Acclaimed singer-songwriter, Rachael Yamagata has sold-out 10 of the dates on her current U.S. tour in support of her third release Chesapeake, which was released on October 11th through her own Frankenfish Records. Sold out markets on the tour (so far) include: Northampton (10/28), Boston (10/30), Washington, DC (11/1), Baltimore (11/2), Brooklyn (11/4), Pittsburgh (11/5), Los Angeles (11/29), Hoboken (12/20), and New York (12/21-22).
Yamagata recently stopped by NPR’s Tell Me More while on tour in Washington , DC. Listen to the interview and live performance HERE.
Chesapeake was produced by John Alagia, producer of Yamagata’s Happenstance album as well as albums from Liz Phair, Dave Matthews Band, and Jason Mraz. For the album, Yamagata recruited her “dream team” consisting of Victor Indrizzo (Sheryl Crow) on drums, guitarists Mike Viola (Candy Butchers), Michael Chaves (John Mayer), and Kevin Salem, (Dump Truck, Yo La Tengo), cellist Oli Kraus (Sia, Duffy) and Tom Freund on the upright bass. The result is an eclectic collection of songs projecting Yamagata’s newfound optimism and hopefulness, showcasing her sultry and smoky voice, rich, layered harmonies, striking ballads and soulful grooves.
Chesapeake has been receiving notable airplay at WFUV (NY), KCSN (Los Angeles), KCMP (Minneapolis), WXPN (Philadelphia), WFPK (Louisville), and Sirius XM The Loft. On October 12th, the track “Even If I Don’t” was featured as NPR Music’s “Song Of The Day”
Yamagata also teamed up with PledgeMusic (www.pledgemusic.com), the leading international direct-to-fan platform for musicians raising funds to record and tour. On July 7th, Yamagata launched her PledgeMusic Campaign (www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rachaelyamagata), and thanks to a devoted global fan-base she quickly exceeded her goal.
Praised by critics for her intimately confessional songwriting and arrangements, Rachael released her last album, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart on Warner Bros. Records in October of 2008. Entertainment Weekly called her delivery “Gorgeous” and Rolling Stone said her “soulful, cigarette-scratched voice and melancholy lyrics recall Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey.” She toured extensively in support of the album playing to crowds throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. The New York Times hailed “With a deep, melancholy, breathy alto and a fondness for slow, sparsely chorded songs, Ms. Yamagata has a lot in common with Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan. And in her upbeat moments she can sound like a fuller-voiced Liz Phair or a less volatile Chrissie Hynde.” Songs from the album appeared in various television programs and films including Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters and more. She also made an appearance in the season finale of 30 Rock in 2009.
Yamagata emerged in 2005 when songs from Happenstance and her self-titled debut EP, turned up in such films and television shows as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, In Her Shoes, Prime, How I Met Your Mother, Nip/Tuck, One Tree Hill, and The O.C., on which she made a guest performance. The single “Worn Me Down” was a Top 5 Hit at AAA Radio. She also appeared on albums by Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Jason Mraz, Bright Eyes, and Mandy Moore. Her tours have included runs with Adams, LaMontagne, Moore, Liz Phair, Gomez, and Sara Bareilles, as well as playing shows with Pete Townsend, Aimee Mann, David Gray, Damien Rice, and Air.
This past August, Yamagata appeared on the soundtrack to The Muppets with her version of Gonzo’s “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday.”