Like Big Mama Thornton and Sister Rosetta Tharp before her, Rasha Jay is not afraid to blast away convention and dive headlong into a world which has long been the domain of white men. Fusing her knotted, raw soul vocals to a maelstrom of blues-based alt-rock, Rasha has both taken rock back to its roots and yet also managed to keep her music fresh and urgent. Taking influence from musical mavericks like Prince and rock royalty like Foo Fighters, Rasha Jay is the injection of new blood that rock was crying out for.
Inspired by her Uncle Larry’s eclectic record collection which she listened to as a child, Rasha grew to not only embrace different musical styles but also to have confidence with her own voice, happy to keep the raw edge, just as so many blues and soul hollerers before her have. To use Rasha’s own words:
“a previous time when women wailed with no apology”
Taken from her forthcoming EP, High Dive, “Red Coat” is a slowly burning track which emerges from Portishead-like atmospherics to take on an insistent drum beat and a grinding guitar riff, all whilst Rasha’s reassuringly strong vocals keep the audience on their toes. Rasha’s music is not political but touches upon the human condition in all its guises, from the abrasiveness of Red Coat as well as the vulnerable and more unguarded aspects of Love Enough. Her music and lyrics are about keeping the raw power of her music completely pure and projecting it to audiences of all kinds.
Rasha Jay’s voice has the ability to both move and inspire – away from music, she has successfully spoken at schools and has recorded audiobooks for others. Having grown up in the small town of Owings, Maryland, she is an example to anyone wanting to make music that no matter where you’re from or what your musical tastes are that you should trust yourself and have the confidence to both write and sing with your own voice.
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