Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with RVBY MY DEAR

RVBY MY DEAR is the alt-pop project from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gabbi Coenen. Originally from Perth, the classically trained musician moved to New York City to study jazz at The New School. Following graduation, Gabbi stayed in the Big Apple and began working on her debut album, which blends together her jazz influences with a more pop-centric sound. Pop Culturalist sat down with Gabbi to chat about the collection.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
RVBY MY DEAR: I started taking piano lessons at the age of four, which was my first exposure to writing and playing music. Growing up, I was obsessed with music videos. They would play on Australian local TV every Saturday and Sunday morning. I would plop myself in front of the TV and make up dance routines and sing along. That was my earliest memory of music. In high school, I was super into punk and indie rock. I became a super fan of a bunch of different bands. I ended up going to university for jazz singing, so it’s always been a big part of my life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
RVBY MY DEAR: I would say other female singer-songwriters. There are a ton of up-and-coming ones like Maggie Rogers. I like following them to see what they’re doing and take inspiration from their career choices. There’s a big difference between the business side of music and the actual music part of it.

If we’re talking specifically about the music, I love jazz. That’s what I studied in university, so great singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday have been huge influences. When it comes to writing and producing my own music, I’m inspired by a lot of U.K. bands like Massive Attack, Portishead, James Blake, and Radiohead.

PC: You just released your full-length debut album, Waiting. What inspired the record?
RVBY MY DEAR: It’s an interesting story. The first song I wrote was “10:17”, which came out in 2015. I was applying for my work visa to stay in the U.S. I had graduated from college in New York a few years before and was waiting for this visa to be approved, but so many things went wrong with it. It resulted in this six-month delay where I was stuck in the U.S. and I couldn’t work. I couldn’t play shows. I couldn’t do anything.

I would go on these long walks all around my neighborhood and I would stay up really late. I had all that space and time to write. I couldn’t do anything productive. It sort of resulted in having a lot of time to be creative, which was a blessing in disguise. Even though I felt absolutely horrible the whole time, and extremely guilty and paranoid, it was a catalyst to a lot of the early beginnings of the songs on the album.

PC: If you could choose one song off the album that best encompasses you as an artist, which one would it be and why?
RVBY MY DEAR: I would say “10:17”. It combines all the elements that I like and that I’m inspired by. It has hip-hop inspired beats that sound warm and embellished. That’s the mood I’m trying to create when I’m making music. I want it to feel like a big warm hug. “10:17” captures that mood for me.

PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
RVBY MY DEAR: Patience and knowing when to speak up for yourself. When I was trying to figure out how to release the record, people would say, “Oh, you need to be patient. It’ll happen. You’ll get an offer. It’ll sort itself out.” There’s some truth to that, but you never know what opportunity is going to come along. All you can do is make the best music you possibly can.

But I do think there are also a lot of people that will talk your ear off about how amazing they think you are and then won’t actually bother investing time into the project. You have to advocate for yourself as an artist, especially when you’re independent or on a small label. No one is going to hand anything to you.

PC: There have been a lot of transitions in your life, from moving from Australia to New York, going from jazz to pop. Was one of the transitions more difficult than the other?
RVBY MY DEAR: Moving from Australia to the U.S. was relatively easy; I was ready to leave by that point. I was eager to move away from Perth, from where I grew up. I had family living in the U.S. and was accepted to a college in New York to study music. So, there were a lot of things to make it a smooth process.

I guess the harder transition was changing styles. When I first started to write my own music, it was very rooted in jazz, and the focus of jazz is improvisation. I was writing these songs and forcing these improvisations because I felt like that was what I had to do. It took me a while to accept that my taste and instincts were more pop-centered. It took a few years for that transition to happen. I finally learned that I didn’t have to shove a guitar or saxophone solo into every song. [laughs]

PC: What does the rest of the year hold for you as we look ahead in 2019?
RVBY MY DEAR: We’ve got some tour dates coming up which I’m really excited about. We’re playing a couple of northeast and west coast shows. Everywhere from Providence and Ashbury Park in Baltimore to Seattle, L.A., and Oakland. We actually printed vinyl for the album, which is out now. It’s at Rough Trade, a record store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
RVBY MY DEAR: Green Day

PC: First album you bought?
RVBY MY DEAR: It’s really embarrassing, but an album by the band Jet.

PC: First concert you attended?
RVBY MY DEAR: It would have been a Harry Connick Jr. concert in Perth with my mom and my brother. We were very young and we fell asleep. He’s great, I love him! He’s amazing!

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
RVBY MY DEAR: Overgrown by James Blake. That album and the shows he played in New York were amazing. He actually has a similar background. He was jazz-trained but now does electronic and pop stuff. When I saw him, I was in that transition period going from jazz to pop. I was like, “Oh my gosh! He’s doing exactly what I want to do!”

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
RVBY MY DEAR: There’s a festival in Australia called Big Day Out. I would have loved to play it, but then it went bankrupt. Any big festival in Australia.

PC: A must-have on the road?
RVBY MY DEAR: Snacks! I’m always hungry. Last tour, it was a lot of veggie chips.

To keep up with RVBY MY DEAR, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and pick up Waiting on Amazon Music, iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.