1. What inspired you to choose the name Veronica for your new album? I was initially writing songs about a woman and, towards the end of the making of the record, I realized that I was singing about an alter ego of mine named Veronica. I sometimes dress up like her to attract “straight” guys into my bed. I have shame wrapped around it and I thought it would be cool to confront that shame head on and embrace it. For the record though, I am not trans or gender fluid. I am all man, all male, every day. For me, dressing up as a cat and acting like a cat doesn’t make me a cat.
2. Can you share the story behind the creation of the album artwork for Veronica? I took all of those photos in my recording studio relatively quickly and painlessly. I do not like long, arduous, and expensive shoots. I decided to do it in the same room my record was born. My collaborator and best friend Wayne Fowks re-edited them and made effortless art out of it. That’s the look I wear to hook up sometimes, it makes sense that I used that imagery for my sex album.
3. How did you approach the songwriting process for Veronica? Did you have a specific theme or concept in mind? As far as theme and concept are concerned, I only knew that I wanted to write a sex album. I had no idea it would take this twist of me singing about my alter ego ‘Veronica’ until the end of making it. Two of the first songs we wrote were “Fucc My Lady” and “Booty Eater” and both tracks are about me singing about sexual women. It didn’t necessarily make sense at the time until I realized that I was singing about guys in my life who are extremely sexually attracted to me and tend to want me to be submissive and be treated like a girl. I was singing the songs from their perspective.
4. Which song from Veronica resonates with you the most personally, and why? I think the title track. It’s a love letter to my feminine side. It’s well produced, exactly the way I want it. Much of my life people have tried to beat the femininity out of me. This was just an honest conversation with my fem side to tell her I love her and that she is not bad. This time in my life is a hard contrast from who I was in 2017 proclaiming that I was an alpha man and celebrating my masculine side. I love that side of myself too. They both serve a purpose.
5. How do you balance the aggressive sexuality displayed in Veronica with the vulnerable emotions expressed in the album? There’s a constant push and pull of masculine and feminine energy throughout the record. At the end of the day, I am a man with a full out sex drive. More than I ever had in my life. I have been in bad situations because of it. I was raped pretty recently in a night club while making this album by someone that I trusted who drugged me and pulled me into a bathroom. These types of experiences clash heavily with the joy of sex. I think people can feel that contrast when they listen to my album. Sex can be a beautiful thing, but it can also be highly destructive.
6. Can you talk about the significance of collaborating with producer Christopher Coiro on multiple tracks for Veronica? Christopher and I met at a gay club in LA which is ironic because he’s very straight. He is also young, talented, and hungry. I liked that. I didn’t want the record to be only for one community. I wanted this music to be for the straight world as well and specifically a younger audience. I hired him to produce multiple tracks and we made some cool musical babies together including “Fantasy Control,” “Fucc My Lady,” “Good Good,” and “Booty Eater.”My long time collaborator and bestie Wayne Fowks helped me refine some of the tunes Christopher and I made. Some of the tracks were birthed at 4am in a studio in Hollywood and when you’re incredibly tired sometimes you come up with some wild shit that needs to be sorted through. I will admit during the making of this album, I experimented with a little drugs to see what my target audience feels and hears when they listen to music. Let’s be honest most young people are under some type of influence. I’d never done coke before to be perfectly frank and I wanted to know what the fuss was all about. It’s definitely not my thing but I think it helped me get into the mindset of people who like drugs. I do not condone this in any way to anyone. In my personal life I have always avoided drugs like the plague. I think they’re demonic. However, I was interested in experimenting and seeing how it would affect my performance and songwriting because what is a painting without the darkest black?
7. How do you feel Veronica showcases your growth and evolution as an artist since your previous albums?I think I allowed myself to not be perfect on this record. I gave myself permission to produce, mix, and master the majority of it so that I could manufacture the sound that I personally wanted to hear rather than worry about what the listener thinks or wants. I think it’s the first record that I put my needs first. I didn’t give it to a mixer to turn it into something that it wasn’t. There are mistakes on the album but I kind of like them. Normally, I try to make everything as perfect as possible, but I think when you do that you lose the humanness of the work.
8. Were there any challenges or obstacles you faced during the production of Veronica, and how did you overcome them? Absolutely. I faced the biggest obstacle of my entire life and that is losing and then later finding my voice. I started working on this record immediately after releasing my previous record, ‘Wild Reality’ and the late night sessions, performing, sunset strip club hopping, and stress overtaxed my voice to the point that I completely lost it one day. I was diagnosed with something called muscle tension dysphonia. It’s where the muscles surrounding my vocal cords tense up believing my vocal cords are injured even though they’re not and it affects everything about your voice. The control that you had is lost. It felt like my dick had been cut off. I was more depressed than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
I went to a doctor, and she taught me how to warm up my voice in a more scientifically proven way to build strength in the vocal cords, how to breathe without stressing out my neck muscles, etc. I learned how to sing in a completely new way and, in my opinion, an even better way. My voice is more clear and resonant now. People can hear a difference. I had to fight incredibly hard to get it back. Many terribly sad nights. Through it all I learned the value of my voice and to be cognizant of not over taxing myself.
