Ratinoff – I Need It

By starrymag | November 1, 2020

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) The way that I would describe my sound is a blend of all the music genres I grew up listening to, into one. I grew up listening to bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Neil Diamond and Peter Gabriel amongst others (music that my parents would listen to in the car). When I was a teenager, I became fascinated with bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, U2, Morrissey and Joy Division. I feel like in my core I am a POP singer/songwriter. My sounds are very Universal. Definitely very influenced by what I grew up listening to, but also very in touch with today’s world.

Q) Who are your musical influences?

A) My musical influences are Billy Idol, Robbie Williams, The Edge, Johnny Marr, Steve Stevens, Peter Hook and the Light, The Doors and Johnny Cash.

Q) Tell us the story behind the most recent single “I Need It.”

A) The story behind the single ‘’I Need It’ came from a girl I kept bumping into going to church that had gone to school with me. We never really spoke. But I hadn’t seen her in almost twenty years. It was like the typical story of ‘’the one who got away.” We knew when we were both present but ignored each other.

Q) You also did music videos for “I Need It” and your first single off of Ratinoff, “Run Away.” How did you come up with the concept for both of those videos?

A) The concept for ‘’Run Away’’ and ‘’I Need It’’ came from a collective standpoint with the team I work with. We thought it would be fun to poke more fun at myself and take it from a more non serious way. It was quite liberating and a lot of fun. It’s a funny thing to make music videos. I find that the more serious you take it, the duller it is. I just try to have fun as much as I can. Shooting a music video is always going to be pompous and self-righteous, I think. And there is nothing worse than mimicking your own song when you can actually sing but might as well have fun with it. Somebody has to do it, right? [laughs]

Q) My favorite track off of Ratinoff is “Faith.” Which song off the new album was your favorite to record?

A) Thank you. Yes… “Faith’’ is definitely very special. I didn’t think it would ever see the light of day. All the songs from this album were never meant to see the light of day. And when the initial Producer Aldo Muñoz sent me the tracks, he told me, “Who would have known?” Everyone seemed to very much like the song ‘’Faith’.” To be honest, more than myself…Later, I realized that I was trying to hide it because I had written it at a time when everything was going wrong in my life. When shooting the music video the director Andy Strong told me before one shot, “Think of all the people who did you wrong and through it back in their face.” That triggered me and I became almost ferocious in different takes. In a way, I freed myself with this song. As far as the favorite one comes, every song has a special place in my heart. I really don’t remember recording any of them. It’s always a blur for me as far as recording the songs. It’s usually the first takes that stay in the record. I love first takes because they have those beautiful imperfections of humanity. Rather than recording over and over again, until it is “perfect.” I don’t like “perfect takes.” I think they are dull. Nothing to me has the ache and gut of first takes. Later we put in the music and arrangements, but usually the voice with the melody will dictate the direction sonically of the song.

Q) Your music is heavily influenced by the music from the 80’s. What is it about the music during that decade that inspired you creatively?

A) Funny enough, creatively I never come from an 80’s type mentality per say, but I get asked that a lot, which is a surprise for me because the era in which I was in high school was always the 90s. The 90s never really spoke to me much musically. I almost hated it. [laughs] Later, I got to appreciate bands like Oasis, The Verve and Suede, but as a teenager I was obsessed with bands like When in Rome, The Church and The Psychedelic Furs. Most of the kids from my high school loved bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Nirvana and I never felt like those bands spoke to me. I’ve always seen my songs as very simple pop songs. I say this a lot, but I’m probably never going to write the next “Stairway to Heaven” or “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s not my style. I just love to make music just for the thrill of making it. That is something that I take from Punk Music. One of my biggest influences is Sex Pistols “Never mind the bollocks’’ or Joy Division ‘’Unknown Pleasures’’ and a lot of the energy is that it doesn’t matter if you are good or bad, but just putting yourself out there and saying: ‘’Here I am, and take me for what I am.”

Q) What do you hope fans take away from Ratinoff?

A) What I hope for listeners to take away is that my music is universal for everyone to listen to and that it is meant to bring joy to your life.

Q) With live shows currently on hold due to the pandemic, have you had the opportunity to do any online concerts over social media?

A) With everything going on with the pandemic, a lot of things are obviously on hold like touring or even be in same room with musicians, but it has also given me an opportunity to learn how to record my own demos. I am just learning, but at least I have already lost the fear of making mistakes. I am not a producer or engineer, per say, but at least now I get to record all my musical ideas. And maybe without the pandemic I would have always relied on someone else to do it for me. It’s quite addicting having your own home studio. I love technology and love everything that is digital. I don’t like hardware because it is too expensive and I get overwhelmed. With technology there is no reason why not to create nowadays. Everything now is in the palm of your hands.

Q) When you would perform live, which venue would you consider your favorite to play?

A) I have a dream to play in Glastonbury someday.

Q) If you could collaborate with any artist or band from the 80’s, who would it be and why?

A) If I had the opportunity to collaborate with any artist or band from the 80s it would be Peter Hook from Joy Division. I am very mesmerized by his music and his bass riffs. I have seen him live about five times already and he remembers me every time he comes to San Francisco as the guy who brings his mom to his concerts. I would take Peter Hook and the Light over Joy Division or New Order any time.

Q) In no particular order, name your Top 3 favorite albums that came out in the 80’s.

A) My Top three albums are these. Two of them came out in early 90s, but still 80s bands.

The Cure – Disintegration

Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion (this came out in 93)

U2 – Achtung Baby (90)

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of your music?

A) What I would like to say to my fans and supporters is thank you for supporting my music and that there is more to come. Much love to everyone always.