rain Phoenix

Rain Phoenix discovered her passion for performing at a young age. Raised in a family that encouraged music and nurtured artistic expression, she and her siblings have collectively captivated audiences around the world through music, performance and film. 

Rain's journey as a touring musician began as a teenager with Aleka's Attic, a progressive folk-rock band founded by her older brother River Phoenix. Throughout the late '80s and early '90s, the indie group traveled across the country, performing at various venues, from underground rock clubs to large benefit concerts.

Rain also toured and recorded with renowned acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Causey Way, and R.E.M before establishing her own band, papercranes, in 2001. She also was a founding member of The Citizen's Band, a cabaret troupe based in New York, from 2006 to 2015. In 2016, Rain became half of the duo Venus and the Moon and toured with Cat Power and Rufus Wainwright. 

Motivated to help Haitians whose lives were destroyed by the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Rain brought musician friends together to create a high-profile, benefit concert. That experience inspired her to launch Gift Horse Project, an organization which unites artists to create high-impact events benefitting charities. Gift Horse Project now also includes a media engine.

In 2017, concerned that commercialism was tamping down artistic exploration, Rain founded LaunchLeft, a podcast and label that also works closely with Gift Horse Project. LaunchLeft’s mission is to elevate talented individuals with unconventional styles by having established creatives "launch" them on the podcast. The LaunchLeft label produces a variety of talent, including Rain's debut solo album, River, released in 2019, featuring the lead single "Time is the Killer" with Michael Stipe.

With an unwavering passion for visionary artists, Rain consistently harnesses her global platform to unite art with activism in all her pursuits. Embracing veganism as a child, Rain along with her siblings, convinced her parents to adopt veganism in the late 1970’s and the Phoenix family were early advocates for animal rights, playing a pivotal role in promoting the vegan lifestyle through grassroots initiatives and mainstream media. 

Rain is a contributing writer for Origin Magazine, AwareNOW Magazine, and FLOOD Magazine, works closely with The Art of Elysium, and serves on the boards of several nonprofits, including the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. Most recently Rain has returned to music, joining forces with songwriter/musician Kirk Hellie for their new band, Escape Artist Lovers.