Getting To Know Nix Ironstone
Nix Ironstone is a Canadian alternative rock artist who recently released their latest single 'Sincerely, Me'. Formally known as Nicole Rayy, she spent over a decade building up her presence in the Canadian country music scene before transitioning to her new form as Nix Ironstone. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Nix, see what we had to discuss below!
I see you are from Alliston! That is where I currently live! What are some
challenges you had breaking out in the music industry living here?
Small world! I’ve actually lived in Alliston for quite a while now, and I really love
having a quieter place to come home to outside of the city. The obvious challenge is
that you’re not right in the middle of a major music hub, so a lot of opportunities
require travelling. I’m constantly driving into Toronto or other parts of Ontario for
writing sessions, shows and events.
That said, I don’t think where you live has to limit you in the same way it might have years ago. So much of building a career now happens online, and I’ve been able to create a really strong network within the Canadian music industry while still living in Alliston. You just have to be willing to make the drive when it matters! I actually like having a bit of separation between the craziness of the music industry and home.
What inspired you to move from Country music into the new light of alternative rock and grunge pop?
It was something that had been building for a long time. I spent over a decade
making country music as Nicole Rayy, and I’m incredibly grateful for that chapter of my career. It gave me so many amazing experiences and taught me so much about who I am as an artist. But creatively, I started realizing there were parts of myself that I wasn’t fully exploring.
I grew up listening to a really wide range of music, and I’ve always been drawn to
darker, heavier sounds. Even within my country music, I think there were hints of that edge trying to come through. Eventually I reached a point where I didn’t want to make decisions based on what genre I was supposed to fit into anymore. I wanted to follow what genuinely excited me.
Stepping into Nix Ironstone gave me permission to do that completely. Alternative
rock and grunge-pop allow me to be heavier, darker, theatrical and a little weird, all things that feel very natural to me. At the same time, I’ve held onto the storytelling that I loved about country music. It doesn’t feel like I threw away the artist I was before. It feels more like I finally stopped holding parts of myself back.
How does the music scene differ going from one genre to another?
I’m still relatively new to experiencing the alt-rock scene from the inside, but one of the things I’ve noticed is how much freedom there seems to be when it comes to
identity and presentation. There is less pressure to fit into one specific version of
what an artist should look or sound like, which has been really refreshing.
Country music has an incredible sense of community, especially here in Canada, and I built relationships there that I’ll always value. Moving into alternative music has meant introducing myself to a whole new community and, in some ways, starting over. That can be intimidating after spending more than a decade building your name in another genre, but it has also been exciting. I’m meeting new artists, playing different rooms and reaching people who may never have connected with my previous music.
I also think audiences overlap much more than we sometimes give them credit for.
People don’t necessarily listen within genre lines anymore. If a song makes them feel something, they’ll listen.
What is your process when it comes to creating new music?
It changes from song to song, but I usually start with a concept or a lyric. I love
having a strong idea behind a song, especially something that can become its own
little world. Sometimes I’ll have a title sitting in my phone for months before I know exactly what to do with it, and other times a song comes together incredibly quickly.
Collaboration is a huge part of my process as well. I love getting into a room with
other writers and musicians and seeing how an idea changes when everyone brings
their own perspective to it. With this new project especially, I’ve been allowing the
production and arrangement to become part of the writing process rather than feeling like the song has to be completely figured out beforehand.
I’m also a very visual person, so once I start writing a song, I’m often already
imagining what the music video looks like, what the artwork could be, what colours belong in that world or how I could bring it to life onstage. I love when a song becomes more than just something you listen to and starts feeling like a whole visual universe.
Throughout your career as a musician what has been a highlight you don’t think you’ll ever forget?
Getting the opportunity to perform at the World Music Festival in Shanghai several years in a row is something I’ll never forget. It was such a surreal experience getting to travel to the other side of the world and perform my own music for some of the biggest audiences I’ve ever played for. There’s something incredibly special about standing on a stage that far from home and seeing people singing along to your songs. Music can cross so many borders and barriers, and getting to experience that firsthand is something that will always stay with me.
I also think some of my biggest highlights aren’t necessarily awards or milestones.
