There are elements of vintage pop glamour to RALPH‘s (née Raffa Weyman) music; 80s/90s beats with silky smooth vocals about heartbreak, desire and most importantly, self-love. Today, RALPH shares the second single off her upcoming EP due in November, “No Muss No Fuss,” along with a music video shot on 16mm film. It was directed by longtime collaborator Gemma Warren and depicts RALPH dancing with exuberant confidence in her best 90s ‘fits as she sings about cheekily brushing off a creepy ex.
RALPH says about filming the “No Muss No Fuss” music video, “We just wanted a feeling of effortless fun to translate. We didn’t overthink the shoot. We scouted the day before and drove through Gem’s favorite neighbourhoods (Atwater village, Silver Lake, Echo Park), just taking pics of interesting looking spots. We wanted vivid colours and weird landscapes that would pop on film – like the golden yellow straw and the stacks of rubber tires. The song has a bounciness to it that makes you want to move, so we wanted to focus on organic, quirky movements instead of actual choreographed dances – playing with hand motions and kicks and spins. The lyrics in the track aren’t supposed to be mean, they’re just honest and a little sassy, so that was the mood we tried to capture.”
“No Muss No Fuss” follows “Gravity,” an earworm-worthy track that leans into an indelible 90s house groove interspersed with funky, syncopated keys; carefully crafted beats; and RALPH’s crystalline-as-ever vocal. It caught the attention of Drag Race star Kim Chi, who shared the song on her Instagram. The “Gravity” video was animated by NYC-via-Toronto multidisciplinary artist Amika Cooper (AKA Blackpowerbarbie), who is well-versed in illustration, collage, 2D animation. The technicolor video finds cartoon RALPH navigating outer space among playfully nostalgic 90s motifs.
RALPH’s debut 2018 album A Good Girl (released via 604 Records) has amassed over 6 million Spotify streams to date. The 10-track release granted RALPH a nomination for Best New Canadian Artist for IHeartRadio’s Much Music Video Awards and a 24-date international tour.
RALPH first introduced herself in 2015 with “Trouble,” an effortless fusion of danceable, disco-inspired instrumentation and bitter-sweet pop sensibilities. Subsequent buzzy releases saw RALPH stretching into other genres, like the country-blues tinged “Young Heart Run Free” and the hip hop / pop crossover track “Girl Next Door” featuring fellow Canadian artist and rapper TOBi. RALPH’s hard to categorize, but counts Stevie Nicks, Donna Summer, Cher and Sade as influences and it comes through in her poetic lyricism.
RALPH will also go on tour for August and September dates across Canada as direct support for Carly Rae Jepsen.
Tour Dates:
Aug. 28 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom*
Aug. 29 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom*
Sept. 1 – Victoria, BC – Royal Theatre*
Sept. 4 – Calgary, AB – Macewan Hall*
Sept. 5 – Edmonton, AB – Winspear Centre*
Sept. 9 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre*
Sept. 10 – Thunder Bay, ON – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium*
Sept. 12 – Montreal, QC – Mtelus*
Sept. 13 – Hamilton, ON – Firstontario Concert Hall*
Sept. 14 – Toronto, ON – Sony Centre for the Performing Arts*
Sept. 16 – Ottawa, ON – Bronson Centre*
Sept. 18 – Kitchener, ON – Centre in the Square*
Sept. 19 – London, ON – London Music Hall*
Dec. 7 – New York, NY – Berlin (RALPH Headline)
*Direct support for Carly Rae Jepsen
Find RALPH on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify and SoundCloud
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