Exclusive Interview With Raingirl

July 25, 2025

Exclusive Interview With Raingirl

With her debut single "My Protector" out on July 25th, up-and-comer RAINGIRL makes an instant impression — not with words, but with emotion. The instrumental single is a heartfelt tribute to her elder sister, whose strength in silence and unconditional love have been the constants in her life. With cozy pads, sentimental piano, and gentle violin, "My Protector" embodies the naivety of youth and safety of being fully understood.

Being the lead single for her soon-to-be-released EP Letters From My Youth Pt. 1, RAINGIRL invites us into a deeply personal world built on memory, emotion, and mood. We had the chance to talk to her about what inspired the song, her writing process, and the role women play in making real, boundary-breaking music.

1. "My Protector" is such an emotional and personal introduction to your music — could you tell us about the first moment that the concept of this song came to you? Was there a specific memory or feeling that inspired it?

I was mainly just looking back on my life so far when it came to starting work on this upcoming project and a key part of my life has been my sister, she's 10 years older than me and so she's been able to be a guiding light throughout my life and hopefully will continue to be. So there wasn't so much as a specific memory but more an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness to her, for putting up with me and sticking by my side throughout everything so far. So that's the feeling my protector is rooted in and where the idea came from.

2. The song is instrumental but is read with such raw emotion. How did you approach relaying a personal experience — specifically one involving your sister — without words?

I think the instrumental portions of this song allow a listener to add their own personal experience to this song, for a listener it doesn't have to be about a sibling but it could more so be about anyone important in their life. I worried if I added words to this track that it would come across cheesy or cringe, where as the instruments I chose work together to tell a story of admiration and thankfulness. From the piano that sounds disjointed and therefore more childlike to the violin that leads throughout the song, which symbolises the constant guiding light my sister has been, everything has meaning and works together to tell such a story.

3. You mentioned that you have represented your sister as a haven and unconditional love. How did you convey this emotional bond through sound? Were there specific instruments or melodies that you felt were imperative to capturing her essence?

I think from the start of the song with the sample of children playing to the piano which is heavily reverbed and meant to sound similar to a child just messing around on a piano, I tried to capture mine and my sisters childhood essence, that while we still have in many ways, being 23 and 33 respectively, society doesn't really allow you to lean into that playful, childish side as much but I wanted to capture that feeling more than anything, but also show the way she has been an anchor and safety net for me through the more serious instrumentation such as the violin which really is the leading instrument throughout this piece.

4. "My Protector" is the opening chapter to your EP Letters From My Youth Pt. 1. What made you look into childhood memories and root relationships as the foundation for this project?

I think in your early 20's you can have a lot of questions about why you are the way you are. What influences and people made you think and act the way you do. It's a real introspective time I feel, so naturally my work for this upcoming EP leant into that. I'm looking back on my childhood and realising that some things that happened shouldn't have and that is a real learning experience, that you'll hear more of on the upcoming EP.

5. You mention influences from fearless, boundary-pushing musicians like FKA Twigs, St. Vincent, and Paramore — how do you hear their influences in your music, and what even is "genre" to you as a musician?

I think genre has been a hot topic of conversation recently in music, think of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter release where Linda Martell says “Genres are a funny little concept arent they? Yes they are. In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand, but in practice, we’ll, some may feel confined.”

And honestly that is how I approach making music, you know the artists I've listed as inspiration such as FKA Twigs, how can she be put into a box? Her latest album is inspired by the Berlin rave scene, her last mixtape was inspired by hip hop and then you have her 2019 album Magdalene which is full of operatic ballads.

But I think that's why all these amazing female artists inspire me and how they can be heard in my music, I never expected my first professional release to be an instrumental piece but it felt fitting for the story I wanted to tell and that's what all the incredible musicians that inspire me do too, they have a story to tell and they do it in whatever way and genre they want to.

6. Being a female artist making very personal, emotional music, what has your experience been so far to get around the music industry? Do you feel the industry is shifting the way it promotes women in more open, unconventional spaces?

I definitely think there has been a shift, at least in the bigger music communities, you think pop is being dominated by female artists right now. But I do think the smaller communities still have a way to go, I definitely do feel that there is still a barrier to entry for women in the music industry and have found myself often somewhat being doubted in my knowledge of production or music theory simply because I am a woman. Which is frustrating but also ignites a fire within me to break down that barrier.

7. There is a quiet strength in "My Protector" — a form of strength that exists in softness. Is that idea of "quiet strength" one we underestimate, particularly in discussions regarding femininity and survival?

That's a really good question. I think it can be, there's a lot of talk about women being too overly emotional, which I think is just sexist rhetoric but it is often the case that women unfortunately have to have this quiet strength instead of openly expressing emotion. But there's power in this quiet strength that allows women to get back up after being knocked down and carry on, I think the quiet strength between women also unifies us, which is powerful. But it is definitely one that is underestimated for sure.

8. It's a love letter to your sister but also, in a sense, a present to everyone who's ever had someone look out for them. What do you hope people take away from the first listen of this song?

I think that's exactly it, you don't have to have a sister or a sibling to relate to My Protector. It could be a romantic partner, a close friend, a parent or even a pet. But the idea for my protector is to slow your mind down, I almost want the song to force you into a state of gratefulness, it's so easy to get caught up in what we don't have, we almost forget that someone else would be so grateful to be in our shoes, so that's what I want a listener to think of.