Interview: Heerraa Brings AN EVENING OF SONGS AND STORIES to 54 Below

With a mission of "Changing The World With Music," Heerraa Ravindran crafts songs that serve as emotional guideposts designed to help listeners navigate life’s complexities. The award-winning Malaysian singer-songwriter moves effortlessly from upbeat synthwave anthems about self-reliance to soulful R&B explorations of fame’s pitfalls, each piece carefully constructed as what she calls “healthy brain food” for the heart and mind.

Before her return to New York’s prestigious 54 Below on April 26th with the special showcase, Heerraa: An Evening of Songs and Stories, we sat down with the GRAMMY voting member to discuss her musical journey. Welcome to her world of thought-provoking lyrics, powerful vocals, and the stories behind the music.

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Your journey from co-founding Ascendance at 16 to performing at 54 Below shows remarkable growth. What moments or decisions do you feel were most pivotal in shaping your artistic voice and mission of changing the world through music?

I’ve always known I wanted to become a singer since I was 5 years old but the first pivotal moment in my life was when I met my mentor, Elango Thiyagu, when I was 14 years old back in Malaysia. I had never written or produced my own songs or even performed my own shows until I met him and his team. Although he wasn’t from the music scene (he is a successful entrepreneur and businessman), it was his guidance, support and belief in my dream that led me to growing my career as a songwriter and artist. Many of the values he shared — collaboration, following your heart, giving back to the community — are values that I hold dear till this day.

Another moment that stands out for me was when I won the “Best in North America (Pop) Award” and the “ICon Award” for most promising artist at the InterContinental Music Awards, LA. This came at a time where my music had just started going global and my songs were playing on Top 40 Radio — it was the affirmation I needed as I started growing my career in the US and was setting up my first performances on the East Coast.

There are so many heartfelt moments throughout my journey — speaking at my first TEDx event, becoming a Voting Member at the GRAMMYs, performing at the ISSA Awards in Atlanta, to now headlining my own showcase in New York City. Each moment has brought me one step closer towards my goal of “Changing The World With Music” — of bringing my positive-infused pop-centered songs around the world to uplift the lives of everyday people.

Your music spans multiple emotional landscapes — from the hopeful “Feel Alive” to more reflective pieces like “Fall In.” How does this emotional range translate to your live performances?

For me, each song reflects a different life lesson or memory from life that I’d like to remember and relive. My songs, and most importantly my lyrics, are a window into my self-reflection and thought process. From Feel Alive’s upbeat synthwave melodies of learning to find happiness within yourself without depending on externalities, to Note to Self’s gentle songwriter sound on learning to appreciate each moment we are in, to Attention Island’s classic R&B groove exploring the cautionary tale of chasing attention and the limelight — each song has given me the gift of being able to express myself across sounds and genres.

It makes live shows, especially up-close shows like my upcoming one at 54 Below, all the more meaningful, because I get to share not just the music, but the stories and lessons behind each song, and truly connect with the audience heart-to-heart. Honestly, my favorite thing about performing is the impact I am able to leave the audience with after each show.

You’ve explored genres from pop to funk-soul to R&B. For your upcoming show at 54 Below, what musical elements or styles are you most excited to showcase, and how do they reflect where you are in your artistic journey right now?

Honestly, I’m really proud of how diverse the set list is going to be and am excited to bring the audience on this little musical journey with me. Expect everything from stripped-down acoustic renditions of my pop songs, to folk-like tunes and soulful R&B moments, to even a little funk and groove scattered in the mix. I love the ability to write in so many different genres because truly, each song tells its own story and message.

This show really reflects where I’m at right now as an artist — learning how to appreciate the beauty in every moment, listening to your Heart, and to keep growing and believing in yourself. So whether you’re here for the lyrics, the catchy rhythms and powerful vocals, or to join in the good vibes — there’ll be a little something for everyone.

Between your music career and co-founding Ascendance to empower youth globally, how do these different aspects of your work inform and inspire each other?

Everything in my life is so interwoven and interconnected — I’m truly grateful for my life and my work. With Ascendance, we’ve just celebrated our 10th year anniversary — having impacted 55,000 Gen Zs across 26 countries. All the time I’ve spent on the ground with Ascendance while running our entrepreneurship programs for 10- to 17-year-olds has really influenced the type of songwriter and artist I am, making me very thoughtful and intentional with each lyric I’ve written or song I’ve produced.

One of the biggest inspirations behind my mission of changing the world with music actually comes from all my time interacting with youth through Ascendance. I usually bring my guitar with me to school programs so that I could sing for the students and engage them during sessions, bringing their energy up. It was at one particular session where I realized I wanted to write positive songs, “healthy brain food”, that could help them navigate the pains of growing up. That’s how my mission of “Changing the World with Music” was born. And that makes me very intentional of the songs I release, always thinking about how can I create music that is  uplifting, soul-nourishing and solution-oriented. Songs that could embed solutions to our shared human challenges — learning to communicate better, overcoming competition or self-doubt, managing our ego, loving ourselves. My dream is for my music to act as a soundtrack to your life, a solution you can turn to when you’re looking to overcome an obstacle or get through a tough moment. 

You’ve mentioned finding an environment that supports your goals and vision as crucial to your success. Could you share some tips for other young artists building their own artistic communities?

I truly believe that having a diverse support group (in terms of skill set, career backgrounds, expertise, etc.) is what helped me get closer to my goals. I always thought that the best team for me would be only surrounding myself with musicians. And while that is lovely and so comforting for the music part of me, I realized the biggest contributor to my success is the environment of entrepreneurs I’m in. Each of us are so different from each other — some are in accounting, tourism, IT, event management — while I’m in the creative arts! But it is our differences that enable us to share our strengths and resources to support each other’s goals. Our differences have really really enabled me to come up with unique ideas and expand my mindset — which resulted in growth in my own music career.

So yes, I believe finding the right people (your environment) is life-changing. For me, my tribe is Ascendance — an intergenerational and global team, led by Gen Zs and supported by millennials, Gen Xs and Baby Boomers. You’re welcomed to be a part of our squad, find your own environment or even build your own circle! Keep searching and always follow your heart.

Is there anything else about your musical journey, your upcoming show at 54 Below, or your vision for the future that you’d like to share that we haven’t touched on?

On top of my upcoming show at 54 Below on Apr 26th (which is going to be incredibly exciting seeing some familiar faces and meeting new ones too!), I’m excited to see how my mission of “Changing the World with Music” grows each day, with each person who sings along to my songs or created covers to my music.

We have a few new songs in the works and plans for the fall which I am excited to announce soon. For now, you can follow along my musical journey on Instagram (find me at @HeerraaOfficial) and listen to my songs on Apple Music and Spotify. For those of you who are in NYC, I can’t wait to meet you on Apr 26th for my solo showcase at 54 Below! (Pssst… If you want a special promo code for the show tickets, DM on Insta and we’ll send you a special code!)

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Follow Heerraa on Instagram @HeerraaOfficial

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