Rachel VanSlyke

Artist Information

Biography

After receiving industry acclaim in the form of Clear Channel’s “New” Program, Rachel VanSlyke landed into a worldwide recording and publishing contract. In the summer of 2007 she recorded her debut album, “so I begin” at Stanley Recording
Studios in Santa Monica, CA.

VanSlyke’s unique combination of accessible, highly listenable tunes with no holds barred lyrics and a refusal to be bound by conventional genres have garnered her a following who are at once enamored and empowered by her bold songwriting and gutsy performances. Succeeding on her own terms, her songs emotionally resonate with fans across the spectrum based upon their edgy intensity and genuine intimacy. Raised in Upstate New York on little more than a love of family and music, she first took to the guitar at age 14. The past decade she’s spent honing her talents by beating the odds and claiming a newfound comfort in crowds. She also plays piano and a little tenor sax, thanks to her family’s penchant for all- night jam sessions, but the energetic artist feels compelled to pick up and play pretty much anything that makes a sound. Of course, the construction worker turned waitress turned Venice Boardwalk acoustic vagabond has a habit of defying expectations. And “so i begin,” her first release by TSR Records is no exception.

In the spring of 2008, this adventurous music maker set out on a 26 plus-city tour sprawling from South Florida to Canada. Many of the shows involved raising awareness and funds for local community bike co-ops and community centers. Did I mention she did this 4,100 miles journey on a bicycle? This pedal powered treck was both to promote the new album, and also raise awareness on sustainability and environmental issues.

Combining elements of rock, pop and classic country, everyone from teens to the adult alternative crowd are getting off on the unapologetic sensuality of Rachel VanSlyke’s storytelling and her raw, expressive and explosive talents. Still reluctant to set up house in anybody else’s camp, the modest twenty-six year-old does acknowledge and appreciate comparisons made to Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Nirvana. Rock? Sure, just so long as your definition includes ample room for the truthy twangs of Johnny Cash. Pop? Yes, but when’s the last time hooks like this have been matched with R&B grit – better put a little more rum in that Coke. Folk? Of course, the influence is there, but are you sure Folk is supposed to stomp? This ain’t your Momma’s Mamas. And there’s nothing the playful soul likes better than surprising fans by following up one song – just when they think they’ve got her pegged – with something completely different.

Following her Hollywood Music Award Nomination in November of 08, VanSlyke landed in the South East, where she will be regionally touring over the next few months and giving her audiences a glimpse of her newest material. In February of 09, her most recent unreleased track “I’m coming Home” took winner status in the international songwriting contest, “song of the year”. In Jan. 2011 the track "Table Rock" won Grand Prize in the "100% Music" Songwriting Contest.







BY: SCOTT SILVERMAN

Instrumentation

band depends on the venue and event - Banjo, Vocals, Guitar, mandolin, Fiddle, and Harmonica

Discography

"so i begin" released September 2007


COMPILATIONS:

Featured on M:M Music Volume 3 August-September 2007 along with James Blunt, Paul McCarthy, Mellisa Etherige, Amy Winehouse and more... "

Featured on CMJ Compilation; Aug.-Sept. 2007

AWARDS:

~Overall Winner "100% Music" Songwriting Contest - Jan. 2011 "Table Rock", unreleased

~Songwriting Universe
Song of the month
November 2008
"Won't be Back" off of 'so i begin'

~Hollywood Music Award Nomination 2008
"Weightless" off of 'so i begin'

~Song of the Year
Winner of Feb. 2009 Folk category
"I'm comin home" - unreleased

Podcast:
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/multimedia/19889339.html

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Hold on to that dream
  Listen  
• won't be back
  Listen  
• Table Rock
  Listen  
• Where You are
  Listen  
• never me
  Listen  
• I'm comin home
  Listen  
• I'm comin home
  Listen  
• movin on
  Listen  
• weightless
  Listen  
• in between
  Listen  
• Help is on the Way
  Listen  

Lyrics

• never me
• into me
• let you go
• the one
• weightless
• won't be back
• in between
• I'm coming home
• I'm comin home
• I'm comin home
• Where I Wanna Be
• Table Rock
• Table Rock
• Beach Song
• Help is on the Way
• Hold on to that Dream

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Venue list of places Rachel VanSlyke has played [+ Show ]
  

