interview with rachel brown!

remember when i blogged about rachel brown a few weeks ago? i compared her to a "caramel cupcake with a cardamom vanilla buttercream frosting, topped with bits of candied ginger and a light dusting of cinnamon...sweet with a little kick."

well she was so kind as to answer a few questions for me to share with you all!

how did you get started with writing and performing your own music?

I used to write all sorts of wacky songs when I was younger, but started taking it seriously at 18, when I graduated high school and took a gap year to travel before starting college. I bought a guitar and started teaching myself how to play while writing songs. I was very secretive about it until the end of sophomore year of college when I performed for the first time publicly. After that, I started playing open mics regularly to work out nerves and then began booking my own shows.

who are your biggest influences?

I find I'm influenced by different songs and artists here and there - sometimes I'll hear a clever lyric that will inspire me to push my writing further, or a melody or groove that really hits me. Musicians and lyricists I admire include Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, Smokey Robinson...


what song do your friends and fans like to hear the most? 

I find that different people connect with different songs depending on their personal experiences. People have come up to me after shows and told me that certain songs describe exactly what they have been through or are going through right now. It floors me every time someone tells me they relate to my songs in that way. For a songwriter, it's an incredible thing to hear.


how would you say your music has changed from the time you started playing to now?

The more I write, the more I learn - about how to express myself, about the way I structure songs, about the music I want to share. In the beginning, I was just writing what came to mind, what felt good. I still do that, but now I try to take more risks and push myself a bit more.


what do you like to do when you're not playing music?

I've always been interested in making things - whether it's music, painting, writing, etcetera. I majored in filmmaking in college, so that's certainly another passion of mine. 

if rachel sounds like the kind of girl you would want to grab a box of macarons and explore the city with (and doesn't she just?), then find her on twitter, facebook, youtube, itunes, or her website.

she's also playing a show tomorrow night in brooklyn at the cameo gallery for dope. if you're in the neighborhood, go check her out!

Cameo Gallery @ the Lovin’ Cup

April 26th, 2011 @ 9pm

93 North 6th Street

Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg)

$8

thanks for the interview rachel :]