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Singer/Songwriter Romaine Willis discusses her debut single ‘Milk and Sugar’

16 Aug 2021

By Mahika Panditha    Don’t you just love live music? There is something so special about watching people perform; the vibes, the audience reaction, the dancing! One of Colombo’s most popular, and definitely most talented, young women Romaine Willis sat down with us earlier this week to discuss her debut single as well as a lot of other things she is working on.  “I’m an absolute creative. My mind is a non-stop machine fueled by intense curiosity and I like to question what everyone takes at face value. I’m a recovering overthinker and perfectionist. I’ve always valued authenticity over popularity. Some may call me an extrovert, but deep down I’m just another introvert who learnt how to move like an extrovert. So yes! I often need that solitude to renew my source of inspiration and drive. It can sometimes be challenging, especially with the career path I’ve chosen. I’m always around crowds, but I’m also a fearless student of life. Someone wise once said: ‘Life’s a daring adventure, or nothing at all’,” she said to us!  Romaine is currently working on the launch of her merch brand which is called “Jade”. We are so excited to see it, and hear all her new music. If you have not yet checked her out, do run through her socials @romainewillismusic! Before I say too much, check out our interview with her.    You have a beautiful voice! How did you get into music?    Why thank you! I’ve basically been singing since diapers; I honestly can’t recall a time I wasn’t singing, coming from a very music-loving family. Both me, and my sister shared a passion for the performing arts. And growing up we always challenged and inspired each other. We still do!  I sang in the school choir. But my music career kickstarted in 2009 when I joined Choro Calibre. We used to train our vocals almost every day with experts like Francis D’ Almeida. This improved my technique and confidence immensely. After performing around the island for close to five years with Choro Calibre, I joined the corporate world as a sales representative but soon realised that I’d rather be singing my song on a stage somewhere.   So, I decided one day to take my chance and actually quit my day job. Initially, it was a big, terrifying step. I knew I didn’t have the full support of my parents and most people didn’t seem to fully believe I could make it as an artist in Srilanka. I was told many times that I needed to get a “real job”.  But my stubbornness and inability to take no for an answer was surely my driving force.  I then joined Flame, and I have been singing with the band for three years now. But it was during the pandemic that I was able to look beyond gigs and focus on my solo career, because for the first time, I actually had time to think about it. I started writing and creating melodies and found a fantastic team to work with, and it all clicked so well together.   What inspires you to be creative?   I write, read, listen, observe, dance, walk, connect with nature and strangers, and ask too many questions! Inspiration comes from many different places for me. like watching another artist produce great work that really electrifies my senses. I love stories, in the form of books, movies and songs.  I’m always inspired when I zoom out from the hustle and bustle and take a long hard look at life! I think about how challenging life is for just about everyone, when you get down to the details, and how we're all in it together, in some way. I feel like it's my duty and honour to make people FEEL. I want to give them something beautiful, precious, awakening, funny, offensive...something to get their blood pumping.    Tell us about Milk and Sugar. What was the process like writing and recording it?    Milk and Sugar is my debut single, and it was released on 24 June, and you can listen to it on all platforms. To the credit of everyone involved, I thought the song came to fruition really quick. Me and Murandu Music (the producer) were so hellbent on getting the single released as soon as possible.  We have been very passionate about this song since its inception. I knew exactly what I wanted and I was not ready to settle for anything less. Thankfully everybody’s contribution was reciprocated by all others.  We spent two days at the Mervin Rodrigo Recording studio recording Milk and Sugar. Everyone worked 100 miles an hour. From start to finish, it all happened within a couple of months. Which is mad, because I've had other songs that have sat around for years. I wrote the song myself, and Randall Head helped me with the bridge. Murandu Music did the production, mixing, and mastering. We had Ashane Bernard on piano, Shivy Fernando on bass guitar, and Roshane Silva on sax. The group was so easy and inspiring to work with; they were super talented but so humble and ego-neutral, and did what was best for the song. I am super blessed to have got the opportunity to work with these artists who are also amazing human beings.   What is the story behind it?    Simply put, the song was inspired by my love for a calming cuppa. I’ve always been a big tea lover. That intoxicating feeling that the first sip of caffeine brings you at the start of the day – that conviction that you can do anything! It truly is my survival juice, my morning fix. Kind of how I feel whenever I’m around that special someone. Milk and Sugar likens the nurturing and sustaining feel of this iconic brew to the sensation of love – we have little idea of what it means, yet suddenly find ourselves intoxicated by a blend of feel-good chemicals, coupled with an overwhelming desire to be closer to another. I was inspired to write this song when I was in the south of Sri Lanka, sitting next to someone very special and of course, sipping tea! All it took was something simple like him passing me milk and sugar (because that’s how I like my tea), and I just realised that he was the milk and sugar to my life.  