It is often said that the Sun is an "ordinary" star. That's true in the sense that there are many others similar to it, but the truth is there are none quite like it. The Sun is our brightest star, closest to earth and stands as the greatest power in our solar system. It provides us with light, heat, energy and happiness and because of that it has become a great symbol for life, strength and power and has been an inspiration to man since time began.

Sahaj Ticotin, a singer/songwriter from Queens, NY was always fascinated with the Sun and the importance it stand for. He often used the Sun as a metaphor in his poems and song lyrics. "I always liked to write about the Sun a lot," Ticotin said, "The Sun always ended up in all of my songs. The thing that I like about it is that it's dynamic and it has duality. On one hand its a giant ball of fusion and is incredibly powerful and on the other hand its also this beautiful thing that when you wake up in the morning and open the door it hits you in that face and makes you feel good."

The Sun was such a vital factor to Ticotin's music that he wanted his band's moniker to reflect his greatest inspiration. He would name his band Ra, after the Egyptian Sun God which he felt to be most fitting. "When I was naming the band I wanted to come up with something that tied the Sun into the image of the band. I was thinking of different kinds of things but, I like the idea of Ra because it's short, melodramatic and sort of an odd thing and really unique."

Ra is certainly a fitting title for a band, especially one that generates such heat with a dynamic, multi-dimensional metal sound. Ra's Republic/Universal Records debut entitled "From One" hit stores this February and their first single "Do You Call My Name" is already shining bright on rock radio as it already reached number 11 on Billboards Heatseekers chart.

"Do You Call My Name" is a tight single with hard driving riffs and a chorus that sticks in your head long after the song ends. But, aside from the addictive musical style the tune also delivers an informative message that sheds light on those who suffer from depression. "People who suffer from depression really go through hell," Ticotin explains, "it's a real disease and it needs to be respected as a problem and is just as much a disease as say lung cancer. You have to treat it and it has to be dealt with. Depression is not something you can just ignore or complain about."

Lyrics such as, "So you just sit there, stuck, afraid to risk reality/ Afraid to cause yourself more pain, to face insanity/ But nothing ventured, nothing gained/ You see... your fear's your cage/ You beg for help but you're alone, stuck in a helpless rage," touch on the psyche of a severely depressed person and in a way places the listener in those aimless shoes.

Although he never personally suffered from severe depression Ticotin is quite familiar with the disease. "The song wasn't about me but someone close to me, a person who was bi-polar and had a severe case of depression. It's a terribly debilitating disease and most people never talk about it. See, Kurt Cobain and everybody sang about the subject but they never sang directly about it, they sang around the subject or they implied a lot but they never really came out and said it and this song just comes right out and says it."

Although there's no denying Ra's nu-metal appeal there is a distinct Middle Eastern signature sown into the mix that set's them aside from other groups in their genre. Ra takes some of the best elements of metal, prog and modern rock and creates a sound that is different yet familiar at the same time. Through the crunch-heavy guitars and powerful hooks you can sense many of their influences, including Metallica, Queensryche, Soundgarden and of course, The Police. "I've always been a huge fan of The Police and U2 and Peter Gabriel and I always wanted to take those bands and put them in front of a metal backdrop," explains Ticotin. "I grew up in New York with hip-hop and all that stuff and I can't help but to look for the heavier funky beats."

Accompanying Ticotin in Ra are drummer Skoota Warner, guitarist Ben Carroll, and bassist Sean Corcoran who bring the music to life with some great riffing, some amazing musicianship and arrangements. The band is currently on tour with Powerman 5000 and Stone Sour and will release their second single "Rectifier" this April. "Things are looking real good so far," says Ticotin, "we're trying to build more airplay and build record sales so we can try and figure out what we're gonna do this summer."

One things for sure, the Sun will certainly shine down on and smile upon Ra this summer.

For more info on Ra log to: www.raband.net =

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