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.
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.
Music career
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.
Solo career
Her first full-length album, Happenstance, followed in June 2004. It received generally positive reviews from critics. 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 The L Word, 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. This album is much darker than its predecessor and deals more with heartache.3 It was originally slated for release in the late-summer of 2007.45
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
She previewed the song "Jonah" on October 10, 2009 on her official website. Later on in November 2, Yamagata premiered the song "He Loves You Deep Inside". The songs serve as an appetizer to her next record.
Yamagata's songs have appeared in a number of films and television shows. These include:
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
Discography
Studio albums
EPs
Singles
- Worn Me Down
- Letter Read
- 1963
- River
- Elephants
- Faster
- Sunday Afternoon
- Be Be Your Love
Live/Compilations
Bumpus
Other contributions
References
External links
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Rachael Yamagata |
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"Worn Me Down" · "Letter Read" · "1963" · "River" · "Elephants" · "Faster"
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![Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart [Explicit]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y-oGtnWhL._SL160_.jpg)
![Elephants: Teeth Sinking Into Heart[2 LP Vinyl]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wgcXRQLGL._SL160_.jpg)
&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/tcSM0v9XcWA&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://0.gvt0.com/vi/tcSM0v9XcWA/default.jpg&celebrity=Rachael Yamagata)
 sunday afternoon its a choice to stay its a dream and i wanna wake you have blood on your hands and im feeling ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/vSGZqOQ2680&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/vSGZqOQ2680/default.jpg&celebrity=Rachael Yamagata)
![Clip This is my very first fan video so dont be too hard! xD A tribute to the lovely Rachael Yamagata. The song is called "River". Check ... Video](/viewVideo.html?title=Rachael Yamagata River&videoType=YouTube&summary=This is my very first fan video so dont be too hard! xD A tribute to the lovely Rachael Yamagata. The song is called "River". Check ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/ZzT8NTJ9vmU&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/ZzT8NTJ9vmU/default.jpg&celebrity=Rachael Yamagata)
