Interview by our guest writer Roger "Red"
Byrne
Although new to the music scene, Raquel Aurilia has the polished
glow of a seasoned veteran. Working with well-traveled professionals
such as producer Tony Papa and songwriters Billy Trudel and Stephen
Epstien may have contributed to this, but there's no denying
the emotional punch of her debut album, Finding My Way. Like
a chameleon Aurilia tries on different skins, from the Adult
Contemporary pop of "Feels Like" to a hip-hopped remake
of Buffalo Springfield's hippie nugget "For What It's Worth"
to the modern-rock style of "One Step Closer." Aurilia,
who is married to baseball player Rich Aurilia, was kind enough
to answer questions about her record, which has received numerous
commercial spins on U.S. radio stations.
Roger "Red" Byrne: On "Feels Like,"
you triumph over heartbreak with a strong sense of exhilaration.
Were those emotions conjured from personal experience?
Raquel Aurilia: I can definitely relate to the lyrics and
emotions, having experienced this a time or two myself (having
someone cheating on you). Although it is not easy at the time,
it feels great to be able to move on and remain positive about
yourself and what the future holds. Having said all that, great
things were in store for me, and I am at a great place now in
my life as a result.
Byrne: Whose decisions was it to cover "Dreamweaver"
and "For What its Worth"?
Aurilia: To be honest, we took the advice of a few people
who thought it was a good idea to do a "cover" song
(since I am a new artist). People so far have responded well
to "For What Its Worth" when I have performed it live.
It is a fun song to sing. "Dreamweaver" has always
been one of my favorite songs so we thought we would do this
song as well with a different sort of feel. Both are great songs
and hopefully people will enjoy our rendition of them, too.
Byrne: "The Need" is quite an ambitious song for
a newcomer to perform. Did you have any hesitations on singing
a track with such emotional power?
Aurilia: I immediately felt connected with "The Need"
when I first heard it. I feel very comfortable performing this
song for some reason and am able to connect with the emotions
and lyrics. Its message has a lot to offer others, leaving people
with a sense of hope (especially with everything going on in
the world today). The writers, Billy Trudel & Stephen Epstien,
did a great job with this song.
Byrne: How did you end up collaborating with all-stars
such as Tony Papa and Billy Trudel?
Aurilia: Long story short, I was lucky enough to be introduced
to Tony Papa through a friend of mine and we arranged to meet
at the studio to do a "trial" recording of "Tears."
Tony brought in Billy Trudel to work with me on the song and,
needless to say, I have worked with both of them on the entire
album. Billy has been a tremendous help to me with my vocals,
and I have learned a lot from him.
Byrne: What is Raquel Aurilia like in concert?
Aurilia: Hopefully, I am entertaining [laughs]. I try to have
fun with the music and hope the crowd will enjoy the music as
much as I enjoy singing it. The band behind me is so amazing
that they make me feel comfortable on stage. Even though I am
fairly new to the industry, they are true veterans who bring
a lot of experience to the stage. We all have a lot of fun.
Byrne: What is your musical background?
Aurilia: I started singing when I was a little girl taking
voice lessons and choir. I have performed at a few different
venues like weddings and singing "God Bless America"
at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco, but I really didn't know how
to get started professionally until recently when I started with
the album, etc. Finding the key to that door was tough, and it
wasn't until I met Tony Papa and Billy Trudel that it all started.
I believe it is all about timing and for me; this was the right
time to start and pursue my music on a whole different level.
To find more about the artists visit http://www.raquelaurilia.com
