Hard to pin down, and hard to forget, Rachel Loy has always had it both ways: she's a sweet, petite blonde who sings heartrending ballads with an aching vulnerability, and she drives her electric bass like it's a pack of pit bulls. She works incredibly hard, but she makes it look easy. She rode the fleeting fame train with a major-label, Billboard-charted hit single at the ripe old age of nineteen, and now, three years after making her mark, she's ready to be discovered—again.
In the late nineties, Rachel Loy made a precocious debut at the age of thirteen, playing bass and singing with her sister for standing-room-only crowds at the renowned
"Babes On Sixth" club in Austin. They held the Friday night slot for almost four years. When she went off to college, Rachel did that her own way too: on a full-ride electric bass scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, in Boston. While there, in 2003, she won national attention with her song
"The Same Man," which she wrote for a friend shipped off to the war in Iraq. Epic released the song, and in no time Rachel was performing on The Today Show and CNN. She graduated Berklee with honors.
It's safe to say she was the only college student in the country who got to team up on songwriting with heavy-hitters Clif Magness (Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson), Steve Kipner (Christina Aguilara), Billy Mann (Pink, Ricky Martin), Victoria Shaw (Garth Brooks), Larry Seyer (Asleep at the Wheel), and Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Jewel).
Fruitful and fun as that was, Rachel says it seems like a long time ago. "I remember how badly I wanted to be Pop, and I wanted to be clever, and I wanted to hear my music on big radio with a big record deal," Rachel says.
"I also wanted to express myself. And I did. But now that's the main thing. With
the musical and personal changes I've gone through in the last few years, I have
completely new things I want to say."
In 2005, Rachel moved to Austin and released her first album, "Love the Mess," a gorgeous set of original songs produced by Texacool producer/engineer Carl Thiel (Bob Schnieder) that quickly became the most popular album in its genre on Download.com. She tapped right into the heart of the Austin community: soon after hitting town, Rachel was accepted into the competitive Austin Music Foundation Incubator Program, an eighteen-month fellowship created by Nikki Rowling that provides three promising local musicians mentoring on both art and business, and financial assistance in recording and releasing an album.
"Tongue and Teeth" is the product of that Austin stew Rachel's been simmering in. Full of anthems, grooves, and quiet poetry, the album occupies an exotic island of musical real estate somewhere in the neighborhood of Rickie Lee Jones, The Cardigans, and Shawn Colvin. It's the product of her unique history and her unusually expansive musical experience. With hard-earned, heartfelt things to say, the honesty to say them, and the talent to make listeners feel every last corner of it, Rachel Loy is bound to be discovered—again and again—as the generous and gifted artist that she is.
You have a girl's face, a sweet smile... Dreamy eyes, angel voice, all this gathered to a humility that does you be this so special person that you are!
I love you Dear, be always this person such sweetheart!
Much Peace and Light, and that GOD bless you too much...
Lately I've been trying to work a little harder on my space, and I recently posted a few new photo albums... One of them is titled Rachel Loy Live At Almost Austin 09/22/08, so check it out when you have the time... You've been up on The Wall since last October, and I apologize for taking this long to get you up on here...
Looking forward to doing it again on August 9, 2008... kp
I don't know if you're busy or not, but Larissa and I are playing a show at The Basement, this Tuesday, at 7 p.m. It's kind of like an audition to be booked by Frank Grimes for future Basement shows, so, we could use as much support as possible. Hope you're well and it'd be great to see you, again!
Hey Rachel, How are things my friend? I sure miss you guys. Give me a call sometime or email me your number. I had to get a new phone awhile back and lost my numbers. Much love to you, Wayne
