Music can have the power to not only heal, but also show people that they aren’t alone in what they may be going through. R Vareberg will undoubtedly bring comfort to listeners worldwide with “Behind the rain,” a kaleidoscopic electropop track that addresses mental health and what it’s like to feel like you’re constantly caught in a storm. With both raw and computer-aided vocals – a production choice which mirrors how depression can make you feel like someone else – R captures the frustration and sadness in his voice as he combs through his experiences and feelings about what he’s gone through.
“For me, ‘Behind the rain’ is a tale about depression,” R tells TREMG. “How it fills your whole life and takes control. It is a puppeteer. Family and friends try to help but you can’t see them through the rain, through your tears. I write lyrics with my feeling. ‘Behind the rain’ reflects the last years for me and how I felt through the hardest times. As being the first track going on radio in multiple countries, it is very [close to my heart]. It acknowledges that I can make something that people find worthy of their time to listen to. This is my feelings polished into lyrics and melody. Even if it is not my first track, it feels like my debut.”
Based in Norway, R won’t let the rain stop him from pursuing his musical dreams or helping others better understand their deepest feelings. He experiments with various genres, allowing him to capture different types of energy and reach all sorts of music fans around the world. And as he makes his way to new heights, he stays humble and grateful for all the support he’s received so far.
“I am bipolar and have ADD, so I hope people can bear with me when I change from hip-hop to country rap, slide into some Celtic metal, and over to soft singer-songwriter ballads,” R shares. “I like to say that music is the sound of feelings and emotions. I use my feelings and emotions to be creative, the music changes in genres that matches my emotions. I would like to thank everybody who listens to my music. You are the ones that make it possible to be played on radio stations worldwide.”
Here’s to more radio station plays and success for R Vareberg! You can find “Behind the rain” on your favorite streaming services now and get to know R on Instagram and TikTok. Keep reading for more from our Q&A with this boundary-pushing artist.
Congratulations on the release of “Behind the rain!” What has it been like for you to release the song and see how fans are reacting?
Thank you. Well, I am very fresh in this business and things have been moving fast. Breaking Sound Radio really gave me a flying start when they gave me 1 of 20 spots on their Artist Spotlight program. I even got 2 tracks on my spot, “Behind the rain” being one of them. All the feedback have been overwhelming. I have been through some hard things the last couple of years. Putting the track out there and getting so much positive back has lifted me and put more faith into myself. All in all, it is unreal. I am thankful for all.
What does “Behind the rain” mean to you?
For me, “Behind the rain” is a tale about depression. How it fills your whole life and takes control. It is a puppeteer. Family and friends try to help but you can’t see them through the rain, through your tears. I write lyrics with my feeling. “Behind the rain” reflects the last years for me and how I felt through the hardest times. As being the first track going on radio in multiple countries, it is very [close to my heart]. It acknowledges that I can make something that people find worthy of their time to listen to. This is my feelings polished into lyrics and melody. Even if it is not my first track, it feels like my debut.
There are so many great lyrics on “Behind the rain,” with one of our favorites being “chasing the wind in the afterglow.” Is there a certain line that you’re especially proud of?
You got one of my favorites right there. To add something I am proud of: “Tears trace the lines of a face worn by pain, A silent plea to the one behind the rain.” I am also proud of me. To come up with words on feelings in a topic which is still in 2025 a bit stigmatized.
The production of “Behind the rain” matches the angst of the lyrics so well! When you’re working on a new song, what usually comes first: the lyrics or the instrumental?
Usually, when I work on music it is very random. I cannot plan to sit down and come up with something. Especially lyrics just come over me. I take notes wherever, whenever. So I get my lyrics down and then I start fiddling on melody and instruments. Mostly digital, to be honest. The normal [process] is that I need to rewrite some of the lyrics to make it all merge together.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with your music already and enjoys “Behind the rain,” which of your older songs would you recommend to them to get a feel for who you are as an artist?
Some of my tracks are in Norwegian. If we keep to the ones in English, I would recommend to check out “Arne’s Amazing Spices!!,” which is more a country rap, hip-hop song. “Mothers” is very soft and slow. A tribute to all our moms, worth checking out as well. These two are the outer points that I am pleased with. Hopefully people like what they hear and can take me for who I am, regarding that I am into several genres that not always have something in common.
Inspired by the rain theme, if you had to match your music with a certain kind of weather, which would you choose and why?
Tricky one… Sandnes, the city on the southwest coast of Norway where I live, has an insane weather combination. We can have all 4 seasons in one day. From blue sky and sun to wet and windy. Throw in a thunderstorm and some hail before the sun turns back up again. I am bipolar and have ADD, so that reflects in my music. I jump from [one] genre to another without any thoughts of keeping to one specific. My mood and feelings around music is always changing, like the weather in the southwest of Norway.
You’ve worked with artists like Carla Benjamin-Jeremiah and Jim H. Fjellheim so far – what would your dream collab be?
There is an American hillbilly rapper called Adam Calhoun, I would like to work with him on some lyrics, hang out, and pick up on his things and learn from him. And if I could choose from the top shelf, I would pick Taylor Swift. I am reaching out to collab with a Norwegian singer-songwriter called Bjørn Eidsvåg. I really would like to make some of his songs in my way in English. My track “Mothers” is made out from a Norwegian song named “Morer,” by Svein Tang Wa. Sadly, he passed away some years ago. But his daughter thought my project was exciting and she gave me the legal rights I needed to do a song, “Mothers.”
How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since first releasing “City lights ext” in June 2024?
My artistic and poetic side has grown quite a bit. I have become more secure and now I am more open. Asking other musicians for help when I need. Also more open to constructive criticism.
What can your fans look forward to in 2025?
Hopefully, they can get to hear me. My real voice and not some autotune “fake computer voice.” I have asked my oldest daughter to help me sing on some tracks. In this moment, there are several works ongoing, [the] first to be released in the first weeks of March. You are the first to get the title, “My best me.” We are still in a bit dark theme, insecurity, depression, and letting down loved ones. Can’t say more!
Is there anything else you’d like to mention or say to your fans that the questions didn’t touch on?
As I mentioned earlier, I am bipolar and have ADD, so I hope people can bear with me when I change from hip-hop to country rap, slide into some Celtic metal, and over to soft singer-songwriter ballads. I like to say that music is the sound of feelings and emotions. I use my feelings and emotions to be creative, the music changes in genres that matches my emotions. I would like to thank everybody who listens to my music. You are the ones that make it possible to be played on radio stations worldwide.
Can I give a shoutout to Breaking Sound Radio for giving me all the promotion they have given me? Also to my boss, where I work in mental health, is Robert Jørgensen. He is an artist, Umbra Cieri. He is my nearest go-to musician for help, guidance, and motivation.
By Madison Murray
Featured Image: Courtesy of R Vareberg
