Rachel Beck and her sister Amy are probably most readily identifiable as half of 2013 CBC Searchlight finalists The Beck Sisters duo. Now Rachel has gone out on her own (along with producer Daniel Ledwell at Echo Lake) to record her self-titled debut album. It covers a lot of bases, but it’s anchored to a piano, and about that…
Music seems to have been an absolute staple in Rachel Beck’s family. After The Beck Sisters ran with CBC’s Searchlight nearly to the end, they played the likes of the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, opened for Tom Cochrane, and performed for Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. For all that musicality, it can be a bit of a shock to learn that Rachel doesn’t really play a whole lot of piano.
“I had not played for about 25 years and have no real training.I took lessons from my older sister, Pam, for two or three years in early elementary school.” says Beck.
“Pam is fifteen years older than me, so it wasn’t the typical sister relationship. She is an incredible pianist, but I mostly faked my way through every lesson and never rehearsed. I was a terrible student. As for getting along with my sisters, there are four of us in total. We are all great friends, but, when we have to perform together, rehearsals can involve tears, mild violence, and occasional cursing. But the harmonies!”
Beck only picked up playing the piano when her sister and bandmate Amy became pregnant. It made for a major shift in their band dynamics, and the direction the album would take. From there Rachel’s playing would become front and center on the album, dominating piano-driven ballads like ‘Reckless Heart’ , ‘Nothing In Between’ and ‘Rewind’.
“I just started playing again when Amy was pregnant. I wanted to write, but my partner/guitar-player wasn’t around. So, I faked it! Haha! I played clarinet and bassoon growing up, but those are not the most useful for song writing,” says Rachel.
“It was a pretty natural transition, to be honest. I wrote most of the songs on the album while she was pregnant with her daughter. She went into hibernation mode at her house in the country and I spent a lot of time drinking espresso and playing piano in my kitchen.
When it came time to record the songs, we both acknowledged that I had shifted direction creatively and I had a vision for the record. We came to a mutual understanding that, although we are similar in many ways, we have different dreams in terms of the motherhood/musician balance. Both equally valid, but quite different.
I wanted to go for it in terms of recording, radio, touring, marketing and she wanted to spend more time at home and keep playing music for fun in PEI.”
That shift into a more independent state of song-crafting gets reflected on the album. But it comes as a double edged sword, these are bittersweet anthems with songs taking on a sense of nostalgia, while ambitiously striving for something more.
Before striking out on her own it seems that Beck felt it prudent to check in on her own strengths and where she wanted to go with them. She explains that her song ‘Nothing In Between’ is about owning her complexities in light of moving forward, and the necessary objectivity of self-assessment.
“It’s not intended to be apologetic. The line, ‘Courage, meet me after dark/Lead me out under the stars/I will follow you,’ is all about taking a chance on myself and trusting myself. It’s probably the most autobiographical song I’ve ever written. Or self-reflective, I suppose.
I think that this time around I owned the fact that I’m not a folk singer-songwriter with beautiful, complex narratives. I like writing hook-driven, catchy songs that people can connect with on an emotional level… or just sing along to. And that’s cool.
I think I am enjoying this new project because it feels more me. I’m really proud of the songs and excited to tour them with my band. I don’t think I’ll ever tour without cello again… haha! It feels good to just go for it.”
What Rachel may have lost in sisterly harmonies, she’s made up for with a sense of power and independence on her solo debut. That and some skills on the piano.
Tour Dates:
March 9, 2018 – Homeport Homestages, Saint John, NB
March 10, 2018 – Lansdowne Concert Series, Fredericton, NB
March 11, 2018 – Second Wind Music Centre, Bristol, NB
March 15, 2018 – Kiju’s Restaurant, Membertou, NS*
March 16, 2018 – The Union Street, Berwick, NS*
March 18, 2018 – The Carleton, Halifax, NS*
*with Adyn Townes