Dreamers often lie,
in bed asleep though they do dream things true
~Shakespeare
Listen
Soon
Me
R
achel sits in her third floor loft with her knees slightly tucked under her, drinking a warm cup of tea. In the corner of the room is a vintage, and well loved, 1950’s Gibson Guitar passed on to her by her grandmother.
She has performed at emerging artist showcases across Canada as part of Canadian Country Music Award Week, has been an Unsigned Only music semi-finalist and one of only eight artists selected to perform at music publisher Ole’s inaugural “on the spot” contest. She has even been to Nashville and played songwriters night at the famed Bluebird Cafe. “I grew up listening to country music, classic rock, and so many other genres. There’s things I love about each genre of music that have certainly influenced the music that I write.”
Rachel has played a number of Vancouver venues including the Red Room, Fortune Sound Club and The Roxy. Rachel also loves singing for her local sports teams, and has sung for just about every sport, including the Vancouver Canadians Baseball and BC Lions Football where she also sang during the Half-Time Show for a Salute to Veterans.
“I started singing anthems when I was really young, eight years old I think. It's something I’ve grown up doing, and have come to really appreciate as I’ve grown older. I realized that I have the chance to sing for and talk to so many people.”
In terms of the future, Rachel is set to release her debut song very soon. “It’s strange to think about, really. It somehow feels like the perfect time because I think now more than ever, I understand more of who I am artistically, or at least how I want to go about sharing my music.”
She’s been writing songs since she was 12 and there is an evident maturity in her writing.
“I really love understanding the meaning behind certain concepts and ideas, understanding words
and the way we communicate is something that has always fascinated me. Especially with writing,
one phrase could potentially mean several different things.” The lyrics to her songs are poetically
eloquent, and capture a kind of classic romanticism that creates nostalgia for a time that
seems to only exist in dreams.
I have the chance to listen to her debut single before its release. “You’re the first person
I’ve played this for, besides my team and some of my close friends,” she says with a slight smile.
The angelic melody of the song is sweet and honest. The lyrics make you feel warm and
delightfully content, as if it were a sunny Sunday afternoon, perfect for sipping tea
with someone you know, or will know, all your life.
~Ella H.
A Letter to You,
However it was that you found your way here, by fate or accident, I am so very thankful that you did. I have been writing music and singing for more than half my life now, and though I sometimes think I know lots, I’ve come to realize more and more that there’s still so much I don’t yet know, and much I will never know. The things I think and dream about tend to be written into my songs, in both the lyrics and the melodies. Some of the songs I’ve written are from my own life experiences, from my struggles and joys. Others are about the world around me and tell the stories of people I know and the stories of strangers.
I know that there are many times in life when you don’t feel special or like anyone cares. Sometimes you don’t feel anything at all. Sometimes you feel like you’re just existing, or running in the same spot, never getting any further ~ I’ve been there too. I also know life is never going to be completely filled with happiness. I suppose if we could be happy all the time, then we might not truly appreciate the times that we are happy.
There are beautiful things in life, and the fact that people exist and live despite all their brokenness and scars is one of the most beautiful things there is. One of my favourite lyrics is “where there is hope, there is always hardship”. If things were perfect we would not hope. If we did not hope we would never know anything different. Hope is such a beautiful thing, but hope could not exist without hardship.
Music is one of the things that has kept me sane, it has allowed me to hope, it has allowed me to imagine and it has allowed me to dream. I wish that you too are able to find hope, that you are able to imagine, and that you are able to dream. These are things we tend to forget as we grow older, but our imagination and dreams allow us to change reality by not simply accepting what is, as something that will always be. Keep happy thoughts in your mind, and when the night is the darkest don’t forget the light and beauty you carry within yourself.
Let’s dream only good things from now on,
My love always
-R-
