Thursday, September 4, 2014

Rachael Yamagata Announces North American Headlining Tour This Fall, Including Special Happenstance 10 Year Anniversary Shows -- Fans Invited To Be A Part Of Forthcoming Full Length Album Due Out In Early 2015 Via New Pledge Music Campaign

This fall acclaimed singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata will hit the road for an extensive run of headlining live dates in North America. These career-spanning sets will also feature the premiere of a collection of new songs from her forthcoming album to be released in early 2015. Additionally, the tour will include special Happenstance 10 Year Anniversary shows in Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles, Alexandria, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. French duo The Dove and The Wolf will open all dates. See below for a complete itinerary.

Yamagata is also teaming up with Pledge Music for a second time, inviting her fans to join her through the entire process of making her new record and going on tour.  Her new campaign is up and running and can be seen here: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/yamagatatightropewalker

Well known for her gut wrenching analysis of heartbreak and courage through the trials of relationships, when asked where the new songs are going, she responds:

"I woke one morning envisioning a sweat lodge of sorts - a healing, almost shamanic experience... going into a place to retrace the steps of past trauma and present turmoil - facing our life fears head on, but with the intention of exiting lighter and renewed. I keep seeing in others and feeling my own restlessness and I want to explore that discomfort. I've focused so much on the 'partnership' love in my themes and many of these new songs are reaching for a more self-revolved satisfaction. There are still moments of rehashing what happened in a relationship, the desperation of loneliness and so on, but the goal remains triumph over pain through its articulation."

Self-managed and a resident of the independent artist world, Yamagata continues to grow her fanbase through dynamic live shows that touch on multiple genres. She has previously been compared to Bonnie Raitt, Rufus Wainwright, or a female Ryan Adams, but says the new production territory may call in hints of Mazzy Star and Cat Power as well. Her signature haunted piano splits time with more traditional singer songwriter guitar picking, but new elements of drum loops, melatrons, rain splattering on metal and even French translated letters weave a bizarre and dreamy backdrop to the new pieces - more night versus day. She plays heavily with a landscape of harmonies as well bringing them more center stage (Iron and Wine style) and has chosen the French duo The Dove and The Wolf to join her set and be the opener for the entire upcoming tour.

Three of the six Happenstance tribute shows have already sold out and while Yamagata acknowledges the ambitiousness of performing two different shows through one tour, she continues to follow the 'leap and figure it out later' philosophy that has served her well thus far. "The two shows will be their own unique experience. In a way, it's following the intention of the new record - looking back to let go and discovering what comes next".

Rachael Yamagata Fall 2014 Live Dates

10/2 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA
10/3 - Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA
10/4 - Il Motore - Montreal, Quebec
10/6 - Adelaide Hall - Toronto, ON
10/7 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
10/9 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL*** (SOLD OUT)
10/10 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
10/11 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
10/13 - The Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
10/15 - Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS
10/17 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
10/18 - The State Room - Salt Lake City, UT
10/20 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
10/21 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
10/23 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR***
10/24 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
10/25 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
10/17 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA
10/28 - Hotel Café - Los Angeles, CA*** (SOLD OUT)
10/29 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
11/1 - Sons of Hermann Hall - Dallas, TX
11/2 - The Parish - Austin, TX
11/3 - Fitzgerald's Upstairs - Houston, TX
11/5 - 3rd & Lindsley Theatre - Nashville, TN
11/6 - WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
11/7 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC
11/8 - Cat's Cradle - Back Room - Carrboro, NC
11/10 - Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis, MD
11/11 - Birchmere - Alexandria, VA***
11/13 - Mohegan Sun Casino - Wolf Den - Uncasville, CT
11/14 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA*** (SOLD OUT)
11/15 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia
11/17 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
11/18 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY***

*** Indicates a special 'Happenstance' 10 Year Anniversary Show 

 

 
 
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About Rachael YamagataRachael Yamagata is no heartbroken piano crooning wide-eyed doe.  She does not suffer fools well.  If something's not right, she rips it apart, grabs her tools and puts it back together - literally and figuratively.  Her songs may repair you, soothe you, get you through as so many of her 'troubadour of heartbreak' fans will tell you. But, you're going to do the work with her.  Home Depot over shoe shopping.  Karate AND yoga.

She grew up a twin so the soul mate search of meeting your match came naturally.  Her four parents (Japanese-American, German-Italian, Southern spitfire, Jersey rebel) showed her connections beyond culture and environment. 

