By: Staff
A Seductive New Sound Has Arrived: And It’s Just the Beginning
There’s a new voice emerging, one that drips with sensuality, rhythm, and an effortless cool that commands attention. A fresh release has just hit the scene, weaving together hypnotic beats, raw intimacy, and a sound that feels both deeply personal and universally electric.
This isn’t just another song; it’s a rebirth. A transformation. The kind of track that lingers in your mind long after the last note fades, leaving you wanting more.
But who is the artist behind this intoxicating sound? What inspired this sonic evolution? And how did a late-night, tequila-fueled studio session shape
what might be their most defining moment yet?
We got together with Von LaRae for an exclusive interview to dive into the stories and moments behind the music, exploring the artistry, the movement, and the message in
The Cage Music Blog. We’re beyond excited to share it with
Scroll down for the full interview.
Begin Interview:
Hello Von LaRae, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. For the fans meeting you for the first time, Is Von LaRae your name or a stage name? What inspired you to choose that for your artist persona?
A. My first and middle name is DaVon LaRae, and I want something that was separate, yet still very personal. I remember about 4 years ago when I started, I was on the phone with an old friend just trying to come up with names that felt like they could still resonate with me years later. Many of my friends know me by Von and I also grew to really love my name as it is very unique. To this day, I feel like it was the perfect choice.
Q. OMG this release "2 Is Company" is everything we love! It's sexy, it’s danceable and your vocal delivery is amazing and beautiful! WOW! We read it marks a significant rebirth for you as an artist. Can you describe what that transformation feels like and what inspired this new chapter in your music?
A. Well first, thank you so much, that really means a lot. Where do I begin, I think that my first two albums were created in a very different headspace. ‘The Art Of Sex’, being my debut, was balls to the wall. If I liked it, it stuck. The album had so many genres, and while it is a fan favorite with songs like ‘Speed Racer’ and ‘Reverse’, it was really made during a very chaotic time in my life. My sophomore project, ‘A.D.O.N.I.S’ was an homage to artists that I listened to growing up and a radio station my mom always had on back home, 106.7 WTLC. It was very nostalgic RnB while also still having some progressive elements. I think that ‘2 Is Company’, both the song and project, feel like Von LaRae. The transformation into this era has been years in the making, and if anything, I let life do all the talking for me. I think this song and project really captures my inner mind and also reveals my roots as a person. After all the pieces clicked together, this album feels the most personal to me so far and I hold it very very closely. While I know that I will keep evolving and transforming my art, this album feels like a very strong change in trajectory of what my sound is to come in the future, one that is more personal and vulnerable.
Q. Your music is heavily influenced by African Diaspora dance. How has studying that movement shaped your sound and the way you approach songwriting?
A. I started studying the music and dance my freshman year of college and it was the most life-changing experience ever. Something in the movement, the very free-flowing yet controlled movement is very grounding. I think I started to draw more inspiration from the percussive elements of the diaspora into my music. I find myself making music that makes you want to move, heels digging into the earth.
Q. You’ve mentioned that "2 Is Company" explores escapism and intimacy. How did these themes evolve in your life and find their way into your music?
A. These are things I have explored in my previous albums, but I think that they were more or so things that I was in constant battle with. Now, with this song and project, I finally feel like I have killed what I was fighting with for so long. I think you really start to see a light at the end of the tunnel with this record.
Q. You recorded and produced this track entirely by yourself during a late-night, tequila-fueled session back home. Can you take us back to that moment and how it shaped the song’s energy?
A. I was at home in Indianapolis, IN for winter break before my final semester of college, and going through it is an understatement. I remember just pouring my heart out on the phone with a really good friend about what I was going through and they basically told me to find a way to take my mind off of it and distract myself. What better distraction than a studio session? So I hit the DAW and got to work. I think I had to start making it in that state because the emotion was too raw, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get it the next day hungover. I think it definitely aided in building the vision in my head that closely relates to my actual experiences in that couple month span. From the tequila to one-night stands, I think the record really captures the feeling of late-night escapades.
Q. "I don’t need them to tell me about us." This quote is such a powerful statement. What was the inspiration that birthed such a bold statement?
A. I had so many conversations with friends and family about my relationship as I was really relying on my people to give me some sort of direction towards healing or making a “right” choice. This led to me making decisions and saying things not from my own tongue, but from someone else’s. After a while, having conversations with not only my partner but myself as well, I realized that this was something that had to come from my own intuition and emotional intelligence. At the end of the day, it is my own lived experience and I have to be the one to make the step forward. Another thing was that people don’t ever get the full scope of a situation that they are not in, so nobody truly understands the dynamic you share with your partner other than the two of you.
