Q: We listened to your song ‘Ghost’ and now I can’t get it out of my head! Can you tell us what was the inspiration behind ‘Ghost’?
SUNNY RIOT: Thank you…..Yes it was a dive into my psyche….why did I think and act in certain, negative, detrimental ways? Those patterns started from such a young age and I came to the conclusion that they were programmed and I never had a choice. I often thought about suicide growing up and the inspiration behind this song was to tell myself and anyone else suffering similarly, that you don’t have to entertain the thoughts of killing yourself. Shoot the Ghost inside your head instead.
Q: Tell us how you found out you wanted to be a musician?
SUNNY RIOT: I knew at a certain point in my life, maybe 9 or 10 years old, that I had the ability to construct, write and arrange songs by myself. I remember thinking that if I can do this then everybody is able to. Turns out, that wasn’t the case. Literally everyone else I hung around with at that stage in my life had a clue how to do it. So I knew then that it was something I wanted to do as a career.
Q: ‘Ghost’ has a captivating music video that fits perfectly with the song. What’s your favorite memory of the music video process?
SUNNY RIOT: Thank you. Honestly it was a small shoot with two of my closest friends. We had the freedom to do whatever we wanted and it was just so much fun to be able to work together freely with no egos or agenda other than let’s make a video and have a good time doing it. My personal highlight was seeing the actors get into the roles.
Q: Who are some of your biggest influences?
SUNNY RIOT: David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Ray Davies, Queen, Elton John, Alan Watts, Russel Brand, Robert Downey Jr, Bill Hicks, The Cure.
Q: Your EP ‘Cultivate the Silence’ was recently released, congratulations! What is your favorite song off the EP and why?
SUNNY RIOT: I would have to say Here somehow. Just because it is so personal to me. It was a song I wrote by myself in a dark room and it was very literal. It’s almost a mini biography. To be able to put that out in the world and have it connect and make a difference in one persons life, is the biggest gift.
Q: What’s coming next for you?
SUNNY RIOT: I’m putting a lot of time and commitment into raising my son who is nearly 2. I will continue to write and compose music. I have a couple of TV projects I am going to score and I am in the middle of writing and recording another EP for my Sunny Riot project. Remembering to enjoy my time on earth, moment to moment through it all (hopefully).
Interviewed by Kaitlyn Westerman
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