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Blog posts
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Nov 30, 09:29 AMOh, the holidays...!!Hope everybody has a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving last week! I know that I happily ate myself into oblivion and then managed to succumb to a beautiful state of unconsciousness on the the Lazy Boy recliner...this being about 12 minutes after food consumption. It was lovely :)
Went shopping for Black Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday. Am I crazy or what?! My friend Ryan was in town for a visit from Fort Bragg, NC so we had a field day shopping, eating as much as one can, and movie-watching to recuperate. We picked up 5 Angels off the the Salvation Army Angel Tree at the mall...so that was fun to go Christmas shopping for kiddie-poos! All and all, a wonderful weekend.
Which makes coming into work & being somewhat productive this Monday after the holidays a pain in the... Oh well, I'll try'n make the most of it.
Some things to update you on!
First of all,
Due to the great response we've gotten from my Official Lovers & Liars Contest, we've decided to extend the "Liars" portion til Dec. 10th! That gives you 2 more weeks to submit your stories to qualify for the GRAND PRIZE! If you don't wish to submit a story, read through and vote on your favorite out of all the countless stories we've received thus far! Either way, get my song "You Let Me" as a FREE DOWNLOAD! For more info, visit www.rachelwilliamsonline.com/landl.html
Secondly,if you haven't become a fan of me on Facebook yet, pleeease do so! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Williams/24345721918?v=app_6917629807&ref=ts
Also, be sure to mark December 15th on your calendar! I'll be hosting and performing a brand-new show that we'll be debuting at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville called "Country Indie". The show will feature 3 up & coming bands, on the brink of their big break! You won't want to miss it!
Then a couple nights later, I'll be opening for the ridiculously talented Rick Huckaby on Dec. 18th at 3rd & Lindsley! The next day...I'll be heading up to Detroit for Christmas! Can't wait!
Be sure to check out my latest video taken from my 5 Year Anniversary Party a couple weeks ago at www.youtube.com/herrecords
Okay, thats all for now.
LOVE YOU!
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Nov 08, 08:34 AMThe story behind "You Let Me"This song is the FREE download at MySpace and my website. I want ya to download, listen and submit YOUR STORY at my website. Check it out. rachelwilliamsonline.com
YOU LET ME
Break-ups suck. They hurt no matter how you look at it. I'd just been fresh off my latest break-up and was definitely feeling the aftermath, therefore, talking about it non-stop the entire week after. Luckily, my co-writersdidn't seem to mind. So they sat there, as I went through the whole situation, the scene of that night, and half a box of Kleenex. I debuted the song at the legendary Bluebird Cafe two days after we finished writing it and it came off great! The response was so overwhelming positive, and I felt more enlightened and empowered each and every time I performed it. Now, fully recovered, it's still one of my favorite songs I've ever written! I feel like I turned my heartache into something catchy and relatable!
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Oct 22, 09:44 AMShaken, then stirred.I'm finally awake.
Its a very exciting time right now. It feels like the universe and I are finally pulling together and in the right direction. I'm falling in love again with this life &striving to make it better each and every day. As nauseating positive as that may sound, I've decided to go with it, haha.
I'm surrounding myself around people who are good for me, I'm trying to nix negative thoughts or grumpy moods from others and DEFINITELY from myself. It's hard but worth it. I'm re-training my brain. I'm excited to be excited about myself again. Does that even make sense? ;) I'm excited to write more songs, better songs. I'm pumped to practice guitar until my fingers bleed. I'm ready to be more involved in every aspect of my career-whether its scheduling more meetings, calling radio stations, dragging myself out of my sweat pants and seeing more live shows. whatever. I'm up for the challenge of challenging myself to be out there more, to better the "product" of Rachel Williams, to listen and act, to sell more CDs, to book more shows, to exhaust myself in the best possible way by being productive.
Something has been stirred in me in the last couple weeks and I'm so thankful. It's a wake-up call. People always say "You get one life" and things along those lines, and it's so easy to take cliches like that and have it go in one ear and out the other. But it's really true. I think I've finally realized all the time I've wasted pursuing things that I thought would make me happy in the long-term, but they didn't. No friend, no boy, no trip, no new purchases blah blah blah is going to fully satisfy this heart, so...it's back to my first love. Ah yes, the first love...
Let's go back to the 5 year old girl who performed concerts standing on my Nana's fireplace singing
The Judds. Or the 10 year old girl that made up song & dance routines to Mariah Carey in my basement. Or the 14 year old who fearlessly cold-called radio stations and fair promoters, asking if I could sing at their next event, and did. Or the 17 year old who burned my own CDs until 1am, the night before a show...printing off CD labels and stamping 'em on and cutting out photos she'd copied at Kinko's. Or the 19 year old girl who packed up everything she owned and piled it into the back ofer Ford Escort and drove 550 miles to Nashville alone and never second-guessed or looked backed back.
I always liked her.
