Expansive and expressive, immersive and wondrous, Geelong-based soulful singer/songwriter Gloria Ragesh’s new solo venture revels in radiant sounds, intimate rediscovery and important messages of love.
Dedicating the last few years to melding feminine power, tight grooves and dreamy soundscapes with a fronting role in soul-pop four-piece JOTHI, Wild Gloriosa sees Ragesh formally introduce herself as a neo-soul goddess; pouring her heart and soul out with love letters to herself and her audience in the form of soothing, gentle melodies that fill your ears with relaxation.
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“I write neo-soul music that tells stories and aims to speak to your heart,” Ragesh explains. “Gloriosa is the flower of Tamil Nadu in South India where my ancestors are from. I like to think that I am a wildflower, just growing everywhere. My name is also Gloria, so the name was born, Wild Gloriosa.”
Stunningly soulful and achingly raw, the music from Wild Gloriosa stings in all the right ways: smooth, spine-tingling melodies, tender piano playing and Ragesh’s own rich and powerful vocals turn her lyrics into hypnotising and seductive upheavals.
With just the right blend of refreshing strength and inspired authenticity, Wild Gloriosa has proven an easy act to fall for. With a lifetime passion for music, her songwriting is immediate and it’s clear she’s a songwriter dedicated to self-discovery, delivering music ripe with radiant melody as it is with substance and depth.
“I’ve been musical from a young age, being classically trained in piano since I was five and also being around two very musical parents growing up who were also actively performing themselves,” she explains.
“I’ve always known that this was what I am meant to be doing. I feel settled in myself when I think about what I do and what I create. That’s how I know it was meant to be.
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“Mostly, I find my inspirations of new music by what stories I’d like to tell people,” she continues.
“What messages are important to share? How do I draw a specific emotion from my audience? I find melody and chords come easily to me. The challenging part is being poetic with my words, trying to convey a message with a lyric that easily paints an image in your mind.”
Pulling us into a riptide of ethereal neo-soul, Ragesh has gone from strength to strength with her new project, sharing stages and bills with the likes of Bumpy, Stevie Jean, Velvet Bloom and captivating audiences with her stage presence, both solo and with a full band.
“I love being able to connect with people. An audience gives me a moment of their time in their day/life that I am grateful for and I am here to make it an experience that they can be submerged in with bliss,” she says.
“Performing live gives me a moment to share my creative work and see how people vibe with it. I love everything about being a musician, watching, consuming, and performing it. Music is truly one of the best inventions and developments of humanity.”
Without a doubt, Wild Gloriosa is one of Geelong’s finest emerging singers/songwriters and an obvious artist to watch in 2023.
“I am officially launching Wild Gloriosa this year and am so excited to play more gigs to establish myself, as I have been mainly playing gigs with my other project JOTHI. Giving some energy to Wild Gloriosa this year will be exciting. I am keen to record and release some music. I also have some very cool content coming out very soon!”
With new music imminent, keep up with the latest on Instagram @wildgloriosa
