spotlight wrabel Wow, that’s like the best compliment that anyone
in the whole world could give. That song I think is the most personal I’ve ever gotten, although my first EP had a song on it called “Give it Time.” I actually just reviewed it online yesterday and oh my god, people were so mean and I was so proud of those lyrics. (Laughs) They were so simple and used such plain language, “You said you had to go, back to Ohio” and another was “I met your family and they were nice to me.” I remember thinking when I was writing them, “Dude, this is dope.” (Laughs) It was so funny to see all the comments online about my “ungroomed neck beard” or how “kindergarten” the lyrics were. You know what, kindergarten was also dope, so just back off. (Laughs) “11 Blocks” was different though, it was hard to write and it was also hard to release, even more that it was hard to write. It was so personal and so real. It is a very vulnerable piece of music, but that’s why people relate to it, I think. What has perform- ing it live been like for you? It’s so cathartic to do it live, especially now. I
wrote it with one of my best friends, Alex Hope and I still can’t believe what it did last year, it was such a rollercoaster. Within four months it was on the radio, then within three months I was signed by L.A. Reid [Chairman and CEO of Epic Records]. Then in six months, I was on tour opening for Andy Gram- mar and Gavin DeGraw, playing it every night with the map from my apartment to my ex-boyfriend’s as a backdrop. It was crazy, but really, really cool. To see how people reacted, was just so cool, playing that song every night and everyone singing along to every word. Having people come up and ask me to draw the map on their arms or their ticket or whatever it was. I guess when you share something that is so true to who you are, then people relate to that part of it. They hear their own stories. It’s the idea of coming from vulnerability. If you want people to respond to you on that level, you have to be willing to take the risk yourself. That’s the great hallmark of powerful music. Absolutely. For me, if I’m writing a song and I
don’t feel like I’m risking anything, it doesn’t work. One of the biggest things I’ve learned in the past year, is how powerful an honest song can be. I’ve known that in my own life from listening to my favorite songs and music. But to then become the artist and step into that, to share a story and have them react and respond and interact with it, has been
a trip. It’s been so, so, so inspiring to me as an artist. If somebody feels like they’re connecting with
me via my songs, they literally are and that’s important to me. It’s not like you’re connecting with some weird, made up version of me. When you listen to a song and are able to go “Whoa, I get that,” we could probably sit down over dinner and have a wonderful time laughing, crying and hugging, laughing again and crying again. (Laughs) Your emotional honesty about relationship, about the vulnerability of coming out and that it’s okay to not have it figured out sometimes is refreshing. People are craving that kind of truth, especially right now. Yes, I think so. Even when I signed my first deal
six years ago—as I’m doing what should have been the most exciting moment of my whole life because it was everything I have ever wanted—In the back of my head I remember saying “I think I’m gay and it might just ruin this whole thing.” Even now it’s a sad thing to think about, it was such an icky feeling.
I remember thinking, “Do I have to tell them I’m gay?” It’s such a weird thing to be in that place, all of those little things take a toll. Through writing and releasing that stuff, then getting face-to-face time with people, it has really helped me to heal. On first read this EP seems like it’s all about heartbreak, but on second listen, it’s much more about being vulnerable and taking risks. Thank you. That means a lot to me. It’s a super thoughtful reaction to it. The surface is definitely kind of sad, but for me it is more layered and the focus is on the vulnerability and the search for intimacy in all its many ways. Not necessarily only in a romantic sense, even. Just in sharing yourself and being vulnerable in a ground floor way…Liter- ally saying, “Here it is!”
Wrabel’s EPWe Could Be Beautiful is out now. For more information or to purchase, or for more information about the artist himself, go
towrabelmusic.com.
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RAGE monthly | JULY 2017
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