It is Raveena's awakening, and everyone's invited

The artist discusses her latest album, performing in India, and talking to trees and spirits.

- Ananya Rai

I want to be remembered for my kindness,” Raveena, the Indian-American singer-songwriter, tells me over an email, her words ringing with sincerity. I first discovered her single Honey during the COVID-19 lockdown, and immediately felt as if I had discovered an oasis in a desert of DIY haircuts and Zoom calls. I thought to myself ‘Finally a musician who looks like me!’ Since independently releasing her debut EP Shanti in 2017, Raveena has cultivated a loyal following and matured as an artist. “I have evolved SOOO much, oh my god,” she admits. “I’ve grown in the way I handle my business and I am so comfortable stating my boundaries, opinions, and vision clearly. I feel so much more confident and fluid on stage, and know a lot more about performing now. But I think the biggest thing is having written so many songs—I know how to pick them for the album and how to know when it is the one.”

Raveena’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. She’s not only toured internationally and become the first woman of Indian heritage to perform solo at Coachella, but she’s also recently released her new album, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain. Each piece in her discography reflects her growth, and for her latest album, she sought a profound rest and a more liberated artistic process intertwined with nature and meditation. “This album felt more like spirit was channeling through me, and I really got lost in both the creation and the elements around me,” she explains. “I was really focused on emitting pure love, peace, and flow states more than reaching for any type of aesthetic goal or ‘trying to be the best.”