Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Rachel Lynn

2019 is shaping up to be a huge year for New York-based singer-songwriter Rachel Lynn. This past March, she dropped a brand new single, “Didn’t I”, off her upcoming EP (slated for release later this year). She also hit the road performing intimate Sofar shows around the country. Pop Culturalist caught up with Rachel to talk about the exciting year ahead.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music? When did you make the decision that you wanted to pursue it professionally?
Rachel: I started singing at a very, very young age. My family is very musical. I definitely accredit my mother with fostering my early love of music and singing. She was instrumental in landing me auditions with children’s choirs and starting up voice lessons. Then, I started songwriting when I was probably twelve—I wrote a lot of embarrassing melodies. As I got older, I started to realize that I could study it in a professional sense and make it my life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Rachel: I studied vocal performance in school and I always knew I wanted to move to New York City after graduation, which is exactly what I did. That had a massive impact on the things that followed, the music that was released, and the endless inspiration and energy that exists here.

PC: You recently just dropped a new single, “Didn’t I”. What was the inspiration behind that song?
Rachel: It’s a hopeless, angry, sad, confused song. The inspiration was the desire to make something work, to do all the right things, and then for everything to fall apart, regardless of how hard you tried. That was the inspiration behind the lyrical content. I hope that comes through with the energy, melody, and production.

PC: Your music and sound are very emotionally driven. Is it easy for you to tap into that emotion? What is your process like?
Rachel: I would say, oddly, I do feel like it’s easy for me to tap into my emotions. For me, music is emotional across the board. If I’m going to create a song, that emotional element is present. I think I learned at a very young age that I could use the avenues of art, poetry, and music to express vulnerability in a safe way. It’s carried through into what I create now.

The process for me is incredibly organic; I think that’s the part where the vulnerability comes in. I’m really just sitting down at my keyboard, creating melodies, and holding my journal. It’s emotional from the start.

PC: You also have a new EP coming out this year. What can fans expect from that?
Rachel: My hope is that they see a bit more of my musical influences. “Didn’t I” is a bit grittier and dirtier than the things that I’ve put out before, which makes me ecstatic, because that’s definitely the direction that I always felt like I was trying to go towards. I have to give a humongous shout out to my producer, Ali Culotta, for getting us there.

It’s a producer’s job to be like, “what are your inspirations, play me some tracks, what inspires this song?” Then, it’s a push and pull to reach and achieve that vision. I was able to point to specific influences so that we could create these songs. The EP will show a bit of sixties pop, a bit of R&B, and some rock influences with all the distortion, especially distorted guitars, and even vocals.

PC: If you had to pick one song that best encompasses the EP, what would it be and why?
Rachel: I want to say “Didn’t I” because it’s the one that I’ve pushed forth as a glimpse into the EP. The background vocals are a bit gospel, which is nod to the old-school style that you’ll see later in the project once it’s released. The dirt, the edge, the grit, the vulnerability, the passion, and the emotion are all things that I wanted “Didn’t I” to encompass. It’s a great snapshot of what’s coming.

PC: As we look ahead to 2019, what does the year hold for you?
Rachel: This year holds a lot of exciting things. I’m in the middle of a small release tour for “Didn’t I”, which is making me so excited to continue to plan future shows around the release of the EP. I’ll definitely do a release show in New York for the EP. I’ve also been diving head-first into all these amazing Sofar Sound shows; it’s an amazing community that I’ve fallen in love with for the intimacy and connections that they offer.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Rachel: The Real Housewives. I’ve always enjoyed O.C., Beverly Hills, New York, New Jersey. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Rachel: I’m obsessed with the ’90s, so there must be horrible ’90s rom-coms that I’ve partaken in, which I’ve actually realized in adulthood, are incredibly sexist and inappropriate…it’s wild to realize. Maybe You’ve Got Mail? I feel good watching it, but I’m going to feel very guilty about potentially telling you that I watched it.

PC: Favorite book?
Rachel: I’m super into books that inspire me creatively. Big Magic is definitely a favorite. It’s about the creative process and re-prioritizing feelings of fear and guilt, or whatever it is that revolves around your art.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Rachel: Wicked. I feel like that’s a boring answer.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Rachel: I don’t know that they’d be surprised, but Third Eye Blind is absolutely a band that holds my heart.

PC: First album you ever bought?
Rachel: I definitely had The Spice Girls’ tape, that’s how old I am. I had the tape in the Walkman, but I guess my first CD would be Amy Grant or Mariah Carey.

PC: First concert you attended?
Rachel: I will forever be grateful to my dad for taking me to Merriweather Post Pavilion for the Beach Boys.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Rachel: Wow, that’s a good question. I would say John Mayer’s first full-length album. I think it changed a lot of people’s lives.

To keep up with Rachel, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and pick up “Didn’t I” on Amazon Music, iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.