The ebullient R&B singer-songwriter talks with us about ambition, consistency, and her upcoming set at Boston Calling.
Heat sizzles off the sidewalk as I meet Cambridge-born and Dorchester-raised R&B artist Miranda Rae at the Arlington T stop. Rae’s recently twisted her ankle—she sports a boot with grace and humor. “I’m hoping they’ll give me a stool at the festival,” she jokes. As we amble through Boston Public Garden, hunting for an ideal spot for Rae to be photographed for this piece, we chat and get to know each other. Adorned in a stylish white two-piece set, she kneels between towering allium flowers and begins to pose. Between takes, we laugh as Rae waves away the honeybees that zip past her face. “I’m sorry,” she laughs. “I’m not a nature girl!” Despite fighting off insects, maneuvering over bulbous raised tree roots with her boot, and the sickening heat, Rae’s all smiles. She’s easygoing, funny, and doesn’t take life too seriously—she’s an affable artist bursting with creativity and laughter.
As the photoshoot winds down and darkening clouds loom overhead, Rae and I duck into the Starbucks across the park. We relish in the air conditioning, taking comfy seats in the back of the bustling café as we start our interview. I ask her what she loves most about music, and her face lights up. “I just love that it can really set the mood,” she gushes. “There are so many genres to choose from that can align with any given emotion. If I want to feel nostalgic, I’ll choose something from my childhood. If I’m feeling heartbroken, I’ll pop on something that makes me wanna belt my heart out.”
Rae came into music at a young age. Her father, a jazz and reggae buff, and her mother, a classic rock and folk enthusiast, often played music around the house, giving Rae an eclectic background in the craft. At two years old, she began mimicking the singers she was hearing. “That’s how I learned to sing,” Rae recalls. “I was always doing it.” She also briefly played the saxophone, which opened up a whole new world of music for her, including how to read music. As she grew older, Rae began going to open mics, which blossomed into creating original music.
Lyrically, she attributes Adele as one of her biggest influences. “She gave me the courage to write,” Rae says. “She’s honest and true. Her music helped me understand the structure of songwriting, and that you can sing your story.” In particular, Rae loves the freedom of songwriting, and that every artist has a different method—there’s no one structured way to do it. Vocally, Rae’s smooth, harmonic tone recalls that of Mariah Carey, Jasmine Sullivan, and Jill Scott. “I’m a bit of a melting pot sonically, but these women are all my influences,” she says. “I never took lessons on how to sing. They’re my teachers.”
Rae released her first EP, Defying Love, in 2016. The artist creates a relaxing aura in each of her songs. “My music is definitely something you wind down to,” Rae says. She laughs. “Anybody who likes to turn up, get ready to turn down.”
The jazzy, mid-tempo tunes infused with R&B instantly lull the listener in. Since Defying Love, Rae’s released another EP, Excuse My Baggage, and an array of hypnotic singles, including 2021’s slick, stylish Koolaid. The musician has grown exponentially since her first release, whether it be in her vocals or in her stage performance. “I’ve realized that singing is definitely a muscle,” she says. “You can always get better as you grow in your technique and learn the little things.” The key to growing as an artist, Rae says, is consistency, captivation, and constructive criticism. “I don’t want to be surrounded by yes men,” Rae tells me. “I want to be challenged. I want feedback that will help me become a better entertainer. I want to be able to sing to my audience and connect.”
As for Rae’s songwriting process? “It starts with a topic, and then you break it down,” Rae says. “Write the lyrics, then make the melody.” Creating the melody is one of the biggest challenges of songwriting, she tells me. Once the melody is laid, the song can be created. “You can always finesse a word,” Rae says, “but melodies stick.” She’s in the process of working on another EP, and eventually a full-length album. She sees herself as a touring artist and hopes to only grow from here.
We dig into her performance at Boston Calling this coming Friday—Rae’s first performance at a festival. “I remember going to Boston Calling back in 2019 to see Anderson .Paak,” she says. “I thought it was dope that Boston has its own festival, and wondered if they allowed local acts to perform.” Rae noticed local artists, such as Cliff Notez, on the bill, and was ecstatic—she realized her goal to perform on stage at the Harvard Stadium was achievable.
When COVID-19 hit and both 2020 and 2021 festivals were axed, Rae spent her time acclimating to the city’s music scene after moving back from Florida. At first, getting into the Boston music community wasn’t easy. Rae expresses that she wishes it was more unified but attributes Dorchester Art Project as what helped her get involved. “I also feel that if you just work hard toward something, it’ll come to you, so I did. When I found out I got the gig, my manager rang me and he said, ‘You’re doing Boston Calling’.” Rae, who works for the post office, was delivering mail when she got the call. “I was jumping up and down in my truck,” she laughs. “I was like, ‘yes!’. It’s so nice to see everything you’ve worked for coming to fruition.” Rae hopes that her performance on the Orange Stage will prove that she is tour and festival ready.
On Friday, Rae will be performing with Megazoyd, a Boston-based band that she’s previously collaborated with, and backup singers. The team has been hard at work creating an impeccable, smooth, and visually stunning performance, with Rae teasing some unreleased tracks on her setlist.
I ask her what performing at Boston Calling means to her. She tells me that she’s excited and nervous, but it also holds great significance to her. “It means that I can reach another network of people and that I’ve put in the work. A lot of the artists in Boston deserve this opportunity, so I feel happy that they see that within me,” Rae says with a smile, “and that I am able to showcase R&B and that it’s in the city. I think Boston is really known for other genres—more so alternative, folk, rap, hip-hop—but nobody thinks of Boston and R&B. It’s nice that I’ll be able to show that it’s here.”
Catch Miranda Rae’s hypnotic set at Boston Calling on Friday, May 27 at 4:10 PM on the Tivoli Audio Orange Stage.
You can also see her play at Boston Art and Music Soul Fest on Saturday, June 11.