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10 Questions with ... Rachel Farley
June 2, 2013
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1) Rachel, you are the new lady on the block! How does it feel to be the new young lady on the new label, Red Bow Records?
It's really exciting to be part of a new team! I love everybody over at RED BOW Records, and we all have this same motivation to really get out there and make it happen.
2) "Ain't Easy" was the "Most Added" single its first week on Mediabase. What kind of reactions have you been getting from the song?
We've gotten such a great reaction from "Ain't Easy". It's amazing to get the kind of support we have gotten so quickly. I am so thankful to Country radio for believing in the song and me as an artist, and for being so quick to give it a shot.
3) You had your first gig playing music at age 12. Can you give us a little insight on your first experience playing for a crowd?
My first gig was a beautiful mess. haha! We booked the gig almost immediately after I picked up the guitar. We booked it six months out, and I figured I'd have the whole guitar thing down by then. That wasn't exactly the case when the two-hour gig rolled around and I could barely play eight songs. It wasn't awesome. I called my elementary school music teacher and had him accompany me on guitar for a couple songs. I was able to put together an hour-long set. I had the coffee shop in Lawrenceville packed out with friends. I got through the first set with my horrible guitar technique, took a 15 minute break and then got back on stage and played the same set over again because I literally had no more material. Everybody left before the second set was over, except my mom because she loves me, and I needed a ride home. Oh, and my music teachers stayed because they felt bad for me I am sure. haha! I learned REALLY fast how to put on a better show.
4) You are a Georgia girl, and, in turn, have learned from and been influenced by the likes of Brantley Gilbert, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. What is it like getting to hear your song "Ain't Easy" on the radio with theirs?
I actually have yet to hear it on the radio! It'll be pretty exciting to hear it for the first time. We've worked really hard over the years and that's such a special pay-off to reach that next milestone of actually getting my music heard.
5) You actually opened for Jason Aldean in the latter part of 2012 on his tour with Luke Bryan. Can you tell us about that experience and what you may have learned from them on that tour?
I really couldn't ask for a better first tour experience. My band and I really learned a lot about what it is to be on tour. It's a different world. It's a mix of hard work and then hurry up and wait. We played a lot of whiffle ball with the Aldean guys. Team Farley sucked really badly. haha! We had a lot of fun and met a lot of great people out there. I learned a lot from watching Luke and Jason's organizations about how I want to run mine. Watching their shows every night was inspiring. They make you constantly want to up your game and get better.
6) You didn't get the typical middle school and high school life most kids receive because you began homeschooling in seventh grade. What made your decision to jump the gun at an early age in order to make the commitment of making and recording music?
I loved school and was a great student. I always got along with everybody, made good grades and was a competitive basketball player. But music was the only thing that I ever saw myself doing with my life. I made the jump to really devote myself to my music career when I realized I had the resources to do it. I have a really supportive family that was willing and able to guide me through the journey. I had met some respectable and successful people in the music business that took me under their wing and gave me the rundown on the work it actually takes to turn music into a career. It's a lot of time and effort and I wanted to really take it on and do it right. I needed the flexibility of homeschooling so I could travel and take the time it takes to better myself as well as my craft.
7) When many people hear of an 18-year-old girl singing Country music and making her way onto radio, they are often reluctant to listen because they are afraid of "another Pop/Country girl" playing music. In what way would you describe your music to listeners and fans so that they understand your style and find it appealing?
To me, it's not about my age. It's about being an artist. My musical style is influenced by my life and the music that I have grown up listening to. It's a fusion of everything that I am. I've experienced a lot in my young years. I don't feel the need to prove myself. I just hope you can find something in my music that is relatable to you. That's what music is about. Living our stories together and creating new ones.
8) Who were some of your biggest musical influences growing up? Has country always been most appealing to you?
I have so many influences from so many genres. I have some hands-on influences like Brantley Gilbert, who really took me under his wing and taught me what it means to not be afraid to be yourself. I grew up listening to everybody from Martina McBride, Keith Urban, and Kenny Chesney to Pink, Joan Jett, Guns N Roses, and Rob Thomas. I love good music. Country Music is where my music lies, but I really find value in anything that makes me feel something.
9) You have recently made quite a few radio visits. What do you enjoy most about getting to embark on radio tours and play your music?
It's great to have radio take the time to hear me out and get to know both my music and me. Radio gets the music out to the fans and I LOVE being on stage in front of a crowd of music lovers. It's a rush like no other. Getting to be in front of radio and letting them know how important this is to me and how thankful I am to have the opportunity is priceless.
10) You are currently working on your debut album with Red Bow Records. What can we expect from your music and you as an artist in 2013?
I'm pumped to get this record out. It's been a long process in putting this record together. Michael Knox and I started this record in 2010, and it was never released. This year we have been in the studio adding to the record some new songs, and I feel like the project is finally complete. I'm really proud of what we have put together. There is a lot of heart in this record and, it is only the beginning.
Bonus Questions
1) What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
GSN. I yell answers at the TV. I'm not cool.
2) Want kind of junk food can we find out on the road with you?
Twizzlers and french fries.
3) If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
Honestly, I wouldn't trade a day in my life for anything. I love my family, my music team and the unknown possibilities of my future. I'll take the good with the bad. I'm pretty happy where I am.
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