Growing Pains, Wild Gloriosa

The brainchild of Gloria Ragesh, Wild Gloriosa creates music that is prayerful and seductive - a marriage of smooth and soulful influences sitting at the intersection of R&B, Neo Soul and Jazz. With South Indian roots and a Singaporean upbringing, Wild Gloriosa’s journey spans diverse landscapes. Taking her name from Tamil Nadu’s state flower Gloriosa (flame lily), Wild Gloriosa was raised in a household where music was a way to connect with the community, and songwriting a canvas for sharing messages with the world. Her new EP ‘Growing Pains’ is released on Thursday 24th April, and is an authentic reflection of someone in their early 20’s making their way in the world, feeling alternately lost and inspired in a state of musical and personal flux and evolution. Backed by tasteful and restrained RnB/soul production from Naarm producer and keyboardist Jake Amy and bassist Anthony Liddell, the centrepiece is Gloria’s clear and liquid vocals.

Angelic keys trickle in accompanied with a warm bass groove for opening track ‘All Wishes Come True’. Moving skillfully through jazz-informed runs that add subtle harmonic flair, the song firmly sits within the soulful leaning side of RnB, centred around a situation between friends in which jealousy of each other's achievements leads to a parting of ways. Moodier ‘In My Body’ is filled with lush harmonies and melancholic chord progressions exploring Gloria’s struggle with depression, and a reminder about how important it is to cultivate a community of those who can hold you, and those who you can hold in return. ‘Loud’ is a bouncier and slightly punchier offering with a catchy ascending bassline and head nodding RnB rhythms, echoing the title of allowing oneself to take up space and to be heard. Having once tried to hide her cultural identity, the track is dedicated to those who are struggling to step into their authenticity. Opening with lucid piano, ‘Oceans’ is a reflective yet still deeply groove based downtempo song about Gloria’s first experience of true love in a relationship which was simultaneously dimming her light. With drums at the forefront, closing track ‘Keep Love Close’ brings to mind the sonic world of artists such as Lianne La Havas and Ego Ella May, dedicated to a late friend of Gloria’s who passed away.

At only 24 years old, Gloria has already made impressions supporting renowned artists such as Jessica Mauboy, The Jungle Giants, and The Bamboos, playing festivals such as Melbourne International Jazz festival and Queenscliff Music Festival and recently winning the Music Victoria Diaspora (2024) award and an APRA/AMCOS Professional Development Award (2025). Wild Gloriosa is one to be watched, carving out her own path within Naarm and Geelong’s music communities.