Rachel Loy
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 age of nineteen, and now 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 2008, Rachel moved to Nashville and began making her mark as a bass player and songwriter, playing for an eclectic batch of artists ranging from Dave Pahanish, Rebecca Lynn Howard and Universal Recording Artist Chris Janson, to American Idol top 6 contestant Carmen Rasmusen and Mikky Ekko. She has also co-written songs for stars like Rebecca Lynn Howard, Shane McAnally, Victoria Shaw, Kathy Valentine of the Go Gos and Tony Scalzo of Fastball. Her music has been heard on the renowned ABC primetime drama “Eastwick” and her dance single, “I Can Feel It (Loving Me)”, with producer Adam Lilley received 4 weeks of Radio 1 airplay and placements on 3 dance compilations, but her credentials do not stop there. Four of Loy’s dance songs can also be found in the upcoming independent film “When Harry Tries to Marry”. Rachel is currently the bassist for country artist Julianne Hough.
The new self-titled EP is the product of the Nashville stew Rachel's been simmering in. She feels being a resident of this southern city has played an imperative part on her songwriting and talent as an artist, which is evident in this record. Every song tells a clear story, ranging from former relationships and fighting for love to the struggle of embarking on a career in this competitive, yet compelling industry. With influences like the Indigo Girls, Patti Griffin and Shawn Colvin, the album encompasses passionate rock sounds but is evenly matched with lush, emotional textures for an exceptional balance. It's the product of her unique history, her unusually expansive musical experience and is bound to please the ears of many. "I feel, lyrically and musically, this EP is the best stuff I've ever put out,” she said.
With hard-earned, heartfelt things to say, the honesty to say them, and no desire to slow down, Rachel Loy is bound to be discovered—again and again—as the generous and gifted artist that she is.
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