Few artists are able to shut down venues because their performance has reached capacity restrictions, but that was no problem for Rhia when the illustrious Sydney Opera House had to close its doors on the night of one of her many starring performances at the venue. Thousands of fans may have been disappointed that night at not being allowed in, but are clearly not let down by Rhia’s new song ‘Fire.’, which has just been graced with honors from the Global Music Awards, the Hollywood Songwriting Awards, and has been selected as a Finalist in the running to win Unsigned Only. Only 4% of the people who enter the prominent music competition get selected as Finalists.
An expert in the music industry for two decades, Rhia has certainly made a name for herself and is the perfect example for how an artist can build success by remaining loyal to her roots. Australian-born Rhia has a mixed Indian and British background that gracefully radiates through in her artistry, style and performances, making her work truly resonant.
With performances alongside major household names, collaborations with award-winning producers and artists, and features at some of Australia’s premier venues, it’s easy to understand why ‘Fire.’ is already blazing a trail. In the short amount of time since its release, ‘Fire.’ has already generated hundreds of thousands of plays across major streaming services, as well as copious amounts of interviews, articles, and reviews.
Produced by Samuel PK Smith (Bebe Rexha) and written, edited and co-produced by Rhia herself, ‘Fire.’ is an anthemic electro-pop expression of her own efforts to find freedom from relationships that have held her back in life.
“It was a natural process to be honest, I took a couple of passes on the mic and once I had the melody I started to focus on the lyrics,” Rhia explains.
“I always try to make my writing relate to something I’ve felt, but allow it to be open for interpretation; especially if I’m writing for someone else. I ended up finding that the concept didn’t hit home with me through the lyrics and I ended up re-writing them a couple of times. From there I went into the studio.”
Rhia has remained one of Australia’s biggest exports, who nevertheless retains her Australian identity. Having played at the Sydney Opera House several times she has forged an ongoing relationship with the famous venue as a favourite performer.
This isn’t the only illustrious Australian stage in which Rhia has a strong connection, however. Rhia has also performed at the iconic Tamworth Country Music Festival, Chapel off Chapel, and the Tanks Art Centre, another of Australia’s most well-known venues. Chapel off Chapel, the Hamer Hall and the Tanks Art Centre boast a rotation of fellow superstar acts, including Coldplay, Jimmy Barnes, The Foo Fighters, The Living End, Wolfmother and Missy Higgens. Her performances here have further cemented her place alongside other legendary Australian performers, underscoring not only her successes, but her impeccable reputation as a hard worker and committed artist.
At the Bayside Christmas Carols event, one of the largest Christmas carolling events in Australia, Rhia performed to over twice to upward of 20,000 attendees and connected with her community in a more intimate way during the holiday season than other performances would have otherwise allowed. It’s performances such as these, and other roles like her participation as a judge at the incredibly popular Fast Track Talent Show, that shed further light on why she is such a well-respected figure in the music scene.
Her openness and generosity is made all the more significant when considering that Rhia is frequently honored by awards organisations for her own unparalleled talent. She has recently been announced as a winner of the 2019 Hollywood Songwriting Contest for her upcoming releases and her song ‘Fire.,’ as well as the ATMA’s, the American Songwriting Awards.
It goes without saying that Rhia is on fire herself and busy with several upcoming projects, this time broadening her reach to the US. While Rhia has some roots in America already, having studied at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music, the next year truly represents an elevation of her music to a different demographic. In many ways, the presence she has in the US simply underscores the globally resonant nature of Rhia’s personality and artistry.
“Yeah I’m really looking forward to my shows... I’m dying to announce them, haha. I also have lots of releases coming out so I’m getting pretty excited to show everyone what’s next. I really care about these songs because they’ve played such a big role in my life recently.”
Pointedly, Rhia is set to work with Grammy-Award Nominee Adam Deitch, who has toured heavily with his bands Lettuce, Break Science, and Pretty Lights, and also works as a producer, writer, and drummer. His producing label has worked with John Mayer, John Scofield, and Justin Timberlake. The pair will be releasing music under Break Science and also as a duo, and look forward to sharing further announcements with us soon.
Listen to “Fire.” here: https://open.spotify.com/album/3jSpDbtsmCLvEzqhA5ZIMV and keep an eye on https://www.rhiamusicofficial.com for more.