The Intake Form is Flavorwire’s new questionnaire feature spotlighting emerging musicians worth your time, paired with a premiere from the artist. Here, we premiere the “Barbara” video from K Records’ Ruby Fray and get a little weird with the self-dubbed “psychedelic witch-wave” singer-songwriter from Austin via Olympia.
Since its late-September release, Grackle — Emily Beanblossom’s second release under her Ruby Fray pseudonym — has been creeping into my dreams. The album is very versatile in that way: it works for when you need a slow-burner that sounds like Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” or a modernization of Jefferson Airplane, something in the vein of PJ Harvey (but a little folkier/more synth-driven), or an alternative to Beach House’s 2012 album Bloom. The element that keeps it together is Beanblossom’s prevailing darkness, which serves as an undercurrent even on songs that are clearly meant to be upbeat. Needless to say, we’re fans, which is why we’re debuting Ruby Fray’s new video for Grackle track “Barbara.” Watch below, and read Emily’s responses to our Intake questionnaire below.
What’s the best thing a critic could write about your music? That they were inspired to make something else, or it reminded them of something from their memory. Like a family vacation when they were nine, or an old Eastern European movie.
What’s the worst thing a critic could write about your music? The worst thing would be if they said it sounded like it was made by a total zero loser hack. Or, or! It’s pretty good, for a girl.
Your personal philosophy: If you go into a restaurant, quit trying to change the menu when you order unless you have an allergy.
If you didn’t play music, what would you do instead? Have kids and make crock-pot dinners every single night.
A fictional character you personally relate to: Tiffany [Jennifer Lawrence] in Silver Linings Handbook.
Has technology helped or hurt music culture? How so? Helped! Technology gave us the electric guitar, and the synthesizer, and the ability to access information.
Lyric or piece of music you’re most proud of having written: I like the song “Anthony” on my album Grackle. It’s such a rock opera, it came out of nowhere.
Tell us about your weirdest night on tour (that you can remember, of course): In Denver, the show was sold out (to ghosts), i.e. there were about five people watching, and the percentage of people throwing POI was unreasonably high, based on the head count. Everyone was nice though, so it really wasn’t that weird. 🙂
Your biggest fault: Worrying about unreasonable things.
Something you have an irrational hatred for: Gluten allergies.
Whose career would you most like to have? Soapmaker and a singer. Can I do both?
Preferred way to die: Real quick.