FKA Rayne Builds a World Beyond the Grave

The rising metalcore artist sharpens her vision on her latest undead EP, Sutures.

By Megan Magdalena

Photos by Megan Magdalena

Published on January 29, 2026

In this editorial, FKA Rayne transforms into a Fangirl’s Monster High Doll fantasy. Rayne wears a striped mini dress & bolero from Evan Clayton, the squeletor maxi dress from Jean Paul Gaultier, a custom latex mini dress from Hevea Latex, with hair & make-up by Chelsea Brennan.

FKA Rayne is dead. Well, sort of… Since the release of 2022’s “Side Effect,” which now has nearly 14 million streams on Spotify, FKA Rayne has been relentlessly committed to being the best undead version of herself.

Exploring industrial textures, heavy guitars, and honing in on her iconic scream, the Vancouver songwriter continues to push the bar with her sound as she enters the world of metalcore. While other singers her age are obsessed with pop girlies and the beach, Rayne can be found wandering the local cemetery at night looking for her grave.

“At around 3 p.m. I slide out of my morgue tray, apply makeup to liven up my deadly exterior, and then work on my music in the dark. Nothing crazy,” Rayne says of her day-to-day ‘life’ as she takes a sip of cherry-flavoured embalming fluid from a re-purposed Starbucks cup. “The brightness of my computer screen is my form of sunlight… like a SAD lamp for the dead, if you will.”

Illuminated by the blue glow of her laptop screen, FKA Rayne waits for the sun to set before opening her curtains and letting the cold night in.

It’s within this self-imposed nocturnal routine that Rayne’s most intense work to date has taken shape. Over the past few months, she has released singles “Bite Down,” a chaotic and heavy track that feels like visiting the dentist of your nightmares, and “Disgusting,” the musical equivalent of a cold mirror covered in condensation and the realization that your reflection doesn’t quite match your movements. Together, the two tracks prove to be her darkest and heaviest yet. “It’s time I told someone…” she says with a grim expression. “I have a six-song EP called Sutures coming out in March.” The EP will feature both singles alongside four brand new tracks.

The final track on Sutures is titled “Sinking House,” which Rayne describes as the focus single of the EP. “It’s a bit of a departure for me. It’s very intense and emotional. It finds this weird balance between soft and heavy.” The project feels like a clear turning point for FKA Rayne, less a reinvention than a sharpening of the character she’s been steadily building. It’s a new chapter that deepens the world she’s created, rather than stepping outside of it.

That world extends far beyond the music itself. The visuals accompanying these releases have been nothing short of unsettling (a compliment), with the video for “Bite Down” depicting Rayne undergoing severe dental malpractice, so much so that YouTube won’t allow her to promote or monetize it. The cherry on top? The album cover for Sutures was photographed at the old Vancouver morgue, her home away from home, which processed more than 20,000 cadavers in its heyday.

For all the darkness that comes with it, Rayne talks about being dead with an almost casual ease. When asked about the pros and cons of the afterlife, she lists off the benefits enthusiastically: “My back pain is gone, tattoos don’t hurt anymore, and the CRA has stopped calling me about unpaid taxes.” The one thing she misses though is the taste of food. Not many of her friends share her ideal cuisine, “Big juicy bugs in the dirt, with a glass of puddle water to wash it down,” so she often settles for her second favourite: Thai food from local gem Thai Basil. Pad See Ew, with beef.

Spending the better part of last year recording between Los Angeles and Vancouver, Rayne also found herself rethinking how she approaches her work. “I tried to be more purposeful and intentional with the writing on Sutures than on previous releases,” she explains. “I prioritized consistency in collaboration and put real effort into thinking about what I wanted to say with these songs. I really wanted to plan out the whole project to make sure it would turn into something cohesive and make sense as one piece.”

That sense of intention is now carrying her into what comes next. 2026 will find FKA Rayne hitting the road, though she can’t say with who, or when, or where just yet. “Do I still need a touring visa if I’m dead?” she wonders aloud, hinting that the tour will cross the border into America.

For now, her focus is closer to home. “I love Vancouver, but we’re not known for having the best music scene. It’s too expensive here for the arts to truly thrive as much as they can in some other cities. Not that we don’t try,” she says, pausing before continuing. “I constantly hear people complain that there’s nothing fun to do in this city, but there are a lot of subcultures here, and I want to celebrate that.”

The result is FKA Fest, a one-day festival featuring live music from FKA Rayne, Daysormay, and Lola, alongside local vendors offering taxidermy, chainmail, and other items you’re likely to find in Rayne’s apartment slash autopsy suite. “With FKA Fest, I really wanted to have a night for us, the weird people lurking around at night,” she says. “Maybe we’re a city known for Lululemon and paddle boarding, but there are so many alternative people here. I hope this fest can be a place for them to hang, connect, and complain about the rain together.”

Taking place on Feb. 6 at The Wise Hall, FKA Fest promises to be a gathering for Vancouver’s underground communities. About six feet underground, to be exact.

From the morgue to a stage near you, FKA Rayne’s never-ending afterlife feels less like an ending and more like an open invitation. The lights are low, the doors are open, and the after party is just getting started. If you dare.