Interview: Royal She Hate Their Way into Our Hearts With “My Ex”

LA duo Royal She detail the deep suffering after a bad breakup through their powerful and potent song “My Ex.”

Stream: “My Ex” – Royal She

They say hate is a strong word.

It is said that you should not hate anyone, but when a person does you dirty, it is hard not to have intense disdain.

Royal She’s dark rock single “My Ex” is a piercing breakup anthem. The bold piece showcases brooding vocals raging over catchy yet cutting instrumentation. Glistening guitars and driving drums support the bitter message of an agonizing end. The chorus’ wrathful line, “I never hated anyone, anyone, anyone…but then there was you,” expresses a true disappointment and anger we can all connect to. When there is a deep wound from being stabbed in the back, all your emotions ooze out freely. In the rap section, listeners can especially feel that fiery passion.

The daring Los Angeles-based rock duo consists of vocalist Alison Freed and multi-instrumentalist Alexandria Reyes. Royal She creates intensely haunting, melodic music. The twosome first made their mark on the scene with their unique cover of Billie Eilish’s “My Girl.” From there Royal She only grew, with the captivating release “Rollercoaster” being remixed by Mojave Phone Booth for a major motion picture. “My Ex” also illustrates just how far they have come.

Released October 4^th, “My Ex” is the second single off Royal She’s upcoming album Befores and Afters, set for release in early 2025. The offering highlights their genre-bending style and intimate, candid storytelling. After hearing this burning ode to a toxic ex, you will feel your heart beat a little faster.

Atwood Magazine recently spoke with the pair about their new track, breakups, song covers, and more; read our interview below, and stay tuned for more to come from Royal She!

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:: stream/purchase My Ex here ::

:: connect with Royal She here ::

A CONVERSATION WITH ROYAL SHE

Atwood Magazine: Royal She is such an innovative name, how was it conceived?

Alex: We wanted to represent women musically in a powerful, and commanding way.

Alison: And we believe the time for the divine feminine is now. Patriarchal society is not creating the world we want for our future, so it’s about women and girls stepping into their power to create a better world. ‘Royal She’ is about connecting to the divinity within all of us and stepping into our power to heal and overcome.

Your fiery single “My Ex” features fierce vocals gliding over dark, entrancing soundscapes. How was the song concocted?

Alison Freed: I was going through a breakup at the time and was obsessed with Raye’s song, “Escapism”. We covered it live during our LA debut show, and it was an epic and therapeutic experience. It also made me fall in love with rapping and spoken word, and it gave me the confidence to bring that element into our own music. I wanted to write something similar to “Escapism” in its vibe, rawness and intensity. I love that Raye’s lyrics had knocked me on my ass; I had never heard anything so specific, raw, and painfully real. Alex played a swaggy riff, and my melodies and lyrics for ‘My Ex’ flowed. I was going through a lot, and writing that song helped me process, release, and heal.

Alexandria Reyes: “My Ex” was concocted when we were writing in the studio after our first big show in LA. Alison was going through a horrendous breakup at the time and let loose how she was feeling on the mic. It first started off as emotional and sweet sounding, but the more we worked on it, the more the wrath came out.

Most of us have been through bad breakups that leave you with an intense hatred and sadness inside. What was your lyrical process when writing this penetrating anthem?

Alison: Like most of the songs on this album, the lyrics just flowed out together with the melodies. Nothing was over-thought, and it all came together quickly. I was in a lot of pain and being able to speak, sing, and scream out loud in the studio helped me release some of that pain and make it all feel a bit less heavy.

What advice would you give to someone who is feeling some type of way about an ex and is struggling to cope with those emotions?

Alison: Don’t give up! The pain will pass and you will be okay. Allow yourself to feel everything you feel without avoiding, distracting, numbing, or judging what you feel. Cry, scream, create, let it out, and get that pain out of you in any healthy way that you can. The quicker you feel it all, the quicker you’ll move through it and get to the other side. The more you’re able to focus on what you learned, the better off you’ll be. I have found that creating art has been one of the most helpful and healing things I can do to help me move through the toughest emotions.

Alex: Immerse yourself in doing things you love. Cry, be emotional, scream – do all of those painful things! But don’t forget to lean on your friends, create art, write, journal, check off your bucket lists. It gets easier with time. If you’re like us, create music!

Is there a crazy story about an ex that you feel comfortable sharing?

Alison: Oh, lord. I think the lyrics to this song are telling you a pretty crazy story already!

You began first attracting fans through your cover of Billie Eilish’s “My Girl.” What drew you to that song?

Alison: It’s actually funny, because we did this song long before Billie came out! It’s like I knew! I do have pretty great gaydar. Hah! I was drawn to this song of hers because I related to the lyrics, and loved Billie’s style and vibe (even before she blew up).

If you were to pick another popular song to reinvent, which would it be?

Alison: Well, I’m a huge TLC fan and we are actually working on a cover of my favorite song of theirs- “What About Your Friends.”

What’s in the works for Royal She?

Alison: We have three more singles that we are releasing every 6 weeks before the full album drops! Then, we’ll be booking live shows and hopefully a US / World Tour!

Who are some artists on your playlist you can suggest to our readers?

Alison: Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, Chappell Roan, Raye, PVRIS, G Flip, Phantogram, Chelsea Wolfe, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Alanis, Artemas, Chinchilla, Lincoln Jesser, Reneé Rapp, and LØLØ.

Alex: Rotating on my playlist at the moment is Sleep Token and Nothing But Thieves.

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