deal on the table, what's the first question you'd ask, and what's the one thing you'd never sign away?

No thanks.

What's the hardest part of being an independent artist right now, and what's your honest strategy for navigating it?

Doing most of the independent work yourself.

What's the worst advice you ever got about your music career, and did you take it?

"You can't sing and no amount of autotune will save you."

What's the best advice you can give another artist hesitant on releasing their music for the first time?

Get with the right people and do it. Don't think of whether or not you can. Just do it.

What do you think the music industry gets completely wrong about independent artists, and what do you wish it understood?

That the music industry is fair. Just from what I've learned as independent artist, it is jungle and you must be careful 24/7.

How are you using TikTok/Instagram or short-form video right now, and is it something you're doing because you want to, or because you feel like you have to?

I'm using it in a way to promote my music and myself to my current and future audience that have yet to discover me. I'm using to because of both. I need to put myself out there or my audience won't know.

Has a platform ever changed the way you make music, and how do you feel about that?

No. I still make music the way I choose.

Have you ever felt pressure to write a song around a hook that would work in the first three seconds of a video? What did you do with that pressure?

I actually have, due to the current market. I still myself and make from a natural place without being too biased and self absorbed.

What does a good week on social media look like for you, and what does a bad one do to your head?

Keeping consistent with X amount of posts/reels.

If TikTok disappeared tomorrow, where would you be? Do you have a plan that doesn't depend on any single platform?

I would be on other social platforms that listen for new music. If no platform involved like social media, then it's going to venues, talking the managers and playing the demos.

Have you ever had a song go viral, or almost go viral? What did that actually do for your career, and what did it not do?

No, not yet. But I will.

Do you think streaming services, TikTok, and social platforms genuinely support independent artists, or are they just the new gatekeepers?

I think they do because with enough consistency, an artist can be heard to the right audience.

What's something you refuse to do online to promote your music, no matter how much it might help?

Give up my dignity.

How do you build a real fanbase in an era where the algorithm decides who sees your work?

Relentless consistency and quality music.

Who are you making this music for? Is there a specific person, version of yourself, or community you had in mind?

I'm making this song for the underdogs. If you've been discouraged, counted out, talked down on, etc. This for you.

What does success look like to you, not in the industry's eyes, but in yours?

It looks like me reaching the entire world with my music, selling out stadiums full of tens of thousands interacting with the show, not just singing along and listening to me talk.

If you could open for any artist, alive or gone, who would it be and why?

Imagine Dragons.

What's your message to another artist sitting on their music, too scared to release it?

Join Redlux Academy, speak with Berlin, and do your part to release your music. An environment makes a big difference.

In five years, what do you hope people say when your name comes up?

That I persevered through consistency and it paid off as I'm doing shows across the U.S.

What would you never compromise on, no matter how big the opportunity?

My dignity and Christian faith.

What do you want your legacy to be, not your career, your legacy?

That I made an impact to those that listen to my music.

If you could only keep one, your voice, your instrument, or your lyrics, which one and why?

Voice because singing is something I suppressed but finally did it. I learned now I can't stop singing.

What's something you've never said in an interview before, until right now?

I love the Redlux Academy community. They are the most welcoming community for indie artists and it's getting bigger.

What do you listen to when you're not listening to music?

Gregorian Chants.

What's one thing you know now that would have saved you a year of your career if you'd known it on day one?

To be fully express your creativity and evolve like Lana Del Rey.

How would you breakdown your song so that it resonates with your fans?

It's energetic, hard rock, and it speaks to the underdog inside us all that has been doubted and written off as if we lost already

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself, music, or band?

I hope you enjoy the music and that this song and future music is for you.