Words by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Anderson PR
Royse chatted with us about her songwriting process, her song “Madness,” and the process behind creating the music video.
When did singing go from a hobby to something you saw yourself doing for the rest of your life?
When I was 16 years old, I entered into a songwriting contest which put your song on the radio and at that moment I was like, hey I think I can actually really do this. But also even before that, I’ve always known music has been something I’ve had to do.
Do you take time to write music every day or do you only write when inspiration hits?
I think both. I try to always come up with new concepts. Sometimes I’ll just write down things my friends say because it sounds like a good song title to me. But my favorite is when I really feel something, and I stop everything I am doing and just pour my heart into a song and get something out of that.
You’re very vulnerable in your music. Does it ever feel scary to put yourself out there?
Of course! It’s always scary when you put your heart out there. But I always say I’ve been through so much that I want it to mean something. If one person can relate to me, or one person can feel inspired, it’s all worth it.
Tell us about your newest single “Madness.” What was the inspiration for that song?
The song Madness is a mix of things – the madness sometimes between people, from the madness that’s in this world, but the one I’m talking about is getting through the madness with somebody, and being there for each other. Sometimes we’re lost and sometimes we are found. Sometimes we’re scared to be lost or found, just stuck in the middle. I’m just trying to make a difference in this world and also help everyone who wants to get out of the Madness.
You worked with Christian Guiton on the music video for “Madness.” What was that process like?
That process was amazing. Christian is a great friend of mine. He is such a funny, nice and down to earth guy, working with him was a blast. He is an amazing director.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
There’s so much advice I would give but the main one is get the vision. See where you want to go and keep your eyes there. Never give up when things look like you should, always keep believing and fighting. And remember why you started in the first place.
