Making a name in Richmond’s indie music scene, Rikki Rakki, a twangy indie rock band, creates a unique sound that stands out through creative instrumental engineering.
The genre of ‘indie’ music can be traced back to the 1970s in the England. The definition of indie music has changed over the decades. Rikki Rakki’s vocalist and song-writer Erika Blatnik has defined indie music as being independent music that continues to evolve into an alternative term.
“I’ve known indie to start out as shorthand for independent music [bands who are unsigned/perhaps to small labels] and to quickly evolve into a genre of music of its own [kind of like the term ‘alternative’],” Blatnik said.
Bands describe their music in new creative ways to make their music stand out. Rikki Rakki stands out with their specific sound and how they do their instrumental. Blatnik would describe her band Rikki Rakki as twangy indie rock.
“I think genres/sub genres are just trying to keep up and people are finding more and more weird/creative ways to describe their music. Typically when asked, I say we’re ‘twangy indie rock’,” Blatnik said. “We’re also doing almost everything ourselves all the time: writing, recording, mixing, artwork, merch design, booking, promotion, etcetera,” Blatnik said.
Meeting new band members can be tricky for various reasons: not getting along and having different creative ideas that do not align. For the band Rikki Rakki this was not the case at all. According to Blatnik; once the band’s members met, they immediately wanted to collaborate and work together.
“One night in December 2019, I went to an event called ‘Woman Crush Wednesday” and played some songs. I met Matt Luger (guitar) and Jay Kole (drums) there and we immediately started talking about collaborating,” Blatnik said. “In January 2020, Matt and I went to the WRIR Anniversary party where he introduced me to his friend Andy Brown (bassist).”
Rikki Rakki came together when the world was going through a lockdown. During this time they would still practice together in Brown’s backyard six feet apart. Blatnik thinks that forming the band at such an uncertain time was special and brought the band closer together.
“In retrospect, it was a pretty special way to start a band; it was great to build that community/make art together during such a tumultuous and uncertain time,” Blatnik said. “We had a whole year to get to know each other and practice without any pressure to perform before venues opened up again in 2021.”
Inspiration for creating music comes from a lot of different places. Some inspiration can be from going through dark times, having a new idea, or from a place of passion. The reason Blatnik writes songs comes from a place of passion and for how therapeutic it can be.
“I’ve written songs since I was fourteen years old and the inspiration has always come from a way to process things- a lot like therapy,” Blatnik said. “Music is incredibly cathartic and has helped me through so many difficult times, but I also do it because it’s fun and it’s my passion. It doesn’t always come from a dark place; it is often my attempt to understand the world around me, or sometimes to celebrate the beauty of life.”
Every band has a certain atmosphere they would like to set for their listeners, the best way to do this is by choosing the right venue. From the lights to the stage, each band has a favorite venue. For Blatnik, her favorite venue to perform at is The Camel.
“The Camel is my absolute favorite venue- it’s the perfect size, has great sound, the stuff is awesome, it’s cozy, and feels like home,” Blatnik said.
Blatnik has a message to convey to the readers of the article and to the listeners of Rikki Rakki.
“Spend as much time as you can outside, get off your phone, make art, hang out with friends and loved ones,” Blatnik said. “Despite what you might have heard, everything gets better after high school. Find the beauty in life and hold onto it – and check out Rikki Rakki,” Blatnik said.