  Central Earth Day Festival, Orlando F.L. Alachua Spring Festival, Alachua FL The Kickstand, Gaines...Central Earth Day Festival, Orlando F.L.
  Alachua Spring Festival, Alachua FL
  The Kickstand, Gainesville, F.L.
  Shooting Star, Gainesville, F.L.
  The Pizza Palace, Gainesville, F.L.
  The Elbow Room, Gainesville, F.L.
  Bike Bash on the Bay, St. Petersburg, F.L.
  Tavern 213, Ft. Lauderdale, F.L.
  The Guitar Bar, Savannah, G.A.
  Home Team BBQ, Charleston, S.C.
  Eddie’s Attic, Atlanta, G.A.
  The G-Spot, Greenville, S.C.
  Reys, Greenville, S.C.
  Barley's Tap Room, Greenville, S.C.
  Blue Ridge Brewery, Greenville, S.C.
  Parris Mountain State Park, Music in the Woods Series, Greenville S.C.
  The Coffee Underground, Acoustic Sean, Greenville S.C.
  Smiley’s Acoustic Cafe, Greenville, S.C.
  Bohemian Café, Greenville, S.C.
  Haygood Mill, Pickens, S.C.
  The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C.
  The Pumpkintown Opry, Pickens, S.C.
  Main Street Deli and Coffeehouse, Central, S.C.
  Jittery Joe’s, Clemson, S.C.
  Jack of the Wood, Asheville, N.C.
  The Evening Muse, Charlotte, N.C.
  The Greenrice Gallery, Charlotte, N.C.
  Smelly Cat, Charlotte, N.C.
  Flat Rock Wine Shoppe Back Room, Flat Rock, N.C.
  Rocks, Richmond, V.A.
  Lickedy Splits, Philadelphia, P.A.
  Kenny’s Castaway, NYC, NY
  The Living Room, Providence, R.I.
  Grass Roots Festival, Boston, M.A.
  The Burren, Boston, M.A.
  Club Possium, Boston, M.A.
  The Lizard Lounge, Boston, M.A.
  Union Street Coffee, Biddeford, M.E.
  Dog Fish Bar and Grill, Portland, M.E.
  Langdon Street Café, Montpellier, V.T.
  Saratoga Hats Off Festival, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  Saratoga Final Stretch Festival, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  Gaffney’s, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  Café Lena, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  City Tavern, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  Coffee Planet, Balston Spa, N.Y.
  The Waterwhole, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
  Dunn Brothers Coffee, Nashville, T.N.
  Ugly Mugs, Nashville, T.N.
  Billups Art and Music, Nashville, T.N.
  The French Quarter, Nashville, T.N.
  Acoustic Coffee House, Johnson City, T.N.
  Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood CA
  
  Radio and T.V.
  Appocolypse Now, Woodstock N.Y.
  Mike Collins, Charlotte Talks, NPR, Charlotte, N.C.
  Philadelphia Daily News Podcast, Philly, P.A.
  Portsmouth, Community Radio, Portsmouth, N.H.
  WMNF
  WUSF
  PIX 106 clear channel
  WEXT
  
  

• fensepost [+ Show ]
  

  TSR Records [CD, 2007] So you’re sitting in your favorite local coffee shop sipping a soy latte ...TSR Records [CD, 2007]
  
  So you’re sitting in your favorite local coffee shop sipping a soy latte and contemplating your day over the Missed Connections section of the alternative weekly. A woman comes in; she strolls past with her guitar case and a sign that she’s entertainment for the night.
  
  You watch as she sets up the mic, adjusts the stool and drinks some water then clears her throat. The music that is released between breaths is soothing and comfortable; a perfect accompaniment to the atmosphere.
  
  Rachel VanSlyke is a throwback to the 90’s coffeehouse rock. Her catchy, well-written songs could be the anthems of several teen sitcoms, fitting snugly into the juxtapositions of teen love’s heartbroken, angsty, dreamy scenes. Her song “Into Me” could have been on many episodes of Dawson’s Creek, before Joey and Pacey finally hook up.
  
  Her voice is smooth and smoky, like the exhalations of a cigarette swirling in the air and gently resting on top of unsaid words. The songs extinguish into each other, creating the overarching ideas. “Weightless” is an instant favorite with its slow jam lyrics, It’s more than a moment and I want you to know that you cover me in silence.
  
  This mid-90s comparison is not to trivialize VanSlyke or her music, rather give it an exquisite taste to ready the palette. The 90s was one of the most progressive times for rock music. Rachel VanSlyke’s album, So I Begin is a tribute to this nostalgia.
  
  

• collected sounds [+ Show ]
  

  This is Rachel Van Slyke’s debut record and it’s a great start to what I am sure will be a long care...This is Rachel Van Slyke’s debut record and it’s a great start to what I am sure will be a long career in music.
  
  She is a great songwriter, these songs are addictive and catchy but not too mainstream or commonplace. I can imagine them being played on the radio but only on cool stations. There’s a complexity here that you don’t find in your average top 40 songs.
  
  Her style reminds me of Marie Frank especially on track 3, ‘Into Me’. Her vocal tone is different, but the manner is similar. Her voice has a very familiar sound. Not so much that I’ve heard it before, but more that it’s comfortable.
  
  Stand out songs for include: Into Me, Open End, Movin’ On…oh heck, I like them all. This is a fantastic record and I hope to hear more from her in the future. I’m pretty sure this will be on my ‘best of’ list.
  
  

• Cycling Singer [+ Show ]
  

  Johnstown native Rachel VanSlyke arranges gear on her bike on East Fulton Street in Gloversville Th...Johnstown native Rachel VanSlyke arranges gear on her bike on East Fulton
  Street in Gloversville Thursday. VanSlyke was in the area as part of a 3,650-mile
  bike tour promoting her new compact disc and raising awareness about nutrition,
  exercise and what she calls “faith in humanity.”
  
