Chapter Text
A Tragic Love Story: Rey & The Knights of Ren
By Rose Tico for The Cut
For nearly a decade, fans have speculated about sudden rise--and equally sudden collapse--of renowned rock group Rey & The Knights of Ren. Since the band’s breakup following their 2009 performance at Chicago Stadium, no one that had any involvement in Rey & The Knights of Ren--industry execs, producers, sound engineers, the band members themselves--has spoken about what caused the group’s abrupt and infamous split.
So when my boss calls me into her office and tells me I need to fly across the country for an exclusive interview with Maz Kanata about Rey & The Knights of Ren, I proceed to laugh in her face.
It is at this juncture I feel it is necessary to disclose that I am a Rey & The Knights of Ren superfan. From the concert photos that decorate my cubicle walls to the lock screen on my cell phone to the decade-old concert tee shirt frayed from overwear, I am an avid consumer of all Rey & The Knights of Ren content. Which is precisely the reason my editor chooses me for the assignment.
She explains as much once I finish laughing. And before I can ask the millions of questions dancing on the tip of my tongue, she slides a plane ticket across the glossy wood and motions to the door. I do not hesitate.
I take the ticket and leave to interview Maz Kanata about what exactly happened between Rey Johnson and Kylo Ren.
Maz Kanata
Senior Agent at Empire Sounds
In person, Maz Kanata is the antithesis of her industry persona: a cutting, domineering powerhouse that can convince even the biggest of stars to do her bidding. As she sits across from me, she does not strike me as cutting or domineering at all. She is small and serene. With a sleek black bob and glasses almost bigger than her face, she appears more idiosyncratic than intimidating, and I wonder momentarily if she was the inspiration for the Incredibles character Edna Mode. Given her rich history in Hollywood, this is entirely possible, but I do not ask about it, knowing that my time with her is limited. Instead, as I sit opposite her desk, the LA skyline filling the window behind her, I ask her to tell me how she met Rey Johnson.
Maz Kanta: Rey was a nobody when I found her. A couple of friends were visiting from Chicago back in ‘07 and wanted to try this bar they’d heard about--Plutt’s was the name, I think. Well, it was disgusting. Think the bathroom of CBGB bad. I was ready to leave immediately, but they were doing an open mic night and Price--Teddy Price, God rest his soul, passed away in 2013 from a heart attack--wanted to stay and see a few of the performers.
Rey was our waitress. She made an offhand comment about how she liked to sing. She said something about stage fright, and Teddy jumped up from his chair and grabbed her hand. That man pulled her up on stage, asked one of the guys in the front for his guitar, and turned to Rey and went “do you know Blue Bayou?” Rey looked petrified. Absolutely petrified. But she nodded.
That was a miracle in it’s own right: finding a 19-year-old that knows Linda Rhondstat. But Rey’s got an old soul and Teddy could tell. He could always tell what music people liked just by the look in their eyes. It was his superpower.
Anyway, Teddy started to play and Rey started to sing. I’ll never forget the first time I heard that girl’s voice. It was like taking a shot; it warmed you from the inside. It was deep and weathered and vulnerable, and it came to her as easily as breathing.
When she sang that first chorus--you know the line-- ‘I’m going back someday come what may to blue bayou’ I thought there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to get that girl a record deal.
So that’s how she came to record Girl In The Desert ?
Exactly. Girl In The Desert . You have no idea how hard I had to fight to get that song made.
So it wasn’t easy to convince Empire Sounds to take a chance on Rey?
I didn’t have to fight them! I had to fight Rey. Skywalker knows I have impeccable taste. All I had to do was play 30 seconds of Rey singing and he was onboard. Rey on the other hand had no interest whatsoever in being in the spotlight. It was a battle just to get her to agree to a meeting with Skywalker. But money was tight so she agreed. Then, she walked out of that meeting with a contract.
It doesn’t happen like that. Ever. Every day I’m sorting through hundreds of emails from artists asking me to listen to their demos and begging for a chance. I never have to convince the talent.
But Rey was different?
Rey was different. Her voice was--well you’ve heard it--it was transformative. When you’ve been around musicians as long as I have, you become cynical. It takes an awful lot to impress me. With Rey, I wasn’t impressed. I was blown away. What she has is the kind of talent that is wrong to keep to yourself. It is selfish not to share it. And I told her that.
