It is uniquely unnerving and cathartic to feel both torn open and radically soothed after just one listen through Arum Rae’s ‘Loose Ends’.

A full year has now passed since its release, and Rae’s fourth album (produced by Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers) is able to delve deep into extremely universal but rarely sought after human experiences – wanting to escape, dealing with grief, longing for comfort, necessary heartbreak, starting over, aching to feel like yourself again, or to just feel at all. The list goes on.

Arum’s ability to encompass big feelings and narratives with effective simplicity in her melodies and lyrics is nothing less than excellent artistic skill, no thesauruses or 60 piece orchestra needed. She’s able to make “negative” emotions consumable, and maybe even desirable. It makes me feel like every emotion I get to feel in this lifetime is almost a gift of sorts; to truly experience what it means to feel alive, and each new feeling I “achieve” can be marked completed on a checklist towards achieving an existence fully-lived. It’s some kind of magic that just one voice and one guitar can make me think and feel these kinds of things.

But Arum’s music is not only pleasing to the ear, it’s food for the soul. Songs depicting thoughts of suicide and feeling alive again and “just need[ing] a rainstorm” kicked me in the gut in the best way. That’s what good art is supposed to do, right? To make you feel and think. To put yourself in someone else’s shoes. To reignite a spark that one might not have realized was even gone. To learn and grow. To make you want to keep going. And trying. And living. And finishing your checklist. Arum Rae is able to achieve all this and more with Loose Ends, and the world is better for it.

‘Loose Ends’ is available on streaming platforms and on vinyl at this link.

And now for Psychedelic Baby Magazine’s exclusive interview with Nashville’s Arum Rae!

“I have been on a quest to build a good life for myself through music”

Your latest album, Loose Ends, is a year old now. How do you feel about it as you reflect on its first anniversary?

Arum Rae: It was a fun album to do. Wes (producer and co-writer) helped me realize these songs in a way that felt like a beautiful collaboration. It went completely under the radar but that’s how art is, you do your job and the rest isn’t necessarily up to you. Overall, I am honored to have worked with everyone I did on the record and cherish it as a meaningful piece of work in my life.

How does ‘Loose Ends’ stand out compared to your previous releases, in your opinion?

I think ‘Loose Ends’ might stand out because the production is both big at points but stripped and pretty raw. I think the Lumineers influence is easy to hear which is fun. Lyrically it is as open and honest as I have ever been. Wes had to really convince me to keep things that I wrote and not shy away from them which was pretty scary for me. I was worried the lyrics and stories were too sad and I always feel a responsibility to the listener. I learned to let go of that now, I think.

You moved to Nashville in the back half of 2023. How’s it been living there so far and how’s it been integrating yourself into Nashville’s music scene?

I love living in Nashville! I love how much music is respected in this town. it’s definitely not like that everywhere. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface getting into the music scene. I recently played at Bluebird Cafe which I loved because I have so much respect for the history and talent that has gone through that room. I look forward to doing more shows, making more friends and calling this my home.

What’s something about you (musically or personally) that people would be surprised to know?

I guess the main thing people probably don’t know about me is that I have been on a quest to build a good life for myself through music which has been endlessly difficult but I can’t and won’t ever quit. I have toured the country independently more times than I can count. I have played everywhere from psych wards to children’s hospitals to eventually clubs and then beautiful theaters. I was recently told that I hadn’t toured enough by a very successful and famous person and that they wouldn’t help me out because they didn’t think I wanted it badly enough. They couldn’t have been more wrong. They had no idea I had toured so much because most of the venues were off the beaten path and too shitty for ticketmaster or whoever else to document. Either way his perspective of me and my work put in, really hurt. I think the thing people may not know about me ultimately is that this has been a hard road but now, finally, I am better for it. I am learning to do life and music in a way that is beautiful and successful according to my own heart and not the outside world.

What can we expect from you in 2024?

I’m beginning a new album and the songs are from this last year of moving and getting through a very difficult break up and then falling in love… so, new music soon!

Arum Rae Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube

Arum Rae