  
  JOHNSTOWN - Musician Rachel VanSlyke, a Johnstown native, achieved success last year when she
  signed with a record label in Los Angeles and recorded her first compact disc, titled "So I Begin."
  VanSlyke, 25, grew up in Johnstown and graduated from Johnstown High School. After living in Los
  Angeles and Florida for several years, she signed with TSR Records in Los Angeles and recorded her
  music, which she calls a mix of alternative rock and adult contemporary. She sings and plays guitar on
  the album.
  The next logical step was a tour to promote her music.
  Most musicians board beat-up vans or, if they're lucky, posh buses, to go on tour. VanSlyke packed
  her bags and hopped on her bike.
  Since April, she's biked about 3,650 miles from Florida to Maine, up to Quebec and, this weekend,
  back to her hometown. Along the way, she's played at festivals and coffee houses to promote her
  music, but the bigger goal, she said, is to promote the reality of sustainability.
  "Society instills fear in us, and I want to show that we can help each other," she said. "We live in fear
  of one another, afraid to look each other in the eye. We're afraid people are going to judge us. This
  tour has made me not afraid. My faith in humanity has been restored."
  VanSlyke said she is often asked if she is afraid when she bikes through "bad
  neighborhoods."
  "I can honestly say there has never been a time when I was afraid," she said.
  VanSlyke is also hoping to raise awareness and show people can rely on themselves for their own
  survival.
  "Everyone gets caught up in the rat race of life, never seeing your own children, worried about having
  the greenest lawn," she said. "This trip has been so liberating for me."
  She bikes 50 to 90 miles a day and takes a break when she has a performance scheduled. Of the
  roughly 100 days she's been biking, she's slept in hotels twice. Every other night is spent either in her
  tent or, preferably, under the stars.
  "I'm spoiled," she said. "I need that fresh air now."
  Usually, she knocks on a person's door and asks to sleep in their back yard. Often, she is offered
  much more than that, including a hot meal or other amenities.
  "People have been so kind to me," she said. "It's really wonderful."
  VanSlyke planned the tour by mapping out her route on Google. She set aside days for resting and
  kept her mileage goals moderate so she could make sure she didn't miss a show. Money from the sale
  of her CD sustain her as far as food and the occasional piece of gear, she said, but she also relies on
  virtual strangers who offer help and their own fundraising efforts.
  VanSlyke's 110-day trek has not been without its problems. She almost didn't get started because of a
  drunken driver who hit her while she was biking before the start of her tour, she said.
  That crash put her in the hospital for several days, she said, and her injuries still bother her. Biking,
  however, helps, she said.
  "I feel so much better, so much more fit and healthy," she said.
  The occasional flat tire doesn't pose a problem, as she can fix them herself. And she rarely, if ever,
  has a problem finding a place to sleep. By carrying her tent and sleeping bag on her bike, she has a
  home away from home wherever she goes.
  She zig-zagged across the East and played as far west as Asheville, N.C. She went to Quebec to play,
  then crossed back into the states and went through Vermont and New Hampshire.
  While her needs have been reduced to the bare minimum, VanSlyke said she relies on technology to
  do at least one thing every day: text-message her mom.
  "Every single night, I get either a call or a text," said Deborah Bowen, VanSlyke's mother, who lives in
  Johnstown. "As she got farther along, the texts weren't quite as long, though - something like, 'I'm
  safe, love Rach.'"
  Bowen, who is a musician herself, said she is astonished by her daughter's accomplishments, but also
  has some motherly worries.
  "The mother side of me said, 'Don't expect me not to be worried,'" she said. "I'm extremely proud of
  her. I just wish I was brave enough to do that when I was younger."
  VanSlyke will play in Northville on Saturday during the village's Independence Day festivities.
  Her tour will wrap up in Saratoga Springs July 16. She is already thinking about her next album, which
  she says will reflect the bike tour and be a very "back-to-the-basics, bare-bones" recording.
  "Now I feel like I can go anywhere," she said. "Society shows us negative images every day, but I've
  seen so many amazing things."
  For more information, visit www.rachelvanslyke.com.
  

Setlist

2 sets all original 2 hours

"so i begin" released September 2007

1. MOVIN ON
2. NEVER ME
3. INTO ME
4. IN BETWEEN
5. LET YOU GO
6. WON'T BE BACK
7. OPEN END
8. WEIGHTLESS
9. THE ONE
10. CARRY
11. PUSH IT IN LINE
12. SO I BEGIN
13. YOU THINK YOU KNOW
14. WORLD'S APART

unreleased newest material:

1. Hold on to that dream
2. I'm coming home
3. Help is on the way
4. This love is real
5. Beach Song
6. Autumn Moon
7. I'd rather be free
8. Table Rock
9. Anomoly
10. High and Low
11. Shaker song
12. Where I wanna be

Basic Requirements

Calendar