Photo Credit: Kiran Gidda
Ronnie Watts describes her beautiful bedroom pop sound as “heartbreak, but make it pop music”. This is captured perfectly on her latest EP ‘I DON’T TRUST U AT ALL’, which released September 25th. As the cherry on top of a successful release Ronnie is dropping a special emo-pop remix of her single “Sad Summer”. The Rochester native’s delicate vocals and evocative songs helped her win Tilly’s “Social Star Search Contest”, the title of “Best Local Song” on WNY radio, and caught the attention of Universal UK management / label imprint W!ZARD Talent. I got the chance to talk to this amazing artistic talent, and here’s how it went down;
Hello Ronnie, thank you for being here. How did you discover your passion for music and who was your biggest inspiration growing up?
Thanks for having me! I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love music. I grew up in a very creative and musical family. My dad built a studio in our basement where I’ve been playing music in since I was a little kid. I took a lot of inspiration from my dad and going to his shows. He’s taught me a lot and I’m really lucky to have him by my side.
What do you think has been the biggest challenge of your career so far?
I think the biggest challenge is the leap into it all. It’s definitely more of a mental thing. When I released Famous in California at the beginning of this year I had no idea how people would react to it. It’s a little scary but also really exciting. I still get that feeling with every release. It’s like your skydiving and hoping for the best.
You have a new track out which is a remix of your song called ‘Sad Summer’, can you tell me about the song and what it means to you and how this remix came about?
I’m so excited about the remix. The song tells the story of how a relationship derails. It’s about holding onto all of the little things that come with the relationship and not being able to let go of it. Colin Foote produced the remix and he totally killed it. It gives Sad Summer a refreshed, fun energy.
The original song is of course taken from your EP ‘I DONT TRUST U AT ALL’, that’s an interesting choice for a title, why did you decide to call it that?
Trust is one of the most important things in any type of relationship. Without trust there’s no way to move forward. When you trust someone and then they take that trust away from you, I think that’s one of the greatest forms of betrayal. So when I say I don’t trust you at all, there’s no coming back from that.
Which song on the EP means the most to you and why?
Oh god that’s like asking me to pick my favorite child! My favorites rotate a lot. Right now You Said stands out to me. The lyrics are all words that someone’s said to me. It’s another one of my songs where it shows how a relationship could go from being so good to so bad really quickly.
What generally inspires you to write a song?
Life experiences! I write songs the same way someone would write in their diary. It’s the best way for me to express how I’m feeling. I think I’d feel so bottled up all the time if I didn’t have songwriting.
Can we see any new music from you in 2021?
Possiblyyy! I have so many songs that I’m so excited for people to hear. We’ve got big plans for 2021 and I can’t wait to share everything with everyone. 2020 was pretty rough for everybody, it can only go up from here, right?
How do you plan on spending your Christmas break?
Spending time with family and prepping for next year! Things always slow down a bit this time of year but it’ll be nice to just relax. I can’t resist hot chocolate and a good Christmas movie.
What are you hoping for this holiday season?
I’m hoping everyone is safe, healthy, and happy. These are such weird times that we’re living in, and the winter is hard enough as it is. Take time for yourself, take time for family, and keep having hope.
Thankyou for your time, and I hope you have an amazing Christmas. Before you go though what message do you hope people will take away from your amazing EP ‘I DONT TRUST U AT ALL’?
If people relate to this EP, I hope it gives them some comfort and lets them know that they’re not alone. The EP is a bit sad, but overall it’s about strength because I came out the other side of these songs having grown so much. So I hope people can connect to these songs and feel inspired or comforted or whatever they feel they need.
neillfrazer@hotmaill.com
