Where are you from?
From Toronto/Live in Brampton
What does your band name mean?
You know how you’d tell your friend with muscles to flex? R. Flex is like that. It’s short for Ryan Flex. So, when I sing, I flex my vocals
What genre do you consider yourself? Why?
R&B cause I rock with it 😉
What brought you together?
Back in university, I did a radio show called Rainbow Radio. I discovered all this music I love from international and local artists. So I contacted different producers in the area and started collaborating.
What drew you to music?
Honestly, Kelela. She made me want to do it. The way she framed herself as “interrupting the beat” with her voice on premade beats was inspiring. I thought, “I wanna do that, too!”
What are some of your most influential bands? Why?
Janet Jackson, Kelela, and FKA Twigs are not bands. But they all hire one and sound great live.
What was your first song together?
Predator from my first mixtape Hologram.
What is your song writing process?
Producers send me a beat and I write to it. Then I bring it to the studio and build from there
How has your music evolved since you began playing together?
My sound has grown. The folx I work with know what’s up. I wanna work with more women.
What songs do you perform the most often?
Thursday, In & Out, & Babylonia
Do you play any covers?
I do a cover of What You Won’t Do For Love that takes you to outer space. My fans love it
Do you have a set play list?
When, I perform, I have several
Is there a secret meaning in any of your music?
Babylonia is a reference to a club in Queer as Folk US. I thought it was a cool title because 1. they filmed in QAF in Toronto and 2. there was a backroom in the club where everyone went to hook up
What is your favorite part of working in music?
Writing, singing, and performing
What is your least favorite part of working in music?
Promoting
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety? If so how?
Yeah. I did this one open mic at The Spot and I was just shook. My friend coached me after and I felt better
How old were you when you started playing your instrument?
11
How do you describe your music to people?
R&B/pop/electronic
What image do you hope your music conveys?
I hope people see stars and winding patterns
Where have you performed?
Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton, Guelph, Brampton. Next, I wanna go more east and more west in Canada
Do you have any up coming shows?
Oct 27, but that’s tentative. Stay tuned!
What is your greatest achievement to date?
My longtime friendships
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a band?
Being patient. You don’t make bread without rolling into more dough, so I’m learning to be patient with myself and other people. All things in time
Are you happy with the current success of your band?
Yep!
What is the ultimate direction for your band?
To headline a tour in Europe and North America and meet all the angels in the world
What steps have you taken to get there?
Hitting up booking agents and applying to festivals
What steps do you still have to do?
Land a booker and send out those applications
How do you feel about the internet and the music business?
It’s great for connecting with the fans. It’s so direct. They can know what you think and how you think and you can know what they think of you. It’s beautiful
What is your favorite concert you’ve attended?
Tie between Tanya Tagaq at Aeolian Hall in 2014 & Kanye West/Kendrick Lamar at Air Canada Centre in 2013
What do you do besides music?
I write. Submitted a manuscript of poetry not too long ago
What is something you would like to tell your younger self?
It’s okay to cry. Cry as much as you want. It’s okay to be a girl. Boys truly truly suck
What is your favorite song? (not by your band)
My favourite song right now is Ariana Grande’s “R.E.M”.
What do you wish you spent more time doing 5 years ago?
Travelling
What advice do you have others wanting to start their own bands?
D.B.A.D: Don’t be a d**k
Any last words?
Judah Jump just dropped our collab “Kiss”. Check it out on Spotify
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