Rachel Marie, also known as Yona Marie, has been singing and writing almost all her life. She was born and raised in Maryland and parts of Washington DC.
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 200 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, features, nursery rhymes, and DJ drops, She currently spends her time engulfed in creating and marketing new music, as well as creating helpful content for artists and musicians who share a similar plight of making their way through an ever-changing digital music world.
What first got you into music?
My family is filled with musically inclined singers and instrumentalists. I was blessed to be able to learn the foundation of music from them while singing at home and singing in the church.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I like to create songs that have an element of soul in them. It doesn’t need to be soul music or R&b music only. I like to put soul into house music, jazz, blues, funk, hip hop, and so much more. But all the songs I work on keep that element of soulfulness to them.
Yona’s new single “I’m Still Loyal” is a dedication to those who have provided their friends, family members, or romantic partners with unyielding love and loyalty over time. Yona has created an anthem that anyone that has given or received authentic love will be able to relate to and remind themselves of how much a blessing having a loyal person in your corner can be. The simplistic writing and production with early 2010 hip-hop vibes feed into the feeling of love and loyalty between souls that have been connected over the last several years.
Are you finding the isolation of the pandemic conducive to your writing or is it hindering the experiences you can write about?
The isolation is helping me find new ways to connect with other creators in the industry. It is definitely tough for live shows, but it’s helping me to think outside of the box and get with the technological times.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
I’d probably be diving into fiction writing. I would have to be something creative for sure, and I find myself enjoying general writing on top of songwriting.
In your opinion, how do artists in this industry stay on top of the game when faced with so much competition? What’s the secret to making yourself noticed?
I think the secret is finding something very unique that almost no one else has. All genres and artists share a lot of the same styles and musical delivery since it’s rare to have a very new musical idea these days. But it’s still vital to have a unique element to the way you express yourself and your music brand.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
I really think music artistry gives me a dynamic outlook on the way life works for us all. I approach things very creatively in my daily life and I love that I have the freedom to do so with a career in music. It helps me to see the bigger picture and not be so tied down to monotonous structures that we can so easily fall into in our lives.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
I sing every type of song in the shower, but I really like to focus on singing high operatic notes. Ave Maria is one that comes to mind.
What would be a good theme song for your life?
I would love to have the One On One theme song as my theme song for life. Some lyrics might need to be adjusted a bit, but it perfectly describes my life with my fiance right now. And I just always loved the arrangements and energy in that song.
What was the last TV series you watched on TV?
I’m currently binging Mad Men for some odd reason. I really like how authentic it seems. These poor, sad, cheating ad men really do it for me, don’t know why.
What makes you nostalgic?
Anytime I go swimming, I’m reminded of how in love with being in the water I was as a kid. I still love it a lot, I just don’t get much time to go swimming. The pandemic made it less appealing as well. I need to get rich enough for my own pool.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Life doesn’t suck as much as you thought it would. Buck up and stop being anxious. Financially it’s a mess as an adult, and life lessons come hard and fast, but there are also so many good things that outweigh the stress.
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