Rachael Yamagata
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| Rachael Yamagata | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | September 23, 1977 |
| Genre(s) | Adult alternative Blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Piano Guitar Vocals |
| Voice type(s) | Contralto |
| Label(s) | RCA Victor (2003-2007); Warner Bros. Records (2008-) |
| Associated acts | Bumpus |
| Website | rachaelyamagata.com |
Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977)[1] is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Born in Arlington, Virginia, she is a Yonsei or fourth-generation Japanese American on her father's side and of Italian and German ancestry on her mother's side.
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[edit] Early life
A child of divorced parents, Yamagata divided her time growing up between her Sansei Japanese American father, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and Harvard graduate; and her Italian-German mother, an artist/painter in New York City. Yamagata graduated from the Holton-Arms School for Girls in Bethesda, Maryland, and attended Northwestern and Vassar. She has a twin brother, Benji.
[edit] Music career
[edit] Bumpus
Yamagata became the vocalist for the Chicago funk-fusion band Bumpus, spending six years writing and recording three albums with the band and touring the country. In 2001, after having written a number of songs that didn't fit with the funk style of the band, Yamagata decided to take the songs and launch a solo career. In September 2002, she landed a two-record deal with Arista's Private Music and her self-titled EP produced by Malcolm Burn, Rachael Yamagata EP was released in October.
[edit] Solo career
Her first full-length album, Happenstance, followed in June 2004. It was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Ben Folds Five). "I Want You" features several members of prominent American Klezmer group The Klezmatics. Videos were made for the first and second singles "Worn Me Down" and "1963".
Her songs have featured on several TV shows, including Charmed, How I Met Your Mother, ER , Nip/Tuck, Men in Trees, Alias, One Tree Hill, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy and The O.C., to which she made a guest performance in season 2. Yamagata also contributed a song to Mandy Moore's 2007 album, Wild Hope.[2] She also toured with Moore, opening many of her shows around the country.
On May 22, 2008, a new banner was added to her site indicating the digital release of a new EP, Loose Ends, with three new songs, serving as a preview for the now delayed release of her second full-length album.
In early 2008, her site featured a "teaser video" for the new album. The album was finally released on October 7, 2008.[3]Yamagata's second studio album is called Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart.[3] It was originally slated for release in the late-summer of 2007.[4][5]
On October 9, 2008, a two-song live acoustic video performance premiered on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring the songs "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon"[6].
On April 2,2009, she performed her single "Elephants" on One Life to Live in the fictional Capricorn Cafe.[7]
Yamagata's songs have appeared in a number of films and television shows. These include:
| Year | TV series/Film | Song | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | One Tree Hill | "Be Be Your Love" | Episode:"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" | |
| 2005 | Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | "Be Be Your Love" | ||
| 2005 | Prime | "I Wish You Love" | ||
| 2005 | The O.C. | "Reason Why" | Episode 11 - "The Second Chance" | |
| 2005 | The O.C. | "Worn Me Down" | Episode 3 - "The New Kids On The Block" | |
| 2005 | One Life to Live | "I'll Find A Way" | ||
| 2005 | In Her Shoes | "Collide" | ||
| 2005 | Elizabethtown | "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" | Judee Sill cover song | |
| 2006 | How I Met Your Mother | "Quiet" | "Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M." | |
| 2006 | The Last Kiss | "Reason Why" | ||
| 2006 | Bella | "Meet Me By the Water" | ||
| 2006 | One Fine Day (Korean TV series) | "I'll Find a Way" | ||
| 2007 | Los Serrano | "I'll Find a Way" | Episode:"Las Fases del Amor" | |
| 2007 | The L Word | "Be Be Your Love" | Fifth season preview | |
| 2007 | Holiday in Handcuffs | "I Want You" | ||
| 2007 | Definitely, Maybe | "Meet Me By the Water" | ||
| 2008 | The L Word | "The Other Side" | Episode:"Lifecycle" | |
| 2008 | Brothers & Sisters | "Duet" | Episode:"Just A Sliver" | |
| 2009 | Private Practice | "Don't" | Episode:"Homeward Bound" | |
| 2009 | Hotel for Dogs (film) | "Reason Why" | ||
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy | "Duet" | Episode:"I Will Follow You Into the Dark" | |
| 2009 | Taking the Stage | "Elephants" | Episode:"Dance Off" | |
| 2009 | The City | "Horizon" | Episode: | |
| 2009 | One Life to Live | "Elephants" | Episode:"Elephants (4/2/09)" |
She made an appearance in Jason Mraz's second album, Mr. A–Z, singing a song with him called "Did You Get My Message?". She also sings on "Fireflies" and "The Believer" on Rhett Miller's solo CD The Believer; on Toots & the Maytals True Love; "Barfly" on Ray Lamontagne's Till the Sun Turns Black; and "Let it Ride", "Sweet Illusions", "Cold Roses", and "Friends", on Ryan Adams' Cold Roses. She sings backup on six tracks on the Bright Eyes' album Cassadaga. She co-wrote "Kaleidoscope" with Jill Cunniff, formerly of Luscious Jackson, for Cunniff's solo album City Beach and also plays keyboards and second vocals. Yamagata also performs with an ensemble cast on the 30 Rock episode "Kidney Now!"[8]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- Happenstance (2004)
- Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart (2008)
[edit] EPs
- EP (2003)
- Live at the Loft & More (2005)
- Loose Ends (2008)
[edit] Singles
- Worn Me Down
- Letter Read
- 1963"
- River
- Elephants
- Faster
- Sunday Afternoon
[edit] Live/Compilations
- Live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival (2004), released exclusively on Bonnaroo
- Sony Connect Sets (2005), released exclusively on Sony Connect
- KCRW Sessions: Rachel Yamagata (2005), released exclusively on iTunes
- Napster session: Rachael Yamagata (2005), released exclusively on Napster
[edit] Bumpus
- Bumpus (1999)
- Steroscope (2001)
[edit] Other contributions
- WFUV: City Folk Live VII - "Worn Me Down" (2004)
- Toots & the Maytals - True Love (2004)
- Ryan Adams - Cold Roses (2005)
- Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z (2005)
- Chris Holmes - Blister of the Spotlight (2006)
- Rhett Miller - The Believer (2006)
- Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black (2006)
- Bright Eyes - Four Winds (2007)
- Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (2007)
- Ben Arthur - Mouhfeel (2007)
- Mandy Moore - Wild Hope (2007)
- Jill Cunniff - City Beach (2007)
[edit] References
- ^ Garcia, Cathy Rose A. (2009-03-31), Singer Rachael Yamagata to Take Stage for First Time in Seoul, The Korea Times, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/04/141_42294.html, retrieved on 2009-05-18
- ^ Mandy Moore's 'Wild Hope' Set for May Release | Santa Barbara's News, Weather, and Sports | Entertainment
- ^ a b "Billboard.com". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003831577. Retrieved on 2008-07-24.
- ^ "billboard.com". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548849. Retrieved on 2008-07-24.
- ^ YouTube - Rachael Yamagata - New Album Teaser
- ^ Video performance of "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon" by Rachael Yamagata at LiveDaily Sessions
- ^ "Saopnet.com". http://soapnet.go.com/soapnet/show/path-showname_onelifetolive/section_recaps/year_2009/month_Mar/date_30/day_thursday/page_4?vnu_content_id=1003831577. Retrieved on 2009-04-02.
- ^ Complete cast list of 30 Rock season finale
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Rachael Yamagata at MySpace
- Rachael Yamagata at the Internet Movie Database
- Rachael Yamagata at TV.com
- Rachael Yamagata: Confessions on Happenstance
- Elephants Review
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