Already well-established as a model and actor, Rainsford — aka Rainey Qualley — is still an up and comer as a musician. But that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about what her ideal tour rider would look like.
"If money were no object, what would I want on my rider?" she considers. "I’m a big animal lover, so I would love to be able to just have a dressing room filled with a bunch of kittens, or something."
In this episode of Herbal Tea & White Sofas, Rainsford details her more modest backstage must-haves, and admits that it’s still hard to wrap her head around the fact that she’s got avid listeners who come out to a show just to hear her play.
"It feels weird to even say that or talk about that, because it’s just hard for me to imagine that I even have fans," she explains with a chuckle. "This show I just played in London was so fun, because a bunch of girls were there who knew lyrics and were singing along. That’s still such a new phenomenon for me. I’m just so humbled and flattered that anybody wants to listen to the stuff I made, and come to shows."
As for setting the mood backstage? Rainsford says that there’s one snack she could eat all day — celery and peanut butter — and that her cocktail of choice is all about creating a space for her friends to come and hang out.
"My manager put that I have to have aperol spritz before I perform my shows," she offers. "I like aperol spritz because if you’re trying to have a nice fun night, it’s kind of a happy drink. It sort of puts you in a good mood. Champagne’s a notoriously happy, fun drink. So there’s something light and energetic about them."
Enjoy the video above to learn more of Rainsford’s backstage go-tos, and check back to GRAMMY.com every Monday for new episodes of Herbal Tea & White Sofas.