9. What message or statement do you hope to convey through the exploration of lust, power, control, and vulnerability in Veronica? I’m not really sure to be honest because I don’t think I have a message. If anything, sex is fun and complex perhaps. Maybe that sex is not something to be ashamed of. I didn’t really think about making any sort of statement in particular. I just knew that I wanted to make a sex album and it ended up turning into a vulnerable introspective album because I think sex is a spiritual experience. There’s no way to talk about it in an honest way without reflecting on how incredible the experience actually is. Sex is the most intimate thing that we can do with another human being.
10. Can you discuss the role of visual art in complementing the themes and emotions presented in Veronica? Visual art on this album is incredibly important to the point that I do not enjoy playing at clubs anymore that cannot provide a video backdrop. I use the performance video to tell my story. My collaborator Wayne Fowks edited all of the videos and the album art. We work in tandem with my stylist Elena Nazaroff. I know both of them have my back. They want to help me create the best art possible.
11. How has your experience as a co-host on “The Hollywood Rebel Report” influenced your perspective and approach to music on Veronica? I started working on “The Hollywood Rebel Report” after I produced ‘Veronica.’ I’m assuming that the experience of being on that show is going to impact my future music. Perhaps a focus on more commercial and upbeat material. “The Hollywood Rebel Report” is a positive and uplifting show. We focus on what we’re grateful for and I am personally grateful to be working with Dr. Marissa. She has a massive audience and together we created a segment that focuses on the positive aspects of Hollywood life. We cover Hollywood fashion, events, music, and film. The Hollywood Rebel Report airs on the #1 talk NBC/CNBC News Radio station KCAA AM 1050 FM 106.5 and streams to iHeart Media, Spotify, Apple Itunes, Amazon Music, YouTube TV and 30+ Platforms globally.
12. In what ways does Veronica challenge traditional gender norms and expectations within the music industry? I think Troy Sivan, Lil Nas X, and I are artists that are challenging the music industry and breaking the expectations of what is possible for gay men. We are challenging gender norms and not becoming consumed with labels at the same time.Personally speaking, I do not consider myself to be a drag queen because I love and celebrate the fact that I am a man, I love being a man and would never dream of tucking away my genitals. I think that’s incredibly degrading and not my vibe. It could be other people’s vibes and that’s 100% cool. I have tremendous respect for drag queens, but this is my experience and how I choose to express myself. I think that’s a challenging idea for some.
13. How do you plan to connect with your fans and create a sense of community around Veronica? I am sort of lone wolf. I don’t have a tribe. I’m searching for one. Perhaps my tribe are artists, but we tend to be self-focused, independent, and blessed with strong egos which we have to have in order to survive this hellacious industry. Artists are focused on blowing up and we are always on the go. Some of my closest artist friends, including Adam Lambert, blow up and then they are gone.
I do have close relationships with many industry professionals. Nine times out of ten, the people that come to my shows are industry. People that respect art and talent. If anything, I believe that I can create a community of talented professionals who live to produce amazing work.
14. Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories or anecdotes from the recording or production of Veronica? I think one of the cool behind-the-scenes stories to tell is the story of the production team 808 Annie coming all the way from New York to help me finish this record. I needed help mixing some of the tracks because mixing is a beast. My manager asked me if I wanted to work with Evan and Mason Rose the 808 Annie production team. I said yes and they ended up coming to my studio and sprinkling their magic fairy dust on a few tracks that I was having issues with. They added some live bass, backing vocals, and additional synth programming to 3 songs. They also gave me tips on everything from mixing to production to help me finish the album. They’re such beautiful and wonderful people that I love with all my heart, and I thank them for their contribution to this record. Without them, I honestly don’t think it would have come out as cool.
15. What are your future plans and aspirations as an artist, following the release of Veronica? My future plans are being planned moment to moment. I’m not thinking about my five-year plan, my 10-year plan, etc. I’m living in the moment and just creating and sharing art as it comes. I’m not gonna hold onto my art anymore. I love the idea of making a song, sharing it, promoting it for two weeks and then moving on to the next.I’m also going to focus on booking quality shows. Venues that have great sound, lighting, backdrop video capability, big stages, Live streaming capabilities, and cool crowds. There aren’t that many of those around in LA to be honest. I’m kind of curious as to whether or not I am the one who needs to create that space myself because that’s where I think entertainment is ultimatelyheaded. In the meantime, I’m currently collaborating with other artists as a producer and songwriter. I’ve gotten a lot of offers after this album which is interesting. I think people are recognizing that I can produce and that I have a way with lyrics and melody. My commitment is to make a masterpiece before I die. That is the only reason I’m here on this earth.
Ricky Rebel is professionally represented by the renowned MJB Talent Agency in Los Angeles. His theatrical representation is expertly handled by his agent, Myreon Arslan, who works tirelessly to secure the best opportunities for Ricky in the entertainment industry. Additionally, Ricky is guided and supported by his talented publicist, Sherry Lee, who is part of the esteemed GTK PR Agency LLC.
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