Rachel Angel, “Strapped” Premieres at For The Rabbits — Highway Songs EP out 8.21 via Public Works Records
Interview conducted on July 24, 2020
By Dan Locke
After living in NYC and out west, Rachel Angel returns to Miami with her crisp and poetic brand of songwriting; rare and refreshing in the barren heat of South …Florida.
Straddling the elusive line between folk and country, Angel’s songs take you through the muck of pain & disillusionment, the winding path of the hero’s journey, and ultimately to a place of self-enlightenment.
What was your upbringing?
I was raised in North Miami Beach, FL, in a very secular Jewish household with two older siblings and some very cute dogs.
You have been putting out music since 2012. Tell me how did you discover music?
I had been singing since a very young age. My mom’s guitar teacher used to record me in his home studio when I was about seven and we began collaborating on writing songs. Soon after, I received vocal training in the musical theater style. Growing up, I was very influenced by the music that my older siblings were listening to. They got me into cooler bands and classic stuff like Dylan, Neil Young, and Neutral Milk Hotel. When I was a teenager, I taught myself guitar and began composing. The rest is history.
If I read it correctly, you learned how to write music from David Berman. What type of person was he?
Through my siblings, I discovered the music of The Silver Jews and they were a huge influence on me. David Berman was the lead singer of that band. I remember being amazed at how witty, smart, and unique his lyrics were. It always seemed like a goal to reach that status with lyrics, but he is just too unique to be emulated. He didn’t teach me how to write music but he certainly influenced me. He passed away recently and I was devastated by the news.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
My first guitar was a Fender Strat 60’s reissue surf guitar. It’s baby blue. My parents got it for me when I was a teenager. I didn’t know much about guitar back then and just pointed to it and without playing it, took it home. I thought it looked cool. I didn’t quite understand yet that playing it was important, too! I am glad to say it still plays very nicely, and I still own it and play it often.
What is the make, model and year of the guitar you had in the video “What I’m Worth at Churchills?”
That guitar is a vintage 1964 Silvertone Bobkat. It is my most prized instrument and we have been through a lot together.
What was your first performance like?
My first performance playing my own songs was on my prom night in High School. I skipped prom to play at Churchills, the only punk rock pub in Miami, FL at the time. I had been performing all my life but playing my own songs for people felt special.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first original song was called “Take Me Home”. I am sure somewhere it is recorded but not sure where. I still have the paper that I wrote the lyrics on.
What were the differences in the recording process between your first EP and your new one coming out?
My artistic voice is more developed now and I have more of a say in the direction I want to take my music in. On my first EP, I was still learning how to communicate with a full band and how to ask for what I wanted. In a lot of ways, the process still feels the same. I recorded both with a live band in a very short time frame.
Tell me about your song “Strapped” which will be released on your new EP, Highway Songs?
Strapped was the first song that I wrote for the EP. It was inspired by a rambly country style guitar part that I was writing. It deals with the human experience of doubt and pain and how music ultimately connects me to my higher consciousness, sense of self, and inner voice.
What are Highway Songs?
My EP, “Highway Songs” was named after the title track of the same name. In a way, it is my response to the tradition of country songs that discuss themes of the highway. It’s my way of continuing the conversation of a musician’s relationship to the road or the highway.
What is your favorite track on the album?
My favorite track is “Strapped”
How do you stay healthy while touring?
I eat vegetarian and stay away from flour, highly processed foods, and sugar. It is no easy feat staying healthy while touring. But I try to fill up a cooler with healthy snacks, drink water, and try to get sleep.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
I am a millennial and remember streaming and downloading music from very early on. The more people that can get their hands-on music, the better. Music should be accessible. It is made to be heard.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl obviously sounds better and I love holding something physical in my hands. Perusing album art, reading the credits, and having a collection is a very important experience. That being said, collecting Vinyl can be a costly endeavor. If I had all the money in the world, no doubt, I would be buying lots and lots of records.
What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?
I stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all human rights movements happening all over the world. The US has a moral obligation to confront its problematic past and present and I believe that the work starts with us and at a more local level within our communities.
What song from the past is on your mind right now? Moreover, what does that song mean to you?
“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” by Nina Simone. From the opening notes, the songs elicit such emotions in me. I see it being so anthemic for the Civil Rights Movement but also for the time that we are in now. I can see it being played on the streets as people are marching. It has a universal message of wanting freedom for your fellow human, which seems like it should be obvious at this point, and yet we’re still fighting for it. There is a tinge of sadness in it, with the lines, “I wish you could know what it means to be me/then you’d see and agree/ that every man should be free. I wish I could give/all I’m longing to give/ I wish I could live like I’m longing to live/ I wish I could do all the things that I can do.” With the words, “I wish”, we see that these sentiments are still but a mere dream. But there is also hope in the way that it is sung, a desire to bring people together to feel, heal, and sing together through the transformative power of a simple message and through music.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
The effects that Covid-19 has had on the music business, especially in the US, has already been tragic and has affected my life and my income greatly. I feel for all the venues that have already had to close their doors and that are fighting to stay alive. I only hope that people in the US follow the example of other countries and start treating this virus like it is real and respecting their communities and fellow neighbors by taking necessary precautions. I am embarrassed and angered at how the US has handled this situation and how my local government is treating artists, musicians, and gig workers as invisible.
You were sick with autoimmune disease. That gave you time to write a lot of music. How many songs did you write?
I can’t remember how many songs numerically. I was writing at a feverish pace as a way to deal with the pain and isolation that I was feeling at the time. Some became something bigger, and some got forgotten.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine? Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I have been trying to ground myself in rituals and routines. I have been finishing up the songs for a new album and getting the wheels turning on making it. I have been offering my services teaching people how to play guitar and sing. I have been practicing like a madwoman and recently took up playing banjo! I have also been cooking and before summer hit, I was getting out in nature a lot.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. What are you planning to do?
I have done many Instagram and Facebook live streams since quarantine started. I am currently booking a virtual tour for the “Highway Songs” release in August. Stay tuned!
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
Continuing to write and record albums, and touring the world singing those songs to people.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
It was a pleasure answering your questions and I hope everyone is staying safe, grounded, and happy in the world. I truly feel a connection with everyone globally, knowing that we are all in this together. I encourage everyone to keep supporting artists and to never ever stop exploring music. There is so much great music being released right now. My EP is up for pre-order at rachelangel.bandcamp.com ;).
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