Singer, Rapper and Instrumentalist Ravs Takes Her Own Independent Time

Whatever the circumstances, singer, rapper and instrumentalist Ravs is going to make shit happen. Born and raised Amanda Bongiovanni in Richardson, Ravs says her love of music began when she “came out the womb.” At 29, she has carved her own musical pathway, finally doing what she has always set out to do.

Ravs is no stranger to setbacks. Last month, she dropped her conscious new single, “Rosey Peach,” an instrument-driven track, on which she delivers thought-provoking bars, combining her deep cutting rapping with her raspy, soulful vocals.

“We tend to walk around with these like rose-colored glasses on,” Ravs says. “As humans, we get so used to our surroundings and things that are familiar to us. So sometimes we surround ourselves with people that are like us, and have similar experiences than us. And it’s awesome to be able to find those people. But to not have diverse mindsets around you, you get caught up in this idea of what reality is, because you're not listening and talking to people with different experiences.”
Ravs had intended to release “Rosey Peach” last fall. In fact, our Zoom conversation took place last September, shortly before she went on tour with her band. Though the song finally dropped nearly six months later, its arrival is more timely than ever amid political turmoil and social division, which has been amplified by social media.

Music has been ingrained within Ravs from a young age. In middle school and high school, gifting friends homemade mix CDs was a symbol of her love for them. Her friendship circle is just as eclectic as her musical stylings, as she takes inspiration from the people of all walks of life whom she’s met all over. It makes sense that while many artists dream of topping the charts and stacking up platinum certifications, Ravs says touring and playing different venues is the most fulfilling part of being a musician.

“I feel like when people asked me like, ‘What do you want to do with music?’ my first answer was always just go on tour,” she says, weeks before her first-ever nationwide tour. “So to be able to do that is super exciting. And not only that, like, I never imagined that I would be bringing eight people with me. We're bringing the full band. And it's just I'm so pumped.”
When she’s not touring or performing gigs in Dallas, Ravs continues to invite fans into her life. Through her active TikTok page, she often shares Get Ready With Me videos as she does her make-up and prepares her wardrobe for performances. She has also shared stories of some of her favorite performances along with stories of how some venues have royally screwed her.

Ravs isn’t one to mince words about the struggles of an independent artist, though. Despite having hit a snag or two in the past few years, she contends there’s no better time to be an independent artist than now “because of what social media is doing and has been doing for us and what it allows us to do.

“It may not be like this five years or 10 years down the road,” Ravs says. “We may not have access to platforms that can really reach the world like that. That's not to say that the label doesn't still have its purpose and its role in the music industry. But it's really interesting to see this new wave of musicians and artists come through and have their own successes, and not have any labels kind of be like your middleman. You have access directly to the people.”

Every day, Ravs forms connections by using the skills she’s acquired along the way. The self-taught piano and guitar player says she used her marketing studies during her time as a student at University of Missouri to promote herself as an artist.

“I knew that I wanted to do music,” Ravs says. “I had been writing music. I've been going to open mics. And I wanted to drop out of college and go for it, but I ended up just finishing college instead. I kind of got routed into the nine-to-five life for a short period of time, but quickly realized that that was not for me. But everything I've learned from what I studied in college is 100% applicable to what I do now. Everything about music is a lot of ‘self-taught’ for me.”

Ravs tells us she’s sitting on “so many unreleased” songs. But she plans to do what she does best and play the long game – releasing singles little by little, which she says will culminate into her debut full-length album.

Right now, she is enjoying finally having “Rosey Peach” out in the world and seeing others enjoy the fruits (no pun intended) of her labor. After having held onto this song for so long, she is confident that what she has given us is a timeless work of art.

“Don't feel like you have to play into anybody's timeline, because this shit takes time,” Ravs says. “Like, really understanding yourself, really understanding what you're trying to do, that takes time. And it's not going to happen overnight. And more likely than not, it's not necessarily going to come from other people either. It's really about spending that time with yourself.”