Raleigh Keegan – Clocks Roll Forward

By starrymag | November 23, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I would say I am a combination of my influences. There is some new country in my sound, and there is a lot of classic sounds as well. I am somewhere in the middle and try to create a unique lane for myself based on what I like.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) John Mayer, The Eagles, James Taylor, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton just to name a few!

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Sure Like Lovin’ You.”

 

A) We wrote this song in twenty minutes, no joke! Leslie Satcher, Phil Barton and I had already finished one song and we had half an hour left in our session on a writing retreat. I said “sure like lovin’ you” out loud and then Leslie started playing the guitar part. The rest fell out. That doesn’t always happen, but it’s fun when it does!

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think it’s the retro/vintage sound that people connect with. This wasn’t intentional. I was just doing what I wanted sonically, but it’s really cool that you can combine classic sounds with newer sounds and make something people connect to. It’s not always about following trends, in my opinion.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) It varies and can be both. The magical thing about creating is you are basically following what we call “the muse” to find an idea either lyrically or musically that internally makes you feel something. Oftentimes, for me, the music comes before the lyric and is an expression of how I am feeling at the given time, if that makes sense.

 

Q) Ryan Gore lent a hand in production with this song, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) Every decision was made by Ryan and I together. Ryan is great at letting artists with a vision carry out that vision and making it better. He enhanced all of my intuitions and was a great partner in carving out my sound!

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your new album Clocks Roll Forward?

 

A) The theme of time, my past, hardships and then the redemption through those hardships.

 

Q) What tracks challenged you the most creatively?

 

A) “Handyman” was the biggest puzzle to solve. There was something about it that was making me bored going into the 2nd verse and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it. Weirdly enough, I had Ryan turn up the bass and just that little move made the rest of the song come alive for me.

 

Q) What songs on the album hold a special place in your heart and what makes them so significant to you?

 

A) They are all special because of the memories of creating them. They remind me of my life and place/time when I wrote them and what was going on, specifically the songs “Like My Daddy Was” and “Our First Goodbye” that tell my story of being adopted and that complexities of that mean the world to me. They are both honest takes on how I have felt about my life story.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from checking out Clocks Roll Forward?

 

A) I hope they see that I am someone who put his all into his art, and that they would know me after hearing the album. They will know who I am, and what I stand for.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Off the top of my head I have to say Chicago. I love the city and the people there LOVE country music.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Either Miranda Lambert or Kacey Musgraves because I think we would crush a duet.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I’ve been stuck on the album Hill Country by The Wilder Blue for like a year now. It’s been on repeat.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Because I don’t have a record label or significant radio play, it’s incredibly important for me to connect with fans in other ways. People are on their phones, so I need to pop up on their phones so we can create that connection.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would say THANK YOU. The amount of incredibly sweet messages from people about this album has been staggering and has really renewed my faith in albums. After this album, I am positive that when it comes to connecting with people, a collection of songs has more strength than a single, and that is refreshing.