It's been a crazy couple of months and it has opened my eyes and my heart for the first time in a long time. Situations have come into my life unexpectedly that at the moment, left me feeling defeated, or used, or confused. But the second I realized that there are things out of my control, that I just have to let it go and give it to God, the easier everything became. You can control no one but yourself & how you react to what life thows you. I'm finally Ok with letting go of "friendships/relationships" I never thought I'd be OK without. My new roommate is awesome. I'm becoming closer and growing relationships that before, I'd never really pursued. I'm getting focused. I'm playing guitar and writing songs/coming up with new ideas left and right. I'm cleaning my bedroom (that's a big one, haha!). I'm calling my family more. I'm spending time with my pups. I'm thanking God that my Dad and "soulmate" got through surgery just fine. I'm breathing deeper these days ;)
This is gonna be a fantastic year, fo shizzle.
Bring. It. <3
Thank you for indulging me in my rare blogging moment ;)
I will write a more professional later.
Until that later moment comes, check out our contest at www.rachelwilliamsonline.com/landl.htmlnbsp;
Please & Thank You <3 -
Oct 18, 07:43 AMLove My Fans!!!!!!!!My record label just ran a little survey through the newsletter asking my fans what they'd like to tell the world about my music. Look at a few of the awesome replies we got!!!!
LOVE MY FANS
RW
**She's amazing
**Fabulous voice, Great Songwriter.**She's a very good-hearted person with an enormous talent. Now get out there and elp bring her to the world!
**Rachel pours her soul into her music. She writes what she feels and she is one powerhouse performer. When she performs live she almost bring me to tears with the raw emotion she sings with. It's absolutely breathtaking.
**I wish the radio stations up here would play some of her songs. Her voice is ten times better than that Underwood.
**Look out for her, she's coming and once you hear her there will be no way to get her voice out of your mind.**She's a great singer, and you should buy her music
**Rachel has some amazing talent!! Her songs are incredible and her voice is so good.
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Oct 18, 07:43 AMLove My Fans!!!!!!!!My record label just ran a little survey through the newsletter asking my fans what they'd like to tell the world about my music. Look at a few of the awesome replies we got!!!!
LOVE MY FANS
RW
**She's amazing
**Fabulous voice, Great Songwriter.**She's a very good-hearted person with an enormous talent. Now get out there and elp bring her to the world!
**Rachel pours her soul into her music. She writes what she feels and she is one powerhouse performer. When she performs live she almost bring me to tears with the raw emotion she sings with. It's absolutely breathtaking.
**I wish the radio stations up here would play some of her songs. Her voice is ten times better than that Underwood.
**Look out for her, she's coming and once you hear her there will be no way to get her voice out of your mind.**She's a great singer, and you should buy her music
**Rachel has some amazing talent!! Her songs are incredible and her voice is so good.
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Oct 18, 06:23 AMliars, liars and more liarsAre you following all the great stories in our Lovers & Liars promotion?? Right now
"Jameson's Irish Whiskey" is the fan favorite. Check it out , vote for your fav and leave a story of your own!
rachelwilliamsonline.com/landl.html -
Jun 25, 10:23 AMAlbum Review - Today's Country MagazineBand: RACHEL WILLIAMSAlbum: Lovers & LiarsLabel: HER Records
When you go out and see live performances every other night around Nashville you tend to get a feeling of who brings it to the table and who doesn’t. Michigan native, Rachel Williams moved to town and instantly started to get her feet wet and with the release of her sophomore effort, Lonely at the Bottom, she showed people what she was made of. That was two years ago. Fast-forward to last week. Rachel Williams offered fans and newcomers a brand new EP, Lovers and Liars, at CMA Fest and showed listeners what a difference just a few years can make. As you dive into the album with “Unbroken Ground,” she showcases the same bluesy driven aspects that you’ve come to expect from her, but turns everything up a notch, especially in her delivery of the lyric. As you dig into the album you see this same bluesy driven side well on display with cuts like “You Let Me” and “A Woman To Love,” where Williams uses the perfect amount of sass in her voice to match the music. Williams does slow things down from time to time as well with cuts like, “In Between” and “What If We Do,” which offers a lyric about not giving up on love even when you know it isn’t working. With the release of this EP, Rachel Williams accomplishes a few things. She not only put new music in people’s hands but also shows a tremendous amount growth vocally and in her songwriting as she played a part in writing each of the 7 songs on it. We were already keeping our eyes on Rachel Williams after her last album, and with the release of this one we are absolutely certain that big things are just around the corner for her.
FULL ARTICLE -
Jun 25, 10:20 AMCD Release Party - ReviewRACHEL WILLIAMS CD RELEASE PARTY
FOR “LOVERS & LIARS”
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
@ 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, TNCD Release parties aren’t anything new to Nashville. In fact they pretty much happen everyday around town so trying to standout amongst the pack and be unique takes some creative thinking and Rachel Williams did just that.
Williams has already proven to anyone and everyone in Nashville that she can create solid music that leans heavy on both a blues and country influence with the release of her sophomore album Lonely At The Bottom. Over the two years since its release she has been stamping her name all over town through countless live performances with a full band behind her as well as many writers nights, which allowed her to showcase her vocals and new material. All of this leading up to tonight.
