rayna’s Debut Single ‘Boat of Soul’ Is A Beautiful Mesh of Voice, Lyrics and Emotion

Mumbai-bred singer-songwriter Rayna Lele – who goes by her first name (stylized to rayna) – recalls how from a young age she would sing and play her piano for hours. “As a kid, I’d enjoy writing my own stories and trying to put them to tunes,” she says. However, the artist was never satisfied with whatever she came up with until she found herself picking up the guitar. “Because it was a completely new sound and experience, I started experimenting more with the guitar, and there started my songwriter journey,” says Lele.

During her late teens, the musician began journaling, writing poetry and later turning those words into songs. Her environment played a massive role in the process. She says, “The relationships I was able to foster, the experiences I had, as well as the desire to escape it for greener pastures.” Now, she’s out with her debut single as rayna in the shape of the poignant “Boat of Soul.”

The singer-songwriter penned the song in 2017 and tells us it “talks of emotions in my head.” She adds, “The song later goes on to describe what it feels like to experience emotion at that level concluding with ‘but I’ll sail, I will not fold.’’” On the sonic front, the track teems with calming piano and acoustic guitar parts as rayna steals the show with her blissful vocals. “The last chorus has vocals stacked, sounding bigger than the start of the song. This is because as the song progresses and picks up momentum, so does the idea,” says the artist.

“Boat of Soul” was produced by Mumbai-based keyboardist-producer Brent Tauro (previously of pop-rock band Strike Three). Having worked together in the past, Lele says, “We’d often share our thoughts and visions for things with each other, so he was a perfect fit. He immediately captured what I had in mind and skillfully facilitated getting it to what it sounds like today.” Tauro also mixed the track while sound engineer and producer Ayan De mastered it. “Both of whom I’m super grateful for,” says the singer.

The musician already has a chunk of songs written and in her locker and plans on working on them one at a time, beginning with the ones that move her emotionally. A music video is also on the cards. “I’d love to do some live shows as well, maybe even collaborating with other women in this space,” she says.

Stream “Boat of Soul” on Spotify below and on Apple Music.