Ray Hodge’s story is one that everyone can relate to. It’s one for the music lovers, for the aspiring artist, and for anyone who wants to be successful at their passion. Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, Hodge had a lot of stimulating things happening around him, which all became fodder for him as he started performing and singing for anyone who would listen at a very young age. He quickly quelled all of his energy into his love for music, and building his own sound and performance experience in his work. After performing at various underground clubs around his city, he released his debut EP, Braveheart, last year. A six-track EP, Braveheart is filled with sounds whose influences reach from all sorts of emotions and just about every musical sound possible, as long as it has a soul behind it. Today, we have a first look at the video for one of the songs from the EP, “If It’s Easy.”
Hodge’s knack for performing is almost immediately visible in the vide for “If It’s Easy.” A swirling visual sensation, at points evoking the emotion and fear behind recent racially-charged police brutality incidences we've seen in the past year, this video conveys the heart behind the song:
"It's about the different phases I went through during our breakup. Feeling dead and confused, lost…thinking about if they felt the same way too. But at some point it came to me, I need to get up and stop beating myself up and laying here wondering. If it is truly meant to be it shall be. But what I really am saying to that love of mine, is that I'm OK and I'm still thinking about you and I love you. I'm OK babe. Now you rise as well and if we find each other again, then I'll see you. But I'm OK.”
Such an outlook is important for any rising artist to keep in mind, one that’s probably kept Hodge doing what he loves so well over the years. "Finding your own beat to life after sharing it is hard, but one way or another we all seem to bounce back.”
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