“You’ve really got to keep your eyes open,” Raury says. “You have your back against the wall so often in terms of timing, when you want to get your album done, when you want to tour, how much money you have, all of these different factors. I was blessed enough to get the deal that I got from Columbia, because there are plenty of people out there who just didn’t have that kind of appeal, who had to change what they do because they didn’t meet the right people. It’s not even a matter of it being anybody’s fault. It’s just getting lucky with opportunities and making the most of them. You do what you have to do. There are people out there who do things they wouldn’t be proud of, but hey, they have to feed their family.”
In the course of our conversation it becomes clear Raury isn’t speaking in abstracts. Establishing exactly the kind of artist he hopes to be and aligning that with the workings of the contemporary music world is something he is all too conscious of. His first mixtape, Indigo Child, was released last year to almost instant acclaim, landing him on the shortlist for the BBC Sound of 2015 poll. Last week he unveiled his studio debut, All We Need, and it doesn’t take a betting person to foresee a huge year ahead for the 19-year old.
“I’ve got these incredible experiences, but a lot of people don’t hear from me that often any more. I’m all wrapped up in this thing, I’m in another country, so I have to remember to keep my phone charged,” he laughs. “I was never a person to call someone, to reach out all that often to begin with, so now that I’m busy the only people who tend to hear from me of late are the people I’m directly working with. My management team, they’ve become like my best friends. I mean, my manager is only 23. I met him when I was 15 and he was 19, so he’s more like a big brother, and everyone else in the management team are around the same age. We all just work together, and they’re the most immediate people in my life now.”
Raury sounds amused and thankful for the life he leads, but there remains an undercurrent of concern in his voice. Melodious as his songs are, there’s often a seriousness to his lyrics and themes. Considering his relatively young age, it’s unsurprising he carries such empathy and worry for his circle of friends; those who are also stepping into the adult world, but who might look at the success Raury has forged with resignation.
“Take a song like Crystal Express. I was an 18-year old kid graduating from high school, like all of my other friends, and I just happened to strike success with a music career. But a lot of my friends, they don’t know where they’re going to do. They don’t know what they want to go, they’re still trying to figure it out. And when the person next to you, who here happens to be me, is doing really well, you might get discouraged, you know? So Crystal Express was a song that I was hoping could breathe some life into them, tell them that if you believe in yourself and keep putting yourself out there, you need to meet your dream halfway.”
BY ADAM NORRIS
