I feel it’s time for us to reclaim “fighting like a girl” as a good thing.
Raye Zaragoza’s new single Fight Like a Girl is out now
Award-winning singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza (pronounced ray zay-rah-GO-zah) carries an acoustic guitar and an important message. Her powerful song “In the River,” written in response to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota, garnered half a million video views, national media coverage, and a Global Music Award and Honesty Oscar. Her forthcoming sophomore LP recorded with Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, First Aid Kit) will be released in 2020.
“As a woman of color in America, social issues are things you deal with and see every day of your life. I write about my experience and oftentimes my existence has been laced with injustice.”
Raye Zaragoza
Raye’s debut album, Fight For You (independent, 2017), displays her compassion, dedication to justice and equality for all, and keen eye for the seemingly small daily moments that become our most meaningful memories.
“This album is about finding yourself and finding your voice. It’s about maturing and realizing that you can make a difference if you so choose.”
Raye on her debut record
Raye performs her music all over the States and Europe. Her music has been featured on Billboard, Popmatters, Earmilk, Democracy Now! and on numerous lists of the best modern-day protest songs, including those by Paste Magazine, What Culture, and Overblown. Raye has also spoken on panels at Bonnaroo and SXSW on topics ranging from preventing sexual violence, to engaging her fanbase as an independent artist. She has toured in support of Dispatch, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Kiefer Sutherland, William Elliott Whitmore, Dar Williams, Donovan Woods, and many more.
You can find Raye on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Keep reading for our interview!
Welcome Raye. To begin, can you let us know how are you coping/managing your time during this period of social distancing?
Keeping to a pretty consistent schedule has been helping me a lot right now. Before I was on a schedule, I felt really lost and that was difficult. I am writing a lot, focusing on all there is to do for the new record, learning some new things that I’ve always wanted to, and also giving myself time to move slow and process what is happening in the world. I am also doing my best to do as many forms of virtual activism as I can from home. And Zoom calls! Seeing another face every day, even if it’s on a screen, is very helpful.
When people hear “Fight Like a Girl”, what do you hope they take away from it?
I want them to feel empowered — no matter their gender. I hope they hear the song and realize what “fighting like a girl” means to them, and I hope they think of all the powerful female-identifying folks in their life!
Why is it important for you to spread the message of “fighting like a girl”
It is important to me because I have constantly felt like my “girl”-ness has been pointed out as a weakness throughout my music career. I would get comments about how I “played guitar like a girl,” and I feel it’s time for us to reclaim “fighting like a girl” as a good thing!
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