Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Raynes

They say that music is one of the universal languages: it connects people no matter where they are or where they come from. That’s true for Raynes, an electrifying trio with members from America and the UK, whose music explores themes like hope, despair, loss, and love. Their music also blends styles of pop and Americana with a massive diversity of instruments to create songs you’ll play on repeat.

We chatted with band members Mark, Joe, and Mat about forming Raynes and about their new single, “Come My Way.”

PC: How did you all discover your passion for music?
Mark: For me, music has always been inherently part of my life. My sister and I played the piano from the time we were little kids, and my granddad would be forever singing to us. But it wasn’t until I started singing that my passion really was born. As cliché as it sounds, from the moment I first performed as a ten-year-old boy at my school production of Hagbane’s Doom I was hooked. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am at my absolute happiest when I’m performing.

Joe: Music was omnipresent in my life from the get-go. We always had music playing in our house! All of my older sisters and mother were always singing, and everyone in my family dances as well—I loved imitating all the smoothest moves. Also, one of my grandmas teaches dance, and the other plays guitar and sings old country songs. So the combination of all that really rubbed off on me in the best way.

Mat: I started playing the violin when I was seven and the piano when I was nine and went quickly from that to teaching myself a number of other instruments and playing in a bluegrass band with my siblings. I enjoyed just learning my way around different instruments, but I didn’t get hooked until I was thirteen and wrote my first song. I recorded it at a local studio over the course of an afternoon and evening and listened to it on a loop the entire night. I don’t think I slept at all. After that, I stopped caring about anything else but writing songs.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your careers?
Mark: I’d have to say John Mayer. I’ve listened to every one of his albums a million times probably. I’m just in awe of his songwriting and guitar playing abilities. I was lucky enough to see him live a few years ago in London, and I’ve never been so blown away and truly inspired by a live music performance in my life. I’d also say my time in musical theater has had a massive influence as well. I played the role of Jean Valjean in my school’s production of Les Misérables and have been chasing that high ever since.

Joe: Justin Timberlake, Sam Hunt, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, the Staple Singers, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and Earth, Wind & Fire.

Mat: Annie Dillard, Rilke, Mary Oliver, dozens of lines from dozens of poems, the song “Kids” by MGMT, Saint Cecilia, Donald Glover, Dolly Parton, Brian Wilson, The Truman Show, most of the chefs on any David Gelb show—anyone who has a vision and follows it wherever it takes them.

PC: Mat and Joe, your search for the third member of the band led you guys through hundreds of pages on Instagram. Tell us about that process.
Mat: We knew right from the start that if the band was going to work, we needed a singer with an incredible voice. That was at the top of our list because with the music we make it’s not possible to hide a mediocre voice behind a lot of production and autotuning. But we also were anxious that even if we found someone with a great voice who was willing to join, that that person might not fit with the vibe or the look of what we imagined for the band. So we were also very much hoping that we would be able to find a tall, good-looking guy with stage presence and charisma. And on top of all that, we needed someone who could at least play guitar, not to mention someone who wanted to make the kind of music we were making. So it was a very specific and very limiting shopping list.

When I came across a video of Mark singing on Instagram, we instantly knew that this was the person we had been looking for. We didn’t get our hopes up right away though, since he lived in England and it seemed pretty unlikely that he would just abandon his life to move to LA. But long story short, that’s exactly what happened. We reached out, we clicked, he flew to LA, we clicked some more, and we all just knew it was the perfect fit.

PC: Mark, what was your reaction when you heard from Mat and Joe? How challenging was it to leave the UK?
Mark: To be honest, it was a mixture of both excitement and skepticism right off the bat. My rational mind thought, “There is no way that this band in LA happened to just stumble across my Instagram page and like me enough that they want me to join.” But the other side of me that I allowed to dream was insanely excited by the prospect. I had always wanted to be in a band and pursue music seriously, and this seemed like my shot to do that. It was intimidating at first—the idea of dropping everything in the UK, my university degree, my comfortable life in the North of England—but from the moment I met the guys in LA and heard the music and saw the vision I was completely sold. The decision to uproot my life became one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.

PC: You all have been a band for over three years. What have you learned about each other? What’s been the key to the band’s success?
Mark: I quickly learned that all three of us, although different, are extremely compatible. Joe is the kindest and most caring guy I know, not to mention a fantastic rhythm guitar player. Mat is the most gifted musician I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and that became apparent very quickly. On an unrelated note, Joe can bloody dance, and Mat can bloody cook!

