Rykka
| Rykka | |
|---|---|
 Rykka in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christina Maria Rieder |
| Born |
13 March 1986 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website |
www |
Christina Maria Rieder (born 13 March 1986), better known by her stage name Rykka (/ˌraɪ ˌkɑː/), is a Swiss-Canadian singer and songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia. Her songs have been featured on TV, and she has been nominated for several music awards both in British Columbia, and across Canada. On May 12, 2016, she represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm with the song "The Last of Our Kind". She sang in the second semi-final of the event.
Life and career
Early years
Rykka was born Christina Maria Rieder in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She began guitar lessons at age 15, then performed at local community festivals. During her two-year program at Vancouver Community College, Christina studied voice with Paula Kremer, while also busking around Vancouver’s Granville Island.
In 2009, she moved to Toronto to record her third independent album Straight Line under the performing name “Christina Maria”. The album was produced with the help of several Canadian producers such as David Baxter, Russel Broom, and Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother.
In 2010, her album Straight Line was released in Switzerland under Little Jig Records.[1] Rykka stayed and performed both in Switzerland and in Germany, highlighted by a performance on "Sat.1 Frühstücksfernsehen"; a German television channel boasting an average audience of 1 million viewers.[2] She later received a nomination for Demotape Clinic at M4Music in Switzerland.
2012–2013: Kodiak
Kodiak was Rykka's 2012 album. It marked a significant change in her musical career since she formally changed her stage name from Christina Maria. She recorded “Kodiak” under the new name Rykka. The record was produced by Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, engineered by Shawn Penner, mixed by Warne Livesey and mastered by Andy VanDette. It was released that year in Switzerland by Little Jig Records.
2013–present: Other work
In 2013, Rykka released her fourth studio album Kodiak under Vissen Record in Canada,[3] following a release of the same album in Switzerland the year before. Later in 2013, she won $100,000.00 in The Peak Performance Project.[4]
Rykka played a slot in BC’s well-known Squamish Valley Music Festival (2014),[5] opening for another Peak Performance Project winner, We Are the City.[6] She represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "The Last of Our Kind" (written by Rykka, Jeff Dawson, Mike James, and Warne Livesey) after winning ESC 2016 – Die Entscheidungsshow.
Personal life
Rykka splits her time between Zürich in Switzerland and her hometown of Vancouver. She cites Heart, Blondie, Madonna, Björk, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush, and Pat Benatar as her main influences.[7] Her paternal grandfather is Swiss.[8] Her maternal ancestry is Dutch, her maternal grandfather comes from Bodegraven and her maternal grandmother is from Woerden.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Kodiak |
|
| Beatitudes |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Map Inside" | 2012 | Kodiak |
| "The Brink" | ||
| "Blackie" | 2013 | |
| "Electric" | 2014 | |
| "Movies" | 2015 | Beatitudes |
| "The Last of Our Kind" | 2016 | |
| "Bad Boy" | ||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Never Fade" (Alex Guesta featuring Rykka) |
2014 | Non-album singles |
| "The Devil" (The New Black Tea featuring Rykka) | ||
| "Dolls" (The New Black Tea featuring Rykka) | ||
| "Delirium" (Zomboy featuring Rykka) |
The Outbreak | |
| "Don't You Honey Me" (Timothy Jaromir featuring Rykka) |
2015 | Non-album singles |
| "Thunder" (Matierro & Dynastrax featuring Rykka) | ||
| "With or Without" (Tommy Mangano featuring Rykka) |
2016 | |
| "Toes" (Frank Walker featuring Rykka) | ||
Filmography
- Blackie was featured on TV series Rookie Blue (S04E07)[9]
- The Brink was featured on TV series “Tessa & Scott” (S01E03)[10]
Awards and nominations
- Kodiak nominated for Spiritual Album of the Year (Western Canadian Music Awards) (2014)
- Map Inside won Best of BC (Shore 104 Radio Station) (2013)[11]
- Rykka wins The Peak Performance Project (2013)[12]
References
- ↑ "Christina Maria "Straight Line" - littlejig.com". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Frühstücksfernsehen - Video". 22 November 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Vissen Records". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ performance-project "Rykka wins the Peak Performance Project 2014 (The Georgia Straight)"
- ↑ "Rykka plays Squamish Valley Music Festival (The Now Newspaper)"
- ↑ "Rykka opens for We Are the City in Squamish (Squamish Valley Music Festival Schedule)"
- ↑ "Bio". Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ↑ "Rykka mit The Last Of Our Kind". SRF. 6 December 2015.
- ↑ "Watch Music Lounge TV Show - ABC.com". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Tessa & Scott". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Rykka - Timeline - Facebook". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "2013 WINNER ANNOUNCED!". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
External links
- "Rykka" official website
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mélanie René with "Time to Shine" |
Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
