Today we’d like to introduce you to Randall “RISKLIFE” Kenney, Producer & Artist of 47StillStanding.
Hi Randall, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We started as a group of kids essentially making music in a bedroom together. I (@risklife47) already established myself as a producer/brand when band contributors Grim Obsession & E3 approached me with some vocal ideas.
With the vocals being catchy & in the vein of my interest, I supplied them with an instrumental that really set off the first “track” we had together. With G.o.’s (@grim_obsession) lyrical ability, & our ability as a trio to harmonize together, it became blatantly obvious we had an opportunity to truly make timeless music. As time went on tho, eventually, E3 decided to remove himself from the overall project & went his separate way after personal issues he was facing at the time, We respectfully decided to continue on as a duo & merely collaborate with other established artists & producers.
Working with artists such as “gonedark”, “SmokeDaily”, & “Nobdy” & producers such as @bigzgotbeats, all brought a new sound & crowd to our music. Never being worried about the variations, we continue to make any genre or genre-bending style of music we enjoy with a magnitude of new artists. In the process of all the music creation tho, probably the most important part would be how we did the in-house marketing to get this level of notoriety.
It’s no secret that we’ve been vague on showing our faces to the internet prior to this interview, causing our social media (@47StillStanding) to be left kinda low in interaction. Assuming the music would speak for itself, I personally was focused on getting our catalog heard by as many listeners as possible, it all really started off with a Rick & Morty video being made for our track “So F***** Up”. I had made a fan page in 2014 on Facebook & thought to myself years later “If I get a music video made to this song with R&M at least I have this way to share it with a few extra people.” It worked. After that, the fan base I connected our music to started making the videos for us!
I controlled multiple pages so I was able to get an audience there (much like Lil Nas X & his Niki Majia fan page did) and distribute our music for free. Without having to pay gatekeepers a lot of money for fake play-listing like most have to go do, we were able to create a foundation for our brand by simply using social media & a popular show we enjoyed working together. We now focus on how an artist is supposed to market themselves as their own brand though, and that has started to make all the difference in our trajectory.
Everything we’ve done has simply been done from a bedroom & independently.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
With the loss of one contributor, we originally didn’t know if we cared to continue the project of 47StillStanding.
It for sure put us in a hiatus state for a while. We were growing rapidly & things started to become more about work than the fun we were having. Other life events continued to pile on each individual around the 47SS brand causing a lack of production & movement from the group name.
Struggling to maintain happiness & an independent music career is definitely a task. Knowing what you want out of life & what you’re doing is honestly everything. Even with the obstacles & challenges we’ve faced, together & individually, we’ve always stayed committed to the 47SS project.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve been a music producer for well over ten years now. Unprofessional in the sense of everything I’ve learned was through trial & error or the almighty YouTube. I have so much to learn, & sometimes it stops me when I can’t quite get that sound I’m searching for in my music. Being a bedroom producer comes with a lot of stress, but I can also say it’s very rewarding.
The thing I’m most proud of is orchestrating such amazing music with all my friends & peers. I believe I have the ability to improve or decide the best options for most records. A lot of the time, I work with writers, musicians, & other producers in a way that’s unusual for others. It’s very common for me to put you on a song with another artist you’ve never heard of that instantly gives you the sound for your record you were looking for. I like to make connections & put a light on smaller artists.
Our group 47StillStanding is most known for our top songs “Wondering Why” & “Participate” amassing over 3M+ streams officially online. With these songs being our top movers, the catalog as a whole turns in currently 55k+ Monthly Listeners on Spotify alone. Nothing specifically sets us apart outside of possibly our independent grind for notoriety.
Without label help or any music industry knowledge, we’ve somehow made a name for ourselves before the viral days of Tiktok. All mixing & mastering is done in-house by myself & most instrumentals are done by the team or generally great producers we find online.
Grim Obsession typically brings the best song ideas to the table. Lyrics & melody are his heavy focus. Working with a great vocalist can be easy, but when they can’t bring fresh & exciting lyricism like G.O. he is willing to step in. Not only does he have his own amazing voice, but being a writer is his first passion. Even before the music comes on, he is writing lyrics to something a simple as the fan making a tapping noise funny enough.
Together, we make a powerhouse for writing & producing timeless music.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Always available on all platforms @47StillStanding. Social media isn’t really our thing, but if you reach-out, we will respond. Alternatively, you can email 47ssmgmt@gmail.com to get connected with our Manager Bosto.
As for support, we encourage you to follow social pages & for sure check out our website at 47StillStanding.com. Seek out our Facebook page & maybe join the group attached!
We have merch, a new Vol. 1 Album, & more ways to interact with help us fund our music career. Sincerely though, simply sharing & listening to our music is enough.
Contact Info:
- Email: 47ssmgmt@gmail.com
- Website: https://47StillStanding.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/47StillStanding/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/47StillStanding/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/47StillStanding/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCte-W_m-hLMrem9qqHQw9Bw
- Other: linktr.ee/47StillStanding
Image Credits:
@risklife47, @grim_obsession, and @spaceyydesigns