Joe: Mat’s only biological drive is to write songs, and Mark clearly absolutely loves singing and performing. But at the same time, they both have so much more to them than the music. They are multifaceted and have so many talents. And they both have the kind of charm that could’ve persuaded Thanos to not snap his fingers.

Mat: I’d say the biggest thing we’ve learned is that we can trust each other, and I would also say that that trust has been the key to everything. For example, I know that Mark is never going to phone it in on stage or in a session. I know that Joe is going to practice a complicated guitar part or vocal harmony until it’s perfect. And I know they both know that I’m never going to write a lazy chord progression or a lukewarm lyric or pretend a weak idea has any legs.

We always say that none of us is an alpha male—that stuff is just boring and worthless and kills creativity. We definitely have a collective ego—like, we do think we’re great, and we do want to get number-one hits and sell out stadiums, etc.—but we really don’t allow our individual egos to play a role in any part of the creative process. We’re committed to a singular vision and are only ever trying to make room for the best ideas to exist and to grow. And I think we’re very lucky that we can each fully trust the other to operate under that mentality.

PC: What’s one surprising fact about each band member that fans don’t know?
Mark: I’ve dropped out of two universities.

Joe: A few years ago, I biked across America to raise money for cancer research.

Mat: I have a bachelor’s degree in theology, for some reason.

PC: Tell us about your new single “Come My Way.” What was the inspiration behind the song?
Mat: “Come My Way” is one of the first songs we worked on together, just a few days after Mark landed in LA for the first time. It’s a pretty simple song, at least in terms of subject matter, and in many senses a naive song. There’s something of an us-against-the-world quality to it as well—again, naive and young and probably foolish but motivated by nothing but love. Sonically, we feel like it definitely captures the thrill and excitement we all felt in the early days of the band as well. We knew that acoustic layering and big drums and big harmonies were going to be the foundation of our sound, so it felt very much like a flagship song to us even back then.

PC: You’ve released a few singles thus far. If you had to choose one that best encompasses you all as a band, what would it be and why?
Mat: It’s gotta be “Come My Way.” Even though the lyrics aren’t as layered and nuanced as many of our other songs—and we do pride ourselves on worthwhile lyrics—the song as a whole really feels like the soul of our band. I’m sure some of that feeling is because it’s been with us for so long, but I also think that just the whole feeling of the record is exactly who we want to be, if that makes sense. It’s propulsive and uplifting; it’s bright without lacking depth; it’s hopeful and yearning and honest. Even out of context, those are all things that we, as a band, as artists, want to be. So we’re very happy that, at least in our opinion, we’ve been able to put those qualities into a song.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mark: Vera Lynn

Joe: Jack Harlow

Mat: Antônio Carlos Jobim

PC: First album you bought?
Mark: Britney Spears’ Greatest Hits: My Prerogative

Joe: The Eminem Show. Even though I had to have my older sister buy it because of the age restriction.

Mat: Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…but Three Do by Relient K.

PC: First concert you attended?
Mark: Tinie Tempah

Joe: Elton John and Billy Joel. A doubleheader

Mat: I don’t know if you could say I “attended” it, but I did stand outside the gates for an entire Taylor Swift concert because I couldn’t afford a ticket.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Mark: John Mayer’s Continuum. I started listening to it when I was young and in love, and it ended up becoming a breakup album for me. ”Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” in particular, left me in pieces. Emotions aside though, I think it’s just a flawless album. No filler at all on that one.

Joe: Ed Sheeran’s x. I listened to that album on repeat during the bike ride across America. It kept the wheels spinning and got me through some hard times mentally. It also made me want to pursue music as a profession. Shoutout to Ed! Thanks, buddy.

Mat: I have so many answers for this, but I think the most accurate one is Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue. It literally changed my life. It came out the summer I turned thirteen and still was only aware of bluegrass and old country music, and an older friend of mine burned it onto a CD and gave it to me, thinking I would like it because I played the violin. He was extremely right—it absolutely blew my little mind. I guess I have him to thank—or blame—for my playing violin in a band now.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Mark: The O2 arena in London

Joe: The Bismarck Event Center. It’s the biggest venue in my hometown, and I really want to put on a show for my city and state!

Mat: The Royal Albert Hall with a full symphony orchestra.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Mark: Nestle Toffee Crisps

Joe: Coffee. Brewed coffee! Not just the beans or the apparatus with which to make coffee. I need that liquid black gold. Coffee. Final answer.

Mat: My studio. I can fit a streamlined version of it into a backpack, and I never leave a city without it.

To keep up with Raynes, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream “Come My Way” today.