Singer Rachael Yamagata has evolved as a songwriter over the years. Beginning with the band Bumpus, she later became a solo artist eventually collaborating with others like Jason Mraz and Ryan Adams. Her music has appeared in numerous television shows such as ER, Charmed, and Nip/Tuck.
She has released four EPs and three studio albums, her latest being Tightrope Walker.
Windy City went backstage to talk to talented songwriter before a recent show at Thalia Hall.
Windy City Times: You are originally from Virginia?
Rachael Yamagata: Born in Arlington. I spent a lot of time in the suburbs of Maryland, but officially born in Virginia.
WCT: How did you wind up going to Northwestern [University]?
RY: I was visiting a friend. I went to a college party and fell in love with the school immediately. As I went through my first year I decided to get out of school. I studied French and Italian trying to go abroad. I switched to Vassar and studied theater; then, I came back to Northwestern because it was the top theater school in the country. It was a little bit of a zigzag.
WCT: Your "Nobody" video reminded me of a musical, with the dancers.
RY: I love dance. I have these friends in Philadelphia and I wanted to use them with the concept I had for the video.
The dancers were my angel posse. They are influences on this record that I feel are somewhat spiritual.They created the dance moves and the vignettes. I edited the music to the clips later on.
That was my first time experimenting with dance. I can't dance. I tried to learn some of the dance and ran into a kitchen counter!
WCT: How did you meet Allison Janney, who would be in your "Let Me Be Your Girl" video?
RY: There is a woman named Emily Wachtel who has become a good friend of mine. She is producer of the film Lucky Them. She used one of my songs in that movie. Turns out Allison Janney is one of her best friends. Emily told Allison about me but Allison already knew my music.
I called my friend Josh Radner who is the star of the show How I Met Your Mother. I knew he had worked with Allison before. He had never directed a music video before and I told him we had two weeks to pull it off.
We knew Allison could dance. It is all of her moves with Josh's concept. Those moves were on the fly with no rehearsals. In the end she makes a scene that moves you to tears.
WCT: Your song "Be Be Your Love" was used on The L Word television show. Did you notice a growing lesbian fan base after that?
RY: I did. I don't know if happened at a particular point.
The first time I did a cameo appearance on [the show] The O.C. it was for my first record. They don't tell you what the scene is about, but I was sitting in a bar situation playing piano. It was the scene where Mischa Barton and Olivia Wilde first get together. So that was a big thing.
There have been a number of things that have helped me get a gay following. I think it is because I am not afraid to be myself with the great and not so great stuff. If you give your audience a permission to explore all facets of a positive or negative situation then they can relax. There is no judgment anymore. That is how I write. I will be on both sides of a situation, some that I am not so proud of or when someone did something terrible to me.
I think I attract an audience that likes an authentic approach to looking at themselves and the world.
WCT: How tricky is it performing these personal songs live?
RY: I never go back to where I was at the time. The reason I have written so many sad songs is because after I write it then I am not plague by the emotion of it.
WCT: So [it was] cathartic?
RY: Very, and I can release it. I am very happy in real life. I am not the depressed character that one will think if they have never met me.
WCT: The new album, Tightrope Walker, comes out next month?
RY: It is out now in the U.S., but November in Europe. The title comes from a catch phrase while I was writing. I wrote it sitting on my porch in Woodstock, New York. It is about the universal challenges that everyone goes through. A tight rope walker needs to be strong and walk that cable. It is straight ahead thinking and walking one foot in front of another. You have to bend with the breeze. I love that metaphor.
I was just about finished writing the record when I found out that Philippe Petit lives near me. He's the most famous tightrope walker of all time!
WCT: Have you met him?
RY: No. I would love to. He's an interesting guy, from interviews I have seen.
WCT: Where else are you going on this tour?
RY: There are 25 shows and we have done eight. We will make it all the way to the West Coast. We have two shows in Hawaii and four shows in China. Then we go to the UK because the record comes out there. I should be back in home by early December.
Visit RachaelYamagata.com for information on the tour and new album.