Though her new EP, Lovers & Liars was available to those attending CMA Fest just a few weeks ago, this performance marked its official release. However, in the not so typical CD release party fashion, Williams not only was able to showcase her new songs, but brought along some of her friends/co-writers with her to open up the show turning her CD release show into a top-notch writers night and with the addition of a chocolate cake with her photo on it, she turned this into and actual party chalked full of depth, variety, and desert.
The writer’s night portion of the show allowed some of Rachel’s favorite co-writers to take the stage with Karen Staley kicking the show off playing familiar Faith Hill cuts she has landed like “Take Me As I Am” and “Let’s Go To Vegas.” The crowd was singing along from the get-go and never seemed to stop. Mark Narmore brought along his hit songs “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” the popular Craig Morgan tune as well as “Someone Who Would Die For You,” a cut on Tracy Lawrence’s new album The Rock. Bonnie Baker delighted the crowd with her wit and humor that sometimes leaned on the sarcastic side, but also brought her hit songs like Reba’s “My Sister” to the audience.
But the writer’s portion wasn’t meant to just be full of hit songs, but to showcase some new talent as well and introduce them to the crowd. Karleen Watt sung a few songs and captivated the audience early on, while Bruce Wallace, who’s cut “ Love Letters” is going to be featured on the forthcoming Jessica Harp album, and Sara Beck, showcased their songwriting talents to the crowd as well.
Throughout the writer’s performances at any given moment Rachel Williams, the party girl, joined at times by Kim Copeland, Bruce Wallace, and more, hopped up on stage to sing-a-long with her favorite songs kicking off the night’s festivities in a laid back and fun style.
But as good as this night was up to this point, it was about to get a whole lot better. The whole point of this party was to celebrate Rachel Williams and her new EP, and her along with her band hit the stage with a bang opening their show with “As Far As You Know,” which just prior to kicking in Williams exclaimed, “I don’t know about y’all but I am ready to throw down.”
The crowd sang along and cheered loudly as the familiar tune came to a close and Rachel addressed the crowd, “After 3 days of looking I finally found this party dress I have on. My nails and toes are matching and let’s keep this party rolling,” she finished as she played her popular, fan favorite “Firestarter” off of her Lonely At The Bottom album before diving into cuts from her new EP with the opening track “Unbroken Ground.”
“What I love about this new EP is that it only has 7 cuts on it which meant I had to cut to the chase pretty quickly on it,” began Williams, “and this next song is pretty much word for word what I had been going through over the last year and a half,” she finished as she played “You Let Me,” arguably one of the best songs on the new EP if the fan reaction was any indication.
“We were in the middle of writing another song and got writer’s block or something when we came up with this next song,” explained Rachel as she slowed things down with “In Between,” followed by another fan favorite, the upbeat “On My Way To You.”
“Y’all need to get some of that cake in the back,” demanded Williams, “because I don’t want to take it all home,” she joked. “People have asked me why I called this new EP Lovers & Liars and the answer is that in my opinion I think you are either one or the other and this next song is the title track of the EP and is all about my frustrations in the dating world,” she finished as they played “Lovers & Liars.”
“Something happened a few months ago that shook me to the core. It was actually the day of the photo shoot for the EP, but we found out that a dear friend of ours, Bruce Holloway had passed away,” stated Williams as she continued, “I was lucky enough to write a few songs with him and in the 2 years he was in Nashville he impacted everyone he met,” she finished as she played “A Woman To Love.” At one point during the performance she revved up the crowd when she took a drumstick and began striking the cymbal in perfect rhythm with the band.
After briefly talking about her experiences at CMA Fest this year, Williams began to talk about what a hero Wynonna had been to her and how great it was to see both her and Naomi perform together at CMA Fest and finished with, “so tonight I am going to play a Wynonna song in my set because I decided that it’s my party and I can play what I want to,” she finished as she did an outstanding cover of “No One Else On Earth,” before closing with “Where My Line Is,” a song Williams declared as her new anthem.
FULL SET LIST
1. As Far As You Know
2. Firestarter
3. Unbroken Ground
4. You Let Me
5. In Between
6. On My Way To You
7. Lovers & Liars
8. A Woman To Love
9. No One Else On Earth
10. Where My Line Is -
Jun 16, 01:34 PMNEW CD RealeaseI just released my new CD Lovers & Liars.
You can buy it today for just $4.49!!!
Check it out here http://rachelwilliamsonline.com/music.html
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Jun 11, 09:20 AMLoad In VideoHey Everyone... A short video to show you how load in day went at CMA Music Fest!
Hope to see each and everyone of you there.
Remember - Awesome band show Thursday night at Limelight 6pm
AND
June 24 from 6-9 - My CD Release party at 3rd & Lindsley. My guests will include: Karen Staley, Mark Narmore, Bonnie Baker, Karleen Watt, Bruce Wallace and Angela Kaset
