Captured by Emma D'Arcy
Sienna Winters | March 4th 2025
Riley Polanski is from Los Angeles and recently released his latest song Liberty, featuring his friend Chad Courtney. “I’m like a male version of Gigi Perez,” he says, explaining that his singing voice can have a high, whispery tone, similar to a girl's. His inspiration for his music comes from the love he gets to share with his family and friends, the culture and city life from Los Angeles, and the connections he’s made in the music industry. He has been creating music for about 3 years, has plenty of jokes and stories, and loves to meet new people!
Growing up as a child actor, he learned to play the ukulele before eventually getting his hands on a guitar. He loves to nickname his instruments. His black guitar, for instance, is called Abe. He joked, “Don’t let it get to Abe’s head that he is handsome.”
His current top artists that he loves listening to are Julian Baker, Lizzie McAlpine, Gracie Abrams, Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker.
His song Eloise from his EP titled Insane is about the love he carried for an ex-partner and the experience of someone you love saying your name. “There was one day where he was talking to me and he said my name when addressing me. When he said my name it was so special.” He explains that when a loved one, regardless of the relationship you have with them, whether it be a friend, family member, or a partner, calls you by your name instead of a nickname or term of endearment, it can feel especially meaningful.
As a child, Riley was classically trained in opera but lost interest in singing after high school. He credits music with saving his life when he needed to get sober. If he ever were to become a famous musician, he hoped that nothing would change and that he would still be of service to others, which was his main priority as a musician.
Last year, when he played a few shows in Los Angeles, his friend Rion Ezra helped to create creepy and captivating visuals that added a unique, immersive element to his performances. “Even though the songs sound really beautiful, they have very dark thematic elements… it’s about the feelings that were there when the songs were written.”
Out of his entire catalogue of songs, his most favorite song he’s written is Liberty with his friend Chad Courtney. “On the broader aspect, it’s about relationships, but on a deeper meaning, it’s about the political environment of the world.” Liberty was even placed on a Spotify editorial playlist, which is a huge deal!
Being in Los Angeles has its own advantages and disadvantages, particularly the frequent wildfires. For Riley, it feels like home, and his family is close. “Los Angeles is one of the epicenters of the music industry,” he added. Living in Los Angeles has allowed him to build many connections, and he has no plans to leave anytime soon.
The best concert he’s ever seen? It was a bit difficult for him to choose just one, and we can’t blame him since we all have multiple different artists we love. A few months ago, he saw Julien Baker perform, mentioning that she’s a rockstar, very badass, and can shred on guitar. He also attended the Fire Aid concert recently, where he saw Olivia Rodrigo, a fantastic performer who delivered the best set of the night.
He was even able to snag VIP tickets to Chappell Roan long before she blew up in popularity which totally gives him bragging rights!
Now what would happen if he was stopped on the street and asked what music he was listening to? He says it would likely be Money Machine by 100 gecs because he loves the unhinged, hilarious intro or Sports Car by Tate McRae, another one of his favorites.
For fans of soft voices, feel-good instrumental layers, and deep, vulnerable lyrics, step into the world of Riley Polanski, a “folk and indie pop-inspired house”. Just remember the number one rule: Don’t let it get to Abe’s head about how handsome he is! Abe is, after all, one very handsome guitar!
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Keep up with Riley Polanski!
