If Kate Bush grew up in 21st century LA she's probably sound a lot like Rainsford.

Social media has changed the way we interact with our favourite artists. More than just musicians, they’re now personalities, people we can interact with on the daily. Now more than ever we’re aware that musicians are pretty normal people, they just have a weird job. Every week we get to know one of our favourite SoundCloud heroes, internet dating style, in our new column, Internet Crush.

 

Take Kate Bush’s wistful weirdness, the internet’s obsession with reappropriating 80s ephemera and a dose of Hollywood superstition and you end up with something resembling the music of Rainey Qualley, aka Rainsford. The sister of model/actress Margaret Qualley and a Miss Golden Globe winner herself, Rainsford has fused all of the above with a unique talent for capturing the pop music zeitgeist. Over the last two years, she’s built up a catalogue of self-released pastel-palleted sad girl pop and is slowly becoming the sleeper pop icon of Instagram’s dreams. It’s safe to say she was a natural choice for the first Internet Crush of 2018.

Weirdest place for a date in LA?
Hollywood Forever Cemetery was a weird one, but good.

 

Strangest musical icon?
Bobby “Boris” Pickett.

 

Who are your biggest visual influences?
Changes all the time… fashion editorials and internet rabbit holes.

 

Who do you roll with?
My sister, my pets, my man, my friends, my ghosts.

 

Describe your sound in just a sentence:
Minimalist retro sad girl R&B pop.

 

Favourite colour:
Sparkly baby blue.

 

Favourite movie:
Harold and Maude.

 

Last book you read:
Ghost Hunters Guide to Los Angeles.

First single/album you ever bought?
No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom.

 

First band/act you ever went to see live?
Hanson.

 

Earliest memory?
I remember having chicken pox when I was really young at the same time as my older brother and I scratched his off when we were fighting and he bled and I still feel really guilty about it.

 

What do you do in your spare time?
Dance, write music, hike with my pup, paint, cast spells.

 

Are you a morning or evening person?
Depends on the day.

 

First song you ever wrote?
Too embarrassing to talk about.

 

Favourite song of your own?
Probably either ‘Flowers in Vase’ or ‘SID’ (or Japanese Time which isn’t out yet).

 

Favourite lyric?
“You don’t want to hurt me, but see how deep the bullet lies.  Unaware I’m tearing you asunder.  Oh, there is thunder in our hearts. Is there so much hate for the ones we love? Tell me, we both matter don’t we?” -Kate Bush