Q: How did you get started on this adventure?
A: Oof that could go all the way back to classical piano training as a kid. Then a jazz trio later, then a cover band, then a new wave band, then The Love Me Nots entered the garage rock world, then that dissolved and The Darts was born, and now I'm embarking on my new torch-triphop project Black Viiolet. So the question becomes, how will it end?
Q: If you could go back to the day you started and give yourself one piece of advice, what would that be?
A: Remove toxic people and things from your life, as soon as you recognize them, and trust your own instincts.
Q: What is something that you have adopted that brings value to your process?
A: Musically, and in life, I do as much as possible totally by myself. That allows me a lot of mental peace and creative freedom, forces me to learn a lot of new skills, and forces me to reach out to the only best possible people I can find when I really can't do it myself.
Q: Please highlight some of the things you enjoy most about what you do.
A: My favorite thing in the world is writing a new song and listening to it come to life as I add all the beats and instrumentation and vocals and effects. I am still shocked that anyone wants to listen to this silly stuff I create, and when someone likes it - when they dance to it, or write to me to talk about it, or ask for an interview like this - it just floors me with gratitude and happiness.
Q: What are some of your current goals? Things you may hope to achieve in the next 12-24 months or further.
A: The Darts are in the middle of 100 days in Europe and UK, so I want that to be as successful as possible of course. But I am really very excited to tour Black Viiolet in Europe for the first time. I will put out the first full-length Black Viiolet album in early 2025 and tour Europe again at that point. The Darts just finished recording two new singles and those will be released in some capacity via Alternative Tentacles Records and Adrenalin Fix Music. I want to make a couple of music videos, which to be honest is not my favorite part of making music but still seems to be kind of in demand. I would love to take Black Viiolet around the USA more and The Darts will do a mini-tour on the west coast in February before heading off to Europe again in the Spring.
Q: What is an unpopular opinion that you subscribe to or a popular opinion that you disagree with?
A: For many years, I have been eating vegan and very low-carb, which is definitely unpopular and annoying to everyone in the world, but I strongly believe we humans are smart enough to figure out how to nourish ourselves without condemning animals to horrible painful lonely existences and just let them live naturally. I've gone through enough physical trials in life, and I don't wish it on any living being when it can be avoided. Musically, I don't subscribe to the popular opinion that you get the best recordings when all of the musicians are in the same room together playing live. I really don't. I've been making records for a lot of years now with musicians around the globe, many of whom I have never even met, and a talented musician will give you an even better performance when they can do it in their own preferred environment and take their time.
Q: Is there anything you want to mention as we close?
A: I owe a huge amount of my current joy, touring the world and putting out records, to Ludo and Adrenalin Fix Music, who believes in my insane ideas for some reason, like no one else does. I will never take that for granted.
MIR: Thank you for your time and I appreciate what you are doing.
Bobby Rayfield ~ Monuments in Ruin 
Click here to visit The Darts on Bandcamp
Click here to visit Black Viiolet on Bandcamp
Click here to visit Alternative Tentacles Records
Click here to visit Adrenalin Fix Music
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