RIVER TOUSSAINT – A COOL CONVERSATION WITH THE JAZZY SINGER

RIVER TOUSSAINT – A COOL CONVERSATION WITH THE JAZZY SINGER

By Ralph Beauchamp

River Toussaint is the sultry front woman of the illustrious group wht.rbbt.obj. based out of Chicago. The band is known for their sensual indie blues that transcends musical genres. wht.rbbt.obj. delivers both a raw energy and a dynamic stage presence. Coupled with their divine orchestration and cinematic soundscapes, wht.rbbt.obj. demands attention. The ensemble’s divine soulful tracks distributes a rich harmonic beauty and palettes of addictive textures. wht.rbbt.obj. are the real deal.

River Toussaint is an impetuous singer whose voice is dramatically edgy. Full of vibrant flavor, her vocals contain a richness that shreds the norm. She is fierce while still remaining spectacularly smooth. Toussaint can belt out a pulverizing silkiness. Every note she sings surrenders a vibrant vigor that easily captures the listener.

River is releasing a series of solo singles that are breathtaking. “Born in a Bad Way” is sensational. The track is full of jazzy inflections and blues infused vibes. Toussaint wails with an crushing flair and her voice is totally ruthless. Her next single is “Put Down For Love’ which will hit the streaming services on March 28th. Take my word for it, the song is killer. River Toussaint is on the verge of ultimate stardom.

River Toussaint was kind enough to sit down with AMP for this cool conversation.

AMP What first got you into music and when did you first realize you had such a dynamic voice?

RIVER: Music was always there – woven into the fabric of my life before I even understood it. It wasn’t about wanting to be heard; it was about needing to express something that words alone couldn’t capture. I wouldn’t say there was a singular “aha” moment when I realized my voice was something special. It was more of a slow realization, shaped by the reactions of others and the way certain songs felt when they left my lips. I still feel like I’m discovering my voice, refining it, and letting it evolve with every song I write.

AMP: Who were some of your early inspirations?

RIVER: Jazz, in all its complexity and rebellion, shaped me early on. The way it bends time, flirts with dissonance, and refuses to be confined to a single form—there’s a kind of defiance in it that I connected with. Beyond that, the world around me was just as much an influence. The turbulence, the beauty, the contradictions—I found music in the chaos. There was always a song hiding in the spaces between what was said and what was felt.

AMP: How would you describe your sound?

RIVER: It’s a love child of alternative soul and bedroom pop, raised on a diet of blues and melancholy. Think of it as the space between a whisper and a wail—moody, textured, and undeniably visceral.

AMP: Does your creative process follow a routine or is it eclectic?

RIVER: Routine is for the predictable. Creativity, at least for me, thrives in chaos. Sometimes it starts with a lyric scribbled on a coffee-stained napkin or sung into a voice memo on a busy highway; the things I write tend to demand me to immortalize them, in one way or another.

AMP: Your new single is the sensual, “Put Down For Love”. Can you give us some insights into the song?

RIVER: This song is a series of vulnerabilities – the hesitation before plunging headfirst into something all-consuming. It’s about the tug of war between desire and self-preservation, between what you want and what you fear. Beneath the surface, it’s also a reclamation of power. For so long, love – especially in music – has been framed as something that happens to women, as if we’re passive recipients rather than active participants.

This song flips that narrative. It’s about choosing, about dictating the terms of connection rather than surrendering to them. There’s power in desire, in knowing what you want and when you’re ready to take it. Sonically, the track mirrors all of that – it’s slow-burning but deliberate, never in a rush to prove itself, because it doesn’t have to.

AMP: You are also the front woman for the group, wht.rbbt.obj. How do you decide if a track is perfect for the band or better off as one of your solo releases?

RIVER: It’s instinctual. Some songs demand the collective energy of the band, where layers of sound create something greater than the sum of its parts. Others feel too personal, too intimate – I try not to concern myself too much with this, as usually the song tells me what it needs.

AMP: Do you feel that women in today’s music scene are finally getting their just rewards or is it still a “man’s world”?

RIVER: Women have always been the architects of sound, whether history acknowledges it or not. I think that the industry loves to act like it’s opening doors for us, but the truth is, we’ve been kicking them down for decades. Progress? Maybe. But let’s not mistake visibility for equality. The gatekeepers are still very much there. The biases still shape the charts, the festivals, the executive boardrooms.

Women are still scrutinized harder, paid less, and expected to fit into whatever mold makes us easiest to market. The difference is that now we are not waiting for approval. We are not asking for space – we are carving our own lanes and proving over and over again that this was never a man’s world to begin with. It’s just taken them this long to catch up.

AMP: If you could collaborate with any current artist, who would it be and why?

RIVER: Yebba. She doesn’t just sing – she unravels. Every note she delivers feels like it’s been lived through, like she’s pulling something straight from the marrow of her bones. She knows pain, and she doesn’t just translate it – she transcends it, turning it into something undeniable. Collaborating with her would be about so much more than just music – it’d be about raw, unfiltered storytelling. No gimmicks, no overproduction, just voices letting the weight of emotion do the work.

AMP: Any plans for an extended tour?

RIVER: As much as I would love to say yes, the reality is that this industry isn’t built for independent musicians to sustain themselves on tour without taking a massive financial hit. Until there is real equity, and artists don’t have to choose between making music and affording to live, tour will have to wait. The road certainly calls, but it has to be a road that leads somewhere sustainable.

AMP: What does the future look like for River Toussaint?

RIVER: Unwritten, but fiercely intentional. More music, more experimentation, more fearlessness. Whatever’s next, it won’t be quiet.

To learn more about River Toussaint,

Stream music:  Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud

Purchase: Amazon Music

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