A California native born by a photographer father and fashion model mother, Rayana has cemented a career in modeling since birth. Having spent her early childhood either on set or backstage at runway shows, Rayana always had a pointed interest in fashion and the entertainment industry.
Growing up listening to artists such as Erykah Badu (Rayana has an ankh tattoo inspired by Badu’s song “On and On”), Tupac, U2, Sam Cooke, and Ella Fitzgerald (to name a few) Rayana has always had an eclectic taste in and a deep love for music. In grade school, Rayana played 1st chair trombone in her school jazz band for 2 years, taught by Brian Switzer, who later went on to play trumpet for Train.
Once an adult, Rayana based herself in Los Angeles and her focus centered around modeling and acting; over the years, she has come to sign to multiple top modeling agencies globally, including Wilhelmina, Next and MGM, as well as Luber Roklin Entertainment for acting. She has booked major campaigns for clients such as PacSun, American Eagle, Boot Barn, Fila, Milani and Burt’s Bees, as well as landed acting roles on projects such as ABC Family’s (now Freeform) “Switched at Birth”, “In Other Words” on Amazon Prime, and Netflix's “A California Christmas: City Lights” and “That’s Amore”.
However, despite her successes, music continued to tug at her sleeve. Rayana made the decision to pursue a career in music and started training with Valerie Morehouse and Dean Shepherd at Morehouse Vocal Studio in Studio City, CA, home to household name artists like Sia, The Chainsmokers and Miley Cyrus. Now with her diverse musical tastes and training, as well as years in the industry under her belt, Rayana is ready to stake her claim in the music industry, starting with her debut EP, godless.
The album, with its moody tracks and thoughtful lyrics, takes a deep dive into various parts of the human experience and the struggle to find the good in difficult situations. Stream it now on your favorite streaming platform, and be sure to visit the merch shop to purchase items inspired by the tracks.
