ManicWorld Magazine

The Unexpected Musical Journey of Asgard Raven

“Life can be hard sometimes, but we only get one shot at it, so we should always try and make the most of it – it’s never too late to achieve your goals.”

–What first sparked your interest in creating music, and how has your musical journey evolved?
I first decided to learn how to play the guitar back in the 90s, as there wasn’t much on the radio that I liked, and I wrote a few tunes at the time but didn’t do anything with them. It wasn’t until Covid that I picked it up again and wrote some songs that I thought had real potential, so decided to see what they’d sound like recorded professionally.I only had the intention of recording one or two songs, which soon became 5 and eventually a regular thing. I released the first two songs by myself, and was then lucky enough to get a publishing deal with The Animal Farm, a London-based record label, for 5 tracks.

–What’s a unique ritual or habit you have when writing or recording music?
I don’t really have a set way of doing things to be honest, some songs start with a bass line,some with drums, and others with lyrics. I often have ideas when I’m out and about, socapture them on my phone, then start putting a demo together at home when I have time.I’ve currently got nearly 30 demos on SoundCloud which I update whenever I do some workon them, and then eventually I choose the next one to do in the studio.

-What moment in your career are you most proud of, and why?
I think for me the validation of having a label like my music enough to give me a contract to release 5 songs through them was a particular high point. Also, getting played on Radio X (John Kennedy) and the BBC Introducing shows which is highly competitive.

-What inspired the title “What Will Be Will Be,” and how did the concept come to life?
This is one that started with the bass line and was built around that. I wanted somethingheavy, with some drive and energy, the lyrics came afterwards. The song is about taking lifeby the horns and making the most of the time we have on earth, but accepting that ultimately,we don’t have full control on what happens to us. If we accept that what will be,will be,we can be less stressed about what we can’t control and focus more on what we can,have more peace of mind!

-Did any unexpected events or experiences shape the creation of this song?
Not really. When I came up with the bass riff I knew it was good,but didn’t know how well the song would turn out. It came together surprisingly easily, not all songs do!

-How does this single set the tone for your upcoming projects or albums?
As this is the last of the 5 songscurrentlybeing released with the label I’m not certain ofwhat comes next. I have lots of ideas and demos and I’m still writing more, but theoverarching style of my music isn’t likely to change much–I make the music I like!

-What’s your ideal setting for writing music? Does nature, city life,or something else fuelyour creativity the most?
Quite often ideas come to me at night, so writing things down on my phone is a common starting place. Those ideas are then normally developed in a quiet setting, whilst playing around on my guitar. I’ve hada few opportunities to take my guitar on a weekend getaway before, which I found really productive, but mostly it’s at home when it’s quiet.

-If you could distill the message of your music into one sentence, what would it be?
Life can be hard sometimes, but we only get one shot at it so we should always try and make the most of it–it’s never too late to try and achieve your goals

-What’s been the most surprising challenge you’ve faced in your career, and how did you handle it?
When I first set out to record professionally, I had no intention of singing–I hadn’t really thought about that aspect, who would sing it. My producer, Marc Burford, was really supportive and encouraging, and helped me gain enough confidence to do the vocals onmost of my tracks. With his coaching I think I’ve got better over the last 3 years or so, but I have written acouple that I just couldn’t sing, so Marc stepped in and did those–he has an amazing voice!I guess the key is don’t write anything off until you’ve tried it.

-If you weren’t a musician, what career path do you think you’d have taken?
I’m not actually a full time musician, so having had a career in the military I’m now in acivilian management role which I really enjoy!

–And finally, Why do you think vampires areattracted to New Orleans?
Lol! Probably due to the amount of awesome music they have there?!

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