Q. Your influences include Mahalia, Tyla, Amaarae, and Alex Isley. What elements from their artistry resonate with you the most, and how do they manifest in your music?
A. I really started listening to these ladies a couple years ago, and all of them made a very profound impact on me as an artist. I really appreciate Mahalia’s vulnerability in her album that literally healed my chakras, IRL. I think just listening to her gave me the desire to challenge myself in songwriting. Tyla and Amaarae have that sonic sound that just moves you, and I strongly needed that energy in my life. It seeped into my artistry as I found that there is more to the genre than what I was just hearing in college, and I found myself studying more African artists, but they were definitely at the top of my list cause nobody does it like the girls. Lastly, Alex Isley blessed my ears through my friend and creative confidante, Tre’Vaughn, and I was instantly invested. I just think that she really knows how to create a luxurious and sensual vibe to her music and I think her music also allowed me to really open myself to newer sonic elements in my music.
Q. You’ve described "2 Is Company" as the opening to a deeply personal and intimate story. Without giving too much away, what can listeners expect from the rest of this era?
A. I think people can expect storytelling and also a better sonic experience. I have really put a lot of thought into everything from outfit aesthetic to videos, to sonic cohesion. I am finally at a place in my career where my budget allows me to expand and create the ideas I have been holding onto for so long. There is also some new surprises in this project and I took some leaps, creating extra tracks and elements to really hedge the idea that I am forever evolving just as my music is.
Q. The idea of shedding the past and rebirth is central to this track. Looking back, what part of your artistry or personal life do you feel you’ve outgrown?
A. I think I have really outgrown the idea of timelines, which is so ironic because I have to plan not only my day to day, deadlines for projects and announcements and such. What I mean, though, is that I have outgrown the idea of putting my creativity on a deadline. My first two projects were met with deadlines for everything to when I needed to have songs done, down to having the final masters to be distributed. I think this cycle has been more or so spontaneous as the album just kind of fell together. I think this idea definitely seeps into my personal life as I have also just found myself allowing life to unfold before me. Although control is an illusion I do find myself holding onto, I think I have slowly let art imitate life, and vice versa.
Q. Your upcoming performance at the Rabbit Hole in New Orleans sounds exciting! What can fans expect from your live show, and how does performing live differ from how you deliver your music in the studio?
A. At the time of this interview, I actually just played the show two nights ago. It was such a dream to be in a room filled with love and energy. I also want to take a moment to shout out Adele with Art2ActionCo for always inviting me to play and really believing in me as an artist, even on such a small scale. While I am not at the point of my career where I have a big band, I think my performance abilities and stage presence is really what keeps people engaged. I think since my music is on the chiller side, many people don’t expect the choreography and agility I bring to the stage. When I perform, it’s like a switch in my brain and I instantly become a different person, like a spirit is taking over. I think fans and supporters really become a part of the world that my music creates. I look out and se people singing and dancing with me, as well as people lost in a trance on the dance floor. It is truly an unmatched feeling.
Q. You’ve mentioned going through a difficult time while writing this song. How did music serve as an outlet for you during that period?
A. Escapism, plain and simple. This song, when tied into the rest of the album, can show a complete facade and crack in the mask from the very beginning. At the same time, I think it revealed another side to my personality that I thought I could never untether myself from. A persona that is so ingrained in a life of partying, sex, drugs, alcohol, it almost was feeling as though that is who I was and who I was meant to be. Now, I think this album has shown me that I can slow down, breathe, and find enjoyment in the smaller and quieter moments.
Q. Being both the producer and vocalist on your track, how do you balance these roles? Do you approach production and singing differently, or do they naturally blend in your creative process?
A. Honestly, from the moment I started music, and I mean back to singing in my choir days, I have been a student. I appreciate the energy I have been able to put forth into learning different technical aspects of production, from not only piecing together the sonic puzzle, but finding the right vocal layering to create the entire sonic landscape. In terms of finding balance in the roles, I am as chaotic as it gets. I bounce around a lot from song to song, hearing new vocal ideas or different production elements in my head. Next thing I know, a song is done before I even know it if I am being honest.
Q. If someone were listening to "2 Is Company" for the first time, what do you hope they take away from it?
A. Honestly, I hope they see the world I am building with this project. I know I said that, lyrically, there is a mask. I am hoping that people can read between the lines and see the vulnerability underneath. After listening, I really hope that it inspires people to love fully and appreciate the more subtle moments in our connections with other people.
Von LaRae, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Von LaRae’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Check out this latest release and listen to more on Spotify & YouTube
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