Language, music, expression and balance were tonic for the introverted Yamagata dreaming of travel and expansion beyond the suburbs of MD where she grew up.  She would backpack Europe alone, live solo in the Dominican Republic, move 9 times in 10 years within Chicago, spend a few months on Venice Beach, 3 years in Philly and finally retrace steps to her mother's hometown of Woodstock, NY.

Elton John, The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Ricki Lee Jones - the singer songwriters of the 70s were the soundtrack of her formative years.  Later Tom Waits, Nina Simone, Prince and Aretha Franklin would join the mix as she stretched her live performance muscles in the Chicago band Bumpus.  She'd fall in love, combat loneliness, dissect the state of heartbreak, write it out and stumble into a solo recording career with RCA, WB and now naturally her own label.  She draws on multiple influences flirting with rock, haunted piano, poetry and pop.  Happenstance (2004) had the singles, the darker Elephants (2007) got her critical acclaim and dropped from her label, Chesapeake (2011) was the fresher rebellion and Heavyweight (2012) got heavy.

Artists, spiritual guides, Washington, rock icons, indie groups, movies and tv - the 'fan' backdrop is expansive.  The common denominator has been connection from the get go: how we connect the inside shaping our outer world, connecting with each other shaping ourselves.  Direct to Fan, Pledge, touring worldwide - her business moves mirror the intimacy, vulnerability and strength of her music.  Her greatest compliment remains simply:

            " You sing what I've always wanted to say, but didn't know how..."



Rachael Yamagata's new EP, "Heavyweight," is rich with beautiful, slow and deep tunes that showcase her dark alto and gentle piano playing. It's both subtle and complicated, and the melancholy tunes feel familiar and comfortable, like a visit from an old friend.
THE WASHINGTON POST

"Finally the heir to Bonnie Raitt. Yamagata on this record has a similar way of connecting singer-songwriter-ly narratives to a bluesy soulful sound. Her voice just has a wonderful thickness and I just really enjoy this record. Just a pleasure. She has guts and a sexiness to her."
Ann Powers, NPR Music

"Yamagata's refreshingly mature refrain - "Even if I don't, I wanted to" - contains some of the kindest, bravest, most honest words to pop up in a song in a long time."
NPR Music on "Even If I Don't"

"The singer/songwriter gets sweetly frantic on this breathless single from her new Chesapeake."
USA Today on "Even If I Don't"

"A diverse gem, Chesapeake is one of the best albums you'll hear all year."
ARTISTdirect
"Restoring female pop's good name."
Philadelphia Inquirer



Song Placements
T.V.: Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, How I Met Your Mother, Pretty Little Liars, ER, The L Word, The O.C., One Life to Live, Brothers and Sisters, Nip Tuck, Alias etc.
Film: Lucky Them, Hope Springs, Prime, Monster In-Law, In Her Shoes, Bella, Hotel For Dogs, Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants, That's What She Said, Elizabethtown, etc.

TV/ Film Appearances
Jay Leno, Conan O'Brian, Carson Daly, Good Day Philly, WGN
30 Rock, The O.C., One Life To Live, Renee (film)

Tour
Ryan Adams, David Gray, Ray LaMontagne, The Swell Season
Liz Phair, Sara Bareilles, Damien Rice, Guster
Austin City Limits, SXSW, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo

Album and Song Collaborations
The Muppets, The Village - songs of Greenwich Village
Jason Mraz, Ryan Adams
Duncan Sheik, Ray LaMontagne, Rhett Miller
Bright Eyes, Dave Matthews, Mandy Moore
Katherine McPhee, Dan Wilson
Toots And The Maytals

Noteworthy
Performances for President Obama and Harry Reid
Official White House 'Tweet Up' in the West Wing w/ fans
Cherry Blossom Festival w/ Michelle Obama
Barnes and Noble 'Upstairs at the Square' hosted by Katherine Lanpher
R.E.M Tribute at Carnegie Hall
Woodie Guthrie Tribute w/ Steve Earle
Deepak Chopra's 'Sages and Scientists Symposium'
 'The Voice' Australia winner Karise Eden's first single is RY's 'You Won't Let Me'
Featured artist on NPR, Pledge Music, Tunecore, Topspin and Noisetrade
2012 Chicago Music Awards Nominee Best Female Vocal
In The Attic series with Pete Townsend

Releases
2012 Heavyweight EP, 2012 Noisetrade Mixtape, 2011 Chesapeake
2008 Elephants, 2007 Loose Ends EP, 2005 Live at The Loft, 2004 Happenstance, 2001 EP

 



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