The line: “He’s milk and sugar in my tea.” Never left my mind since. When I got home that night, I knew I had to put something down on paper. So, I just sat down and wrote a chorus, verse, and then another until I had a complete song.   What has been your most memorable moment in your journey so far?    Releasing my debut single as an independent artist! Doing my own research, learning all about the industry, building my own release plan and putting the right team together all on my own was quite overwhelming at times. It’s easy to put up mental barriers and tell yourself you can’t do something. But it takes a lot of courage to pick yourself back up whenever you feel like giving up. I learnt that confusion is part of the process, and waiting for the “right” time is just another excuse. Patience is a virtue – the excitement of starting out can soon turn to frustration when things don’t seem to move as fast as you. Don’t be afraid to not know things, when you’re most challenged and least likely to ask for help, swallow that ego and ask! Life is nothing but a fun little learning curve, and the day I realised this is the day everything changed for me. The response to Milk and Sugar was beyond my wildest expectations, the greatest reward of all! Since this was my first song, I’m not going to lie. I was skeptical about it – being a bit of a perfectionist – since it’s not the usual sound you hear in Sri Lanka. I didn’t know what to expect from the audience.   Then people just loved the song! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Still hasn’t dawned on me I’ve released my first official single! Such a milestone in my life and career. And for it to be featured on BBC Asia Network and top the YES homegrown charts for three consecutive weeks? I’m absolutely humbled.    Can you give us an insight into the music video that will be released next month?   Making my very first music video happen was such an amazing journey with a big learning curve. I got the chance to do everything from scratch, on my own – putting together a team, understanding the basics of making a music video, finding locations, sourcing equipment – even hair and makeup, and seeing it through from start to end.  The video itself is very creative, very artsy, and different from other videos in the local music industry. Instead of a clear storyline, we revolved the entire video around abstract art that complements the song and spreads positivity.    When can we expect more music from you? We are so excited!    Stay tuned cause they are gonna keep coming! I remember a time when I was feeling very guilty about not making my own music whenever anyone asked me about originals. At that point I had lost direction in my life and was quite miserable within. I craved answers. And in the past two years with all that isolation came the brutal realisation that if I continued to live my life the way I’ve always been living (prioritising everything and everyone else but me) I’d probably never get to see my goals come to fruition. It was like a switch went off and all of a sudden, I was a different person. I made a conscious decision to see myself and the world differently.  I moved through my days so productively. I was doing more and procrastinating less. I learnt how to turn jealousy into inspiration. So, I started writing, hesitantly at first, but then more confidently. I had so many unfinished songs in my notebook, and I finally had the time to revisit them and complete them. Now I have a big stock of originals lined up to be put out in the next two years. I’ve written so much music in the past two years, and every one of them is special because my feelings and experiences inspired them. They mean a lot to me, and I’m looking forward to creating unique music videos for them. I’m working with my team and some great sponsors whose belief systems echo my own. There’s lots of work in the pipeline and lots of music to be launched. So like I said, stay tuned!   How would you describe your style in terms of your voice, your sound and so on?   When it comes to music, I don’t like sticking to one genre. I have been exposed to different kinds of music: as a kid I listened to what my parents listened to, in school it was gospel, with Choro Calibre it was classical, with Flame I was exposed to jazz and music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, my sister has her own style, and I myself listen to a lot of indie, neo soul, and nu jazz. I never could pick out a genre, and I didn’t want to either. I love singing jazz, reggae, pop, soul and R&B, and more than anything I love mashing up different genres, so my music is like a melting pot of all genres. However, I think that I’ve really grown as a musician because, when I first started singing, I didn’t have any style of my own. Naturally, since I was so young, just about three/four years of age, I kind of did what I thought was a good imitation of singers. My instrument is my body, so it is always in flux, and my identity as a singer has gone through many transformations as a result. Now, I actually have my own way of singing. I’ve been told I’ve a unique sound and at first, I took offence, but I later realised it’s because I’m actually singing like myself.    Who are some of your biggest inspirations?   My sister, the bravest soul I know. My parents! Where do I even begin? Russ and his inspiring story about the power of independence. The global icons, Billie Eilish and her unique style, Arianna Grande and her powerhouse vocals. The list goes on. I find inspiration everywhere and in everything.     And the most important one of all is myself in five years. I know exactly who I want to grow into in five years and that’s my biggest source of inspiration and motivation to keep going.    PHOTOS © YASEEN KHAN  


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