We’ve written about RM47 before, late last year and their single, ‘Needed U’. We’ve also written a lot about MAAD over the years, including her singles ‘Get By’, ‘BAAD’, ‘New Religion’, and ‘Black Ice’. Now, ahead of our review of RM47’s track, ‘Strangers’, we chat with Raleigh and MAAD themselves, and ask about their collaboration, their music, and their inspirations.
Hello, thank you for speaking to us!
RM47: Thanks for having us!
First off, you’re both artists in your own right, and have collaborated in the past. What’s led you to decide to make it official and become a duo?
MAAD : A colleague of ours mentioned that we should think about forming a duo since we already have great chemistry and a solid work flow. To be honest, it’s been nice exploring new sides of our creativity so we’re extremely grateful for the suggestion.
I know for Raleigh, he’s used to being more behind the scenes so it’s been really cool watching him step into the forefront and owning his space. It’s a learning experience for both of us and we’re really enjoying it.
The name, clearly the R and M stands for Raleigh and MAAD, but what’s the 47 for?
Raleigh : 47 has to do with angel numbers & a bit of numerology. 4 is a special number I come across often and MAAD, the number 7. Along with that, the sum of the two numbers is 11… we can go into a spiral about the language of numbers.
The video for ‘Strangers’ has a great storyline to go with it. Have either of you ever thought about getting into acting?
MAAD : Thank you! People always suggest I should get into it but I personally feel like I’d want to take some acting classes first.
Funny enough, sometime last year I auditioned for a national tv show and ended up bumping into the casting director at a party and she mentioned everyone loved my tape but they ended up going with someone more familiar in the acting world. Either way, it was a great experience and might dabble in it one day.
Raleigh : We appreciate you paying attention to the storyline! A lot of detailed prep and post production to get the edit & storyline just right. Personally I’ve never really thought of acting much, but I’m not opposed to the right story & role… I do think often about directing, cinematography, scoring and foley but I’m balancing my comfort zones in front of and behind the scenes. We’re growing.
MAAD, you’re originally from New York but are now based in LA. Both are hubs in the US entertainment business, but are there many differences between the east and west coasts?
MAAD : We both are! Tons of differences but one that plays a major role in my decision on where to live is the weather. I will always rep the East Coast but I do appreciate being warm year round. In regards to the business side of things, I think the resources available on the West Coast when it comes to creating visuals is very strong. With creating music, I personally think you can be anywhere. We’ve made tons of music without being in the same space or country.
In the video for ‘Strangers’, there’s some stuffed toys on the bed – I feel like they are a “Chekhov’s Gun” of sorts, in that they are there for a reason, and possibly linked to the crying scene in the bathroom, symbolic of being in too deep? Am I right or have I read too much into this, maybe it’s completely unrelated, and they mean something different (or means nothing at all)?
I wish we could say it was placed in the shots intentionally but they were just props in the room beforehand. We appreciate you thinking that though!
What’s next for RM47?
Next up is doing more live gigs, we feel that’s one of the best ways to connect with our listeners and introduce ourselves to new audiences. Definitely can expect more music collabs, visuals, a podcast and exciting brand collabs from us. Keep your fingers crossed for film/tv roles haha!! In the future, we plan to launch an artist development label once a few more things are in motion. It’ll encompass support for artists from an array of different disciplines ranging from music to visual to technology. We both love people, community and paying it fwd, so that’ll be one of a few new ventures you’ll see from us… Raleigh also really wants to open a farm and a school in the future.
Finally, and I ask this question of everyone I talk to, what question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview, but nobody ever does?
Raleigh: I wish more people would get more in depth about artists’ interests outside of the entertainment industry… In my opinion, that’s a great way of understanding the whole person, beyond art, beyond the performance… the accumulation of stuff that music makes us whole.
Check out the music video for ‘Strangers’ below.
Follow RM47 online on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
