Biography
Deep longing has a new voice.
Imagine a gene lab accident. Beakers holding the DNA of Bob Mould, Elisabeth Fraser and Morrissey crash to the floor, their contents mixing and recombining as they drip down the wall toward an electrical outlet. Days after the cleanup, the technicians lean over their benches. In a corner, behind a seam in the flesh-colored linoleum baseboard where the mops couldn't reach, is a still-damp spot...
In the bustling world of indie pop, acts come and go. But Rachel Margaret's refreshing sound is carving out a niche all its own—at once both cutting edge and timeless. Passionate vocals floating over dreamy synths and hyper-hooky guitars, coupled with amazing songwriting, have garnered Rachel serious buzz in the underground.
Her debut EP, the critically acclaimed Buena Vista Park (July 2007), was a surprise hit last summer with Canadian/International fans as Rachel's EP, and her new single "Prisoner" held the top 7 spots in the popular vote (out of over 6000 songs) in the Sirius Fan Choice Awards. More recently, Rachel's song, "Someday Soon", was Julian Lennon's Pick of the Week (for the week of November 16, 2008) on Energy 92.7's Below Zero.
"Simply put, Rachel Margaret is an artist whose stock can only go up from here. Pick this EP up." —Neufutur.com
With the impending release of her sophomore album, Temporary Sanity, Rachel is making a name for herself on the new songwriter circuit.
"Rachel has that crucial faculty of self-criticality that amplifies her talent and makes her material shine", says producer Bonnie Hayes. "In my experience, that's what separates the great ones from everybody else."
A product of the University of Texas and the Ecole Normale Superieur de Musique in Paris (the one not in Texas), Rachel is currently in graduate school in the Bay Area. "More and more, I just want to sing my songs live. Sometimes when the band's locked in, I feel almost like crying, but great at the same time. I haven't had that feeling doing anything else professionally, and I doubt I ever will."
There is a tangible element of sadness and longing to the work that is evocative of love gone wrong. Is it true to life? "Well, basically, I am pretty cynical about love at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'll stay that way. I guess maybe right now it's more fun to write about love with perspective. It's like a tightrope act. It's only interesting if it's way off the ground and there isn't a net."
Music for acrobats.
Honors/Awards:
Runner Up, 2009 We Are Listening Singer/Songwriter Awards
"Someday Soon" has been selected for KFOG's upcoming "Local Scene, Vol. 6" (Due out August 2009). Proceeds from the CD benefit MUST (Music in Schools Today).
"Julia" Honorable Mention in the Pop Category in the 2009 West Coast Songwriters International Songwriting Competition
"Someday Soon" is Julian Lennon's Frigid Pick of the Week on Energy 92.7's Below Zero show for the week of November 16th, 2008
"Landfill" Honorable Mention in the Pop Category in the 2008 West Coast Songwriters International Songwriting Competition
"Landfill" Honorable Mention in the 2007 We Are Listening Singer/Songwriter Awards
Instrumentation
Rachel Margaret, keyboards, guitar, synths; Bonnie Hayes, acoustic/backing vocals; Betsy Adams, electric guitar; Blyss, bass; Dave Burns, drums.
(Special thanks to Mario Cippolina of Huey Lewis and the News for bass, and to Andrew Griffin for drums on Prisoner)
Discography
Rachel's EP Buena Vista Park is streaming online at http://www.myspace.com/rachelmargaretmusic and is available for sale at iTunes and other major online retailers.
Buena Vista Park received radio play in the U.S. on San Francisco's SOMA FM's Indie Pop Rocks! program. Prisoner, the first single of Rachel's forthcoming album was played on May 12th by DJ A.J. Curtis at the University of San Francisco's KUSF 90.3. Rachel's song , Snowglobe has also been featured on New Jersey's own Homegrown Radio. In Europe, Rachel's songs have been featured on stations in Amsterdam and Brussels.
November 2008: Rachel's tracks were featured on Below Zero on Energy 92.7. Rachel's song Someday Soon was Julian Lennon's Pick of the Week for November 16th, 2008. For more details, including air dates for Someday Soon, check out http://www.belowzerobeats.com.
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/rachelmargaretmusic |