Rachel Kays

Rachel Kays' album NATURAL -- if you're a fan of Taylor Swift or Lady Antebellum, you will probably love Rachel's new album too! - Hollywood Teen'Zine

Rachel Kays is the complete deal: talent, looks, heart & skill. She has genre-busting range and we look forward to her next album. - Black Sky Radio

"Terrific sound and heartfelt songwriting from this young artist from Austin, Texas!
Keep it rollin' and we're looking forward to more from Rachel... pick up a copy of her debut release "Natural" by clicking on the link below. A perfect add to your collection."
~Jeff/TOR - Texas Online Radio

Kays is as enchanting as her music, and we can all be certain of a long and interesting career for this Texan gem.

It’s hard not to like her songs – upbeat country and pop melodies delivered by her powerful and charming voice. - Soundcheck

Natural is a lovely and enchanting album. On this evidence Kays seems destined to long outlive the fleeting whimsy of chart music. Watch this space. - Soundcheck

Introducing RACHEL KAYS , a talented young singer/songwriter from Austin, Texas. Rachel sings country/pop and R and B. She released her debut EP Sweet 16 on her 16th birthday. Take a listen to an awesome tune from that EP called LEFT ME HANGING ! - Tween Pop Radio

"Refreshingly upbeat, her debut effort Natural combines contemporary country-pop sounds with a youthful innocence, and as such the album is a great cure for the blues." - Austin Music City

"The majority of her songs are more in the singer/songwriter vein, which comes across as her forte, though some of the other tunes are a bit more experimental. “Girls Like You” is more of an R&B tune, and an excellent one at that, while “Left Me Hanging” has a bit of a electronic sound in the background, and both of those songs show there’s more to her music than meets the eye." - The Music Enthusiast

The realm of the singer-songwriter is an over populated one. With not enough attention to go around, a lot of fine musicians find themselves drowning in the airwaves of others. For daring to step into such a world, Rachel Kays deserves credit. For producing a body of work which stands out against the crowd, she deserves a lot of success.

Refreshingly upbeat, her debut effort Natural combines contemporary country-pop sounds with a youthful innocence, and as such the album is a great cure for the blues. Perhaps it’s Kays’ age which makes this album successful.

She’s still free enough to experiment with vocal melodies, even genres. “Left Me Hanging”, for example, would place her firmly as an artist, with a heavy synth layer, and a sparing use of vocal effects, which create an accomplished and mature song. Had she been older, then this would be seen as a lack of direction, but for me it’s a much-needed dose of variety, and a desire not to commit too early to one path or another.

It’s her age which also allows Kays to play it safe lyrically. In typical singer-songwriter fashion, love is a common source for inspiration. In this instance, however there’s something wonderfully melodramatic and nostalgic about skipping from song to song, drumming up memories of a time when every love would last forever.

That’s not to patronize. The album as a whole is cheery and sweet, and will no-doubt connect with your ‘inner-child’ (or whatever it is we call it these days). For this, Natural is all the more endearing, and should see widespread popularity for it.

Book-ending the album, “When You Were Mine” and “Still In Love With You” are marvelous country-pop anthems. The latter is energetic, cleverly crafted, and allows Kays to showcase her fantastic voice. The former, while being less energetic, still paints a picture of a confident young singer, whose voice never allows itself to be drowned out by the music.

Similar in sound to bands like The Wreckers, Rachel Kays has a musical maturity beyond her years, and presents herself as a more than credible bridging of the gap between the genres of country and pop. Instead of compromising, and allowing her style to merge, she has kept her ideas apart, and as a result can now take several different paths with future releases.

Natural is a lovely and enchanting album. On this evidence Kays seems destined to long outlive the fleeting whimsy of chart music. Watch this space.

Angus Marriott

Soundchecked

http://angusmarriott - Austin Music City

I spoke to country-pop starlet Rachel Kays before the release of her debut album, Natural…

Rachel Kays is starting to attract attention. With the release of her debut album Natural just around the corner and a glowing reputation on the Internet, you could forgive the 16-year-old singer for getting a little carried away. This seems not to be the case, however.

Gearing up for our interview (on Skype, no less), Kays confesses to her nerves and admits she turned to her idols for inspiration: “ I’ve been watching interviews with Eminem and Reba McEntire, just to get an idea of what to expect.”

To her credit, any nerves never surface during our chat. Instead, Kays talks with more experience than her fledgling status would normally allow, particularly when conversation turns to the writing process.

“I love Taylor Swift’s writing – it’s pretty, almost poetic,” she says, “At the moment I’m not writing in a particular style. It all depends on what mood I’m in. I’ll just sit in my room with a guitar, and play around with melodies.

“Country is my favourite genre. I think it’s a wholesome style of music. Most songs I write have a country feel – sometimes it’s just because of my voice. I just try not to force it.”

With that sentiment, we move seamlessly into a discussion about Natural, Kays’ debut offering, which is already making waves in music circles. This was always to be expected- Kays has bolstered her web presence with a series of YouTube videos and is keenly embracing her fans on social networking sites. Despite this, She says her popularity has taken her by surprise.

“It’s surreal, knowing how many times my songs have been played, and hearing how much people are liking it and relating to it. I write mostly for myself, to get my emotions out. But I’m glad others are enjoying it.

“My songs are very upbeat now because that’s the outlook I have on life. As I grow, my music will grow and change with me – hopefully my writing skills will grow, too.”

Kays certainly has a promising starting point. It’s hard not to like her songs – upbeat country and pop melodies delivered by her powerful and charming voice. It seems likely, though, that those wanting to see her in the flesh may have a while to wait. Kays admits she is still a few necessities shy of being a complete, tour-ready singer…

“I don’t have a band right now, which would make touring difficult unless I used a backing track,” she says, “I’ve also still got a lot to do – there are so many songs I still want to record. It’s just of case of keeping calm, and trying not to rush into things. I am hopeful of going on a radio tour of Texas, though…”

One thing is for sure – Kays will be worth the wait. Her youthful exuberance is yet to be reigned in by the rituals of making music, leaving plenty of time for indulgences of the outdoor kind.

“I recently got a horse, who I love spending time with, and I’ve always loved lots of different sports. I just love spending time outdoors.”

So, there you have it. Rachel Kays – ‘natural’ through and through. As our conversation draws to a close, it does so begrudgingly. Kays is as enchanting as her music, and we can all be certain of a long and interesting career for this Texan gem.

www.rachelkays.com - Soundcheck - The Angus Marriott Music Blog