Roll of the Dice: 8 questions with Ray Hawthorne

Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.

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Ray Hawthorne, the vocalist of North Kingsley is stepping out n his own with the new solo EP Heartbreak Feels Good In A Place Like This. To celebrate the amazing buzz the EP has garnered, TGEFM was happy to roll the dice with Ray for the latest in our interview series.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the amazing reception of Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This.  What can you tell us about yourself and the record for readers just discovering you?

My name is Ray and I have a room full of Ninja Turtles toys. I even have all four original 1988 Turtles, unpunched, soft head. It took years to find each of them at a reasonable price. I also like to sing sometimes, and most of the songs I’ve released were fully recorded in my spare bathroom that I’ve converted into a vocal booth. (Not joking)

What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do”  Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?

Bright Eyes is definitely the reason I started writing. When I was in high school I did a ton of stripped down acoustic songs, just me and my guitar. “Waste of Paint” was the first song I ever heard by him and it really did change my life. Hearing someone who openly admits to not having the best singing voice, but just really had a passion for music and some of the best lyrics ever written was just really inspiring. It’s funny though, I used to think people couldn’t just write songs. I’m not sure where I thought songs came from, but it certainly wasn’t just normal people deciding to do it themselves, right? I’m not sure when it clicked exactly that writing a song for myself was even an option, but there was really no turning back after that.

This is your first solo record. Was there something that sparked the change between full band and solo project? How did the songwriting process change?

I think I just wanted to express myself creatively in a way that was wholly my own. When you’re in a band you’re contending with the opinion of every member, trying to make something that everyone likes. Because you go through that process with every song the final product can go places you never imagined, and in my experience most of the time that’s a good thing. There’s just something really freeing about working on a solo project and not having to wonder “are the other guys gonna think this is cool though?”

We’ve all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?

I spent many years performing as a rapper as a complete joke. Well, it started as a joke. Rapping about money I didn’t have and girls I wasn’t sleeping with. But the thing is, after a while it became less and less of a joke, and my lifestyle started to match up with a lot of the negative aspects of my “joke” rap group. Ultimately this lead to bigger and better things, for example I never would’ve been in North Kingsley if it weren’t for all the years I spent rapping as a joke, and I love the work we’ve done with NK. So, in the long run everything worked out, but damn I feel like my 20’s are basically a blur.

What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences as a professional, touring musician so far? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?

Piggybacking off of my old joke rap group, I somehow found myself in San Francisco opening up for French Montana. So weird, and so unexpected. I’m just a suburban kid from New Jersey, so performing my shitty rap songs to a packed out house of French Montana fans was never something I expected to do.

One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?

I’m not sure that I can really point to anyone completely unknown. But y’all are listening to Bilmuri right? If you’re not, you need to be. How dare they just drop “Better Hell” in like January. Like, way to come out with the song of the YEAR, not even a month into 2024. Also, I’m a huge fan of John Moreland. The guy has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard and he could go toe to toe with Conor Oberst as far as songwriting goes. If you’re looking for an album to check out, listen to In the Throes.

Now that the world has its hands on the single,  what’s next for Ray Hawthorne?

 I’m putting out a new single every couple weeks or so for the rest of the year. So far it’s been going great, and I’d be stoked if that continued. My first single after the EP was called “All My Happy Friends Tell Me I’m Depressed” and I’m actually pretty shocked at the positive reception to it. It’s always cool when people are jamming out to songs I recorded in my bathroom.

What do you wish I asked about or that you had more of an opportunity to speak about during this interview?

There was a serious lack of questions about my dog in this interview. His name is Oliver and he’s my very best friend. Also, what’s my favorite episode of Degrassi? I guess you’ll never know because you didn’t ask. Sorry, not sorry.