Talain Rayne

When Talain Rayne Blanchon was a senior in high-school he had no piano, no voice, and no clue music would come for his heart like it has. The journey didn’t begin until a teacher helped him buy his first keyboard and record his first song that year. Writing music quickly became Talain’s livelihood, keeping him afloat amidst stormy seasons. He clung to songwriting through college with a fervor that has not subsided. In spring 2009 his growing passion led him to study abroad at the Contemporary Music Center on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts with 30 other young, aspiring musicians. He thrived on the island, writing music amongst a strong community of like-minded artists, scratching harder at this musical itch that wouldn’t quit and developing a sound all his own.

Talain’s music emanates the creativity and passion of someone who’s been writing and playing for much longer than a mere four years. His dynamic personality is reflected in the melodramatic, electronic-infused, pop-rock that is bound together by his characteristic voice. He draws inspiration from varying influences like Sleeping at Last, Coldplay, Sigur Ros, The Rocket Summer, and Shiny Toy ... As for the songs themselves, they are influenced by nostalgia and his closest relationships, in a form more reminiscent of a child’s dream than a cookie-cutter song. “A lot of the songs have scenes that don’t quite seem to connect, kind of like a child’s dream,” says Talain. “They’re summed up in memories; each scene and every word is a part of the story, part of this child’s dream—” A dream that tugs on listeners’ hearts, despite being incredibly specific to the writer alone. In songs like “Family Wall” he doesn’t hold back personal family struggles: “So tempted to say/ that all the photographs/ all the times we laughed/ WERE THEY REAL?/ Mommy left ten years ago/ with that burger-face pic on the patio.” Nor does he hold back the hope and love that is so integral to his character. In “Owls” he sings for his friends, “Please get inside cause something’s coming/ no emotion, no lies, and no religion/ it’s real enough/ just something I call love.”

When it comes down to it, this raw honesty about love for the people in his life and hope for the future reflects the realization that it’s all for a higher purpose: “I write because it’s what God gave me,” he says. “I love it so much, and I’m ok if I’m the only one who ever listens.” But hopefully if you’re still here reading this bio, it means that Talain is not the only one who listens…

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