Rella is making her mark in the music industry by following the footsteps of her fellow high school alum, Taylor Swift. With her new single “Maryland,” the budding Nashville artist touches upon drug use and how there is always time to start over. Just like her idol, she had her heart broken in her early 20s. Therefore, she picked up her guitar and started to write songs and found her love for combining storytelling with songwriting.
In her debut single “Intervention,” Rella flexes her songwriting capabilities and highlights what it feels like to fall out of love. The 2019 single gained so much traction that it was featured in The Last Christmas Party motion-picture album, along with her two other singles, “Wherever You Are” and “Insecure.”
However, in her most recent single, “Maryland,” the artist touches on a more serious subject. The song is from the perspective of an addict, and how substance abuse is usually used as a crutch to forget about personal problems. The inspiration behind the lyrics came from real-life experiences, as several members of her family fell under the influence. Now, Rella hopes her listeners will “hear it and realize that it’s never too late to get your life on the right track and work on yourself.”
While releasing music about hard-hitting topics, that many will find relatable and moving – she also collaborates with musicians to create uplifting hits. In fact, the emerging artist recently teamed up with EDM creator Pineapple Island, for “Not Over.” The duo penned the song during quarantine over Zoom and filmed the music video in Long Island, New York.
Celeb Secrets sits down (virtually) with Rella to learn more about her musical journey, her song “Maryland” and more. Make sure to listen to her new single and don’t forget to let us know what you think of it by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets. You can learn more by reading our full Q&A below and following her on Instagram at @rellagood.
Celeb Secrets: What first initially sparked an interest to pursue music professionally?
Rella: “Hello, thanks for having me. Well, I got my heart horrifically broken when I was 20 by someone I wasn’t even really dating and it was just a long drawn out back and forth between the two of us that finally ended when they started dating someone else, so to get through that I wrote a bunch of songs because my emotions were so out of control and songwriting helped me to work through what I was feeling in a healthy way. In that period of time, I wrote my first single “Intervention” and I showed it to some friends and they encouraged me to do something with it so that’s what started everything!”
Celeb Secrets: You approach indie-pop through a country lens, could you tell us about this unique perspective and sound?
Rella: “I grew up in the suburbs of Nashville in a really country music-centric place. My town was home to Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, June Carter, and Taylor Swift, who went to the same high school as me, so I was raised with that influence. But as an adult, I love indie music and rock and roll and smaller indie artists, so I think there’s just a natural mesh of those two sounds that manifests in my music.”
CS: Who are some artists that inspire your music?
R: “Taylor Swift is definitely my number one influence, but I’m also really inspired by SZA, Ariana Grande, Amy Winehouse, Soccer Mommy, and Hole.”
CS: Can you talk to us about the creative process and inspiration behind the single “Maryland”?
R: “I wrote the song from the perspective of a recovered addict, and I’m not personally an addict but I have many family members who are or were in my own life. I relate to the chaos and flightiness of addiction. The song is pretty much fiction but it inspired me by the way that I am in relationships.”
CS: What do you hope listeners take away from your single “Maryland”?
R: “I hope for people to hear it and realize that it’s never too late to get your life on the right track and work on yourself, and also if you feel like someone is important to you, you should tell them, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve seen them or what has happened between you.”
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CS: How is “Maryland” different from any other tracks you have released in the past?
R: “I recorded this one in Nashville whereas all of my other songs were recorded in New York, so I think this one definitely has more of a Nashville, real-instrument sound to it than my other stuff.”
CS: What was your favorite memory while recording “Maryland”?
R: “My producer March Martin and I had a really good time recording this song and goofing off. One of the lines in the song says, “It might already be too late but-” and I had to record that line over and over and it didn’t even sound like real words anymore, and March randomly said “Classic late butt.” And now every time I hear that line I think of classic late butt!”
CS: Could we expect a music video for “Maryland” anytime soon?
R: “Maybe! If I get a lot of support on the song and demand for a video I would love to have one.”
CS: Is there more music on the way? If so, what can you tell us about what’s to come?
R: “There is definitely more music on the way! I am always writing new songs and I can’t wait for people to hear what I’m working on right now.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, can you share a secret or fun fact about yourself that both our readers and your fans wouldn’t know about you?
R: “Fun fact, when I was in elementary school I watched Johnny Cash’s house burn down because I was at recess and I could see the smoke and flames (his house was right near my school).”
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