Back in 2014 Young Entertainment got the chance to chat with fresh artist Rachel Platten about her career and how music influenced her life. Here’s what Rachel had to say.
Rachel Platten has been blowing up our airwaves since her single “1,000 Ships”, a top 30 hit on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, came to us by way of Pretty Little Liars. We had a chat with the self professed hippy to find out how she views herself, her music and her fans. She describes her music, briefly as “Soulful, honest and uplifting”. Of any of the people we’ve talked to, Rachel has one of the most singular stories of how she got into the music industry. She explains: “I was studying abroad in Trinidad when I was 19. I was interning at a record label. I would watch the bands perform in concert and I just had this urge in me. I had always studied classical piano and I would sing in little bands and write little songs growing up but when I was in Trinidad something just clicked. I actually ended up joining polka band … The first show we did was in front of over 100,000 people. Even though I was just playing back up keyboard I could feel the energy from the crowd and I knew this was what I needed to do with my life.” She says she draws a great deal of inspiration from other musicians: “There was this man named Papagayo. When I moved back to New York City from Trinidad he helped me and guided me. He was a drummer and he hooked me up and introduced me to everyone I needed to know. Every time I would feel down he would help me back up.”
About her PLL track ‘Begin Again’, Rachel says: “Sony has been supporting me right now because I don’t have a label so they have been guiding my record making process. When I signed with them I didn’t realize how wonderful they would be but they have been the ones that have made all these connections.” She goes on to talk a bit about the inspiration for the song “I was going through a rough time. I had a hard year. I was on a high from the last single and 2 years of touring and the radio charting but then I had to get back in and write more and I just didn’t have the support of a label to help me or even a manager. It felt like it was just me and that I was starting over. Of course it wasn’t starting over because I had all these fans but it was just scary at the time. I had several people that I thought were solid and there but I found out they weren’t really there for me. The sharp knife lyric was about me cutting these people out of my life and the wrecking ball was me wanting a clean slate. To start over fresh.” It certainly seems to have worked out well for her. She laughs about PLL “I have so many new fans from it. They are amazing! The show has a real following and the fans have now been digging into the rest of my music.” Of her anthem ‘Fight Song’, Rachel explains: “Some songs take longer to write then others. This particular song took a little over a year to write. My manager kept pushing me and pushing me that I could do better. Finally after a year the rest of the song came to me.“
Things are definitely picking up for Rachel, as she’s had another track featured in brand new MTV show Finding Carter. She’s also had music shown on Jane By Design, which aired in 2012 so we posed the natural question: does she ever think about an acting career? She brushed it off with a giggle: “Yes, of course but no not likely because I’m not a good actress. I had an agent for a little bit who saw me on stage and was adamant that I must be able to act so she sent me out on an audition for Cougar Town I think. I did a terrible job and I think my agent then realized I was telling the truth. So no, no acting.”
The best news of all for any Rachel Platten fans, she’s planning some live dates shortly:“I am doing a couple shows in New York City in September. I am going to do a couple college shows and a radio things. But in November we are jumping back on the road and doing a house party tour so if any of the readers are interested in finding out where we will be or possibly hosting one they should look up on rachelplatten.com. In January we are going to start a proper nation wide tour. I’m not allowed to say about that yet but they should check out the website for more upcoming shows.”
So that’s it people, watch this space for more info on the hugely talented Ms. Platten, and of course don’t forget to check her website for regular updates on her upcoming tour dates, or possibly a even hosting a show. How cool would that be?! Leave your comments on Rachel below!
