Page 61 - JanFeb 2024 ION Indie Magazine

Details in chaos.

Royale has a specific example of a time where
she knew a more unique and grounded show
could be churned out for the audience and
everyone involved when hiring artists she is
unfamiliar with.

“I took on a last minute show, and one of the horn
players that I had grown accustomed to was on
the road, so I had another horn player
recommended to me, and he had about a week
to memorize all of my music charts because I
don’t want the music sheets on the stage, and he
had absolutely no problem with that,” Royale
retold, still clearly impressed by the player’s skill.
“Later on, after he’s shown me he can memorize
the music, he reveals that he had just been
nominated for a Grammy, both proving he’s more
than capable of playing a one-off show with me,
and completely shocking me in turn. We
performed and it was amazing, and yeah, it
reminded me that this industry is unpredictable.
You have to be prepared for every single thing in
the world, which can be extremely daunting and
very tiring, but also very rewarding.”

Although an artist has to be prepared for
everything when putting on a show, much less a
tour, Royale has known this is what she has been
interested in for years, finding all the right
questions to ponder to create the perfect show.

“I feel like I can't even remember a single time
where I didn't want to do this -- I just knew it was
what I wanted,” she said passionately. “I would
go to shows as a kid, and I was always very
fascinated with questions like: how did everyone
here get together? How do all these bands know
how to play a show? How did they know where
to put the show? How did the promoter get out
word for everyone to come? I was always
fascinated by the whole process. I love
production. I love theater. I love problem solving.
I like being manic, all over the place, and
spinning around like crazy; I thrive under stress.”