What did she say?
She laughed! She thought I was kidding. She and Kylo had that in common. They were both unaware of how immensely talented they were.
My understanding is that the two of them had a lot in common.
They’re cut from the same cloth, Rey and Ren.
How did Rey come to join the Knights of Ren?
After the meeting with Skywalker, Rey got to work on an album. Most of it was studio archive stuff. At the time, Taylor Swift was just getting big, and Rey was young, so they had her recording that kind of sound. It was bubble-gum pop so sickly sweet it’d rot your teeth. Rey didn’t care what she was singing, but when Skywalker played me the first two songs they recorded, I knew I had to intervene. Rey’s voice is soulful and what she was singing was not.
As you can imagine, Skywalker is pissed about wasting that studiotime, but I didn’t care. I knew that once they had Rey singing the right stuff, it wouldn’t matter because she was gonna be big.
I get in my car, leave the studio, and drive to Rey’s house. She lived in the smallest, most run down apartment building I’d ever seen, but she still let me inside. I was about to tell her about my conversation with Luke when I saw this sheet of paper on the fridge with ink scrawled across it. Her handwriting was shit but I could make out enough to know it was the beginning of a song.
Now, like I mentioned earlier, Rey failed to understand how immensely talented she is. So, when I realized it was a song, she tried to downplay it, but I could tell she had something. I sat with her on the floor of that--I can say it now-- disgusting apartment and I gave her notes while she finished writing Girl In The Desert .
When it was done, I called Skywalker and made him meet us at the studio. It was about 2 a.m. and the man showed up in his pajamas, but Luke always would do anything I asked. Rey got in the booth and laid down the vocals.
In between one of the takes, Luke asked me who wrote it and I remember just turning to look at Rey. He let out this low whistle and said: “We have to get it on the radio as soon as possible.”
The next day, some studio band came in and put together an arrangement. By the end of the week, it was ready to go.
Where do the Knights of Ren come in?
After Girl In The Desert was out, Rey started getting some serious buzz. Nothing major, but enough to be excited. It was unheard of to release a single without the next songs in the album working their way through the pipeline, but I thought it’d be best for Rey and Skywalker and Empire Sounds to see the direction that Rey needed to be taking with her music. I knew what she had was good, but I don’t think they knew the scope of it.
I was driving home one night, listening to the radio, and a Knights of Ren song started to play. They’d released an album that had done pretty well about a year before, and while I’d never actually sat down and listened to their music, I knew they were working on another. When I heard Kylo Ren’s voice, I knew I had to get him on a song with Rey. So, I called Skywalker and strong-armed him into getting Rey and Ren a duet.
Kylo was not happy. As I’m sure you’re aware, he is a prickly character to begin with, but, even from the very beginning, something about Rey struck a nerve with him. However, Empire Sounds signed his checks so he couldn’t do anything about it when Rey showed up at their studio.
I wasn’t there for this so you’ll have to get the specifics from someone else, but rumor has it, the first few takes did not go well. I don’t know how, but they must’ve worked themselves out because the demo Luke sent me of Stand With Me was out of this world good. I said to Luke: “You know what this means?” He gurgled something on the other end of the line. And that’s how Rey came to join the Knights of Ren.
How did Rey fit into the Knights of Ren?
The band--all of them--were talented. Exceptional, even. But the real magic was Rey and Ren. I think people have forgotten that. So many bands have tried to replicate their success, but you just can’t. Those two were lightning in a bottle. I’ve never met such stubborn people and with how much they fought, it really shouldn't have worked out. But by some miracle, it did. And I think we’re all the better for it.
So you still count it as a success even though the world only got one album?
Maz is quiet for an unbearably long time. Then she smirks.
If I’m being honest, I think we’ve not seen the last of Rey and Ren.
Can you elaborate?
Those two had something . I don’t know what it was or any details, but I’ve got a feeling. Call it my superpower.
The interview ends here. Maz’s phone begins to ring and as she answers, she gives me an apologetic smile and shoos me from her office. The fan in me can hardly contain my excitement at her words.
We haven’t seen the last of Rey and Ren.