In the words of DJ Khalid, “And another one,” honestly, you should really be thanking us because we just continue to introduce you to so many of your soon-to-be favorite new artists, and we have yet another one you should be adding to your lists. And this one will leave you in ‘Bliss.’
So today, we have Billy Raffoul! Our friend Billy has been releasing amazing tracks for about seven years now and just continues to push out bop after bop, which does include his newest track ‘Bliss.’ If you loved ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘Acoustic,’ then we know you’ll immediately fall in love with ‘Bliss’ as fast as we did. We got to talk to Billy all about the track, songwriting, sad songs, what songs you should check out, and even a tour! So check out our convo with Billy down below for all the details!
Hello and welcome to THP Billy Raffoul! We’re so excited to be able to talk to you all about ‘Bliss!’ How were you feeling heading into the release of ‘Bliss?’ Was it different from your other releases?
The release of ‘Bliss’ was a long time coming! I’d written the song more than two years prior to its release. I was super excited to finally have this song out in the world!
So, you said ‘Bliss’ is about living by the phrase “ignorance is bliss,” and holding onto your innocence. What do you think are the pros and cons to following that phrase?
So, I was writing about my own songwriting. Wanting to rid my creative process of any inhibition and write songs the way I did when I started making music without any agenda… Just what comes naturally. I don’t know if I could follow that phrase in everyday life but when it comes to creating, I think it’s important to exercise that sometimes.
We loved ‘Bliss,’ not only because of your amazing vocals but the lyrics as well, and we know you said that you kept them simple so they can be relatable. We think the lyrics “I’m sick of waking up with sad songs stuck in my head” are the most relatable to us. With where you are currently in life, which lyrics do you relate to most?
I think the most relatable lyric in the song to me right now is, “I don’t wanna lose myself in this.” I never want to forget why I do this in the first place. Sometimes it’s easy to forget!
What we really like most about you and ‘Bliss’ is that you write and make music for the fun of it, and it really translates into your music, which is evident with you winning the 2021 SOCAN Songwriting Award. What was your favorite fun memory while creating this track?
I think one of the most fun things about creating ‘Bliss’ was that we got to keep doing it. Though it can be tedious, we restarted the production of this song 4 or 5 different times. Making sure we had it in the right key and tempo.
Writing lyrics is not always an easy task, but you always find the perfect words to express the emotions of a song. Do you have a certain mindset when writing, and how do you get past creative blocks in your writing process?
Sometimes if I’m really in love with an idea or a song but the lyric isn’t fully there yet, I will put in a placeholder lyric. For the weaker parts… knowing that I’m going to come back to make sure they’re just as good as the parts I already love.
Speaking of songwriting, what lyrics that you have written impressed you the most when looking back?
I won’t say impressed but there are lyrics that I look back on that I am still proud of even if I was questioning writing them at the time… Songs like ‘A Few More Hours at YYZ’ & ‘Homegrown.’
One of your most streamed tracks is ‘Easy Tiger,’ and we definitely see ‘Bliss’ reaching up to the same numbers. Which tracks of yours surprised you with the attention they got?
Honestly, ‘Easy Tiger’ has surprised me the most! That recording was done with a good friend in a bedroom studio. For that to have reached as many people as it has is pretty remarkable.
Fans are always talking about their favorite tracks being slept on, which track of yours do you think is underrated?
So, I have an album that is only available on YouTube. You can go listen to it for free, it’s called Olympus. I love to send people there because it’s an honest batch of songs.
In your lyrics you talk about you being tired of having sad songs stuck in your head, what songs are currently stuck in your head that you’re not tired of?
‘Teal’ by Wunderhorse hasn’t left my head since I first heard it!
Finally, what can we expect from Billy Raffoul for 2023?
More music on the way ASAP as well as more tour dates… See you on the road!
Does anybody want to carpool to a tour stop?
So what did you think about Billy Raffoul’s ‘Bliss?’ Are you going to check out Olympus? We know we are! Let us know what you think in the comments down below, on Twitter @thehoneypop, or talk to us on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out more of our interviews here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BILLY RAFFOUL:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