There have been moments when someone has come up to me after a show or sent
me a message explaining how one of my songs helped them through something, and those stay with me just as much. Music can feel like such a strange career because you spend so much time creating something incredibly personal and then send it out into the world without really knowing where it will land. Finding out that it became part of someone else’s story is pretty incredible.
Who/ what have been some of your deepest inspirations that have brought you to where you are today?
Musically, I’ve always been inspired by artists who have really strong identities and
aren’t afraid to evolve. I grew up listening to such a wide range of music, and I think that has ultimately helped me become more comfortable with the fact that I don’t have to fit neatly into one box either.
My playlists growing up could jump from Linkin Park to Kelly Clarkson to Eminem, and I loved all of it. I’ve always been drawn to artists who made me feel something, regardless of what genre they belonged to. They’re all very different, but there’s a fearlessness and strong sense of identity in their music that I really connect with. Looking at the music I’m making now, I can see little pieces of all those different influences finding their way in.
Outside of specific artists, I’m inspired by storytelling in general. Movies, fashion,
visuals, conversations and real-life experiences can all spark ideas for me.
Sometimes the smallest comment or moment ends up becoming the beginning of a
song.
What are some future goals you have when it comes to your vision of your music?
Right now, one of my biggest goals is to continue building the world of Nix Ironstone and let people really understand who this artist is. I only introduced this project less than a year ago, so it still feels like I’m at the beginning of something much bigger. I’m currently working on my first Nix Ironstone album, and I want to keep pushing the sound further as I go.
I’d love to tour and play internationally and continue to build a live show that feels as visual and immersive as the music itself. I’m also really interested in sync and would love to hear these songs in film and television because I think the darker, cinematic side of the music lends itself naturally to that world.
More than anything, I want to build a career where I can keep evolving. Making this change taught me that I never want to become so attached to one version of myself that I’m afraid to follow where creativity takes me next.
What would be something you would tell your younger self based on
everything you’ve experienced thus far?
I would probably tell her to stop worrying so much about doing everything the “right” way. I spent a lot of years thinking there was a particular path I needed to follow or a certain box I needed to fit into in order to be successful. The older I get, the more I realize that some of the best things in my career have happened when I trusted myself instead.
I’d also tell her that changing direction doesn’t mean you failed at the direction you
were going before. That was a big lesson for me. Walking away from an identity and genre I had spent more than a decade building was scary, but none of those years were wasted. They gave me the experience, relationships, confidence and stories that I’m bringing into this chapter now.
And maybe I’d tell her to enjoy things a little more while they’re happening. In music, you’re always chasing the next song, show or milestone. Sometimes you need to actually look around and realize you’re living through moments that a younger version of you would have thought were impossible.
If you could collaborate with any 3 artists living or passed who would they be and why?
Amy Lee would absolutely be one. I love Evanescence, and I’ve always admired the
combination of heaviness, melody and emotion in Amy’s voice and songwriting.
Getting to create something with her would be incredibly cool!
I’d also choose Chester Bennington. Linkin Park is one of my favourite bands, and
they had this incredible ability to make huge, heavy music while still being vulnerable and melodic. Chester could communicate emotion in a way that felt completely raw. Someone recently left a comment on “Sincerely, Me” comparing my vocals to Chester and actually used the words “Chester reincarnated.” As a huge Linkin Park fan, that was an amazing compliment to receive. Getting to create with Chester or Linkin Park would absolutely blow my mind.
For my third, I’d actually choose Bleeker. I love creating with amazing artists within our own Canadian music scene, and getting to write with Taylor and Chris and have them produce my music has been such an awesome creative experience. I’m excited to keep working with them on more music, and maybe an official Nix Ironstone x Bleeker collaboration could be in the works one day!
There are also so many other artists within our scene I’d love to collaborate with. I’ve spent many summer weekends sharing bills with Harley Olivia, and I love the world she creates around her music. I’d definitely love to get into a writing room with Harley and see what we could come up with in the future.
You can follow Nix Ironstone here on her social medias to keep in the know on upcoming releases and tour schedules:
Website: https://nixironstone.com/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/NixIronstone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolerayymusic/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nixironstone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NixIronstone
You can also stream Nix Ironstone's latest single, 'Sincerely, Me' below on Apple Music & Spotify:
