A classically trained pianist and singer-songwriter from Pontypool, South Wales, Rebecca Richards is making a name for herself with her gorgeous chord progressions, melody creation, and beautiful vocals.
Rebecca Richards is one of our friends here at the magazine; she’s even helped out with doing a review for us in the past! So it’s a pleasure to listen to her new single, a single that is a marker for her upcoming EP. I remember reviewing a previous release called “Welcome to the Music Maker” and a few months on, I can really see the continuing development of Rebecca as a songwriter and singer. This one sees her move even more firmly toward the country sound. It begins with a guitar sound from Hank Marvin’s back pocket, and the lyrics are a lament toward a broken relationship. The track is radio-friendly, and the chorus is one that has poignancy and easy appeal; its smooth, well produced, and great late-night listening.
It comes out for streaming and downloads on October 20th.
We asked Rebecca to give us a few pointers on it,
Tell us about the production, Rebecca! This was a well-produced single, and I think the mix got it right.
Rebecca-Thank you so much! For this song, I wanted something that was closer to an old-school country feel, like Glen Campbell, but with a more modern production. So I asked Tim Prottey-Jones, of First Time Flyers and presenter on country line radio, to produce it. We did it all remotely. I sent him a rough demo track of me singing with the guitar, and he created the whole track before I recorded the vocals at home and sent them to him to produce, mix, and master. I’m really delighted with what he’s done with it. It’s a strange way to do it because I never actually met him, although we communicated throughout the process. I quite liked having the ability to record my vocals myself and get them exactly as I wanted them before sending them to him to mix.
And the songwriting seems to have moved more toward the country sound, and you’ve also got a more serious subject matter here.
Rebecca- I wrote this about 18 months ago on the mandolin. It was called something else previously, but when I asked the opinion of a trusted friend, he wasn’t fussed about the title, so I changed it, and I think it’s better for it. You won’t have heard them because they are unreleased, but a lot of the songs I perform live have quite a bit of angst in them. I often joke that I write miserable songs, so this doesn’t feel new to me, but guess that it is in comparison to my previous releases. I also like to think I’m maturing as a songwriter, and I hope this comes through both musically and lyrically.
And that touch of guitar at the start brought the great Hank Marvin to mind for me.
Rebecca- Well, I guess I grew up with The Shadows; my mom loved Cliff Richard! but that wasn’t the sound I was aiming for—more old-school country but with a modern twist. That guitar sound is quite common in those types of songs. As for finding my sound, I don’t know. I feel I’m still evolving, although my passion will remain in telling a tale (usually from a first-person perspective) with lovely chords to underpin the melody; everything else is the dressing on top and will depend on the producer I’m working with.
And is this single indicative of the sound of the coming EP?
Rebecca- I like to think the quality of the production has improved since my earlier releases. I’ve been working quite hard to get the songs to where I think they should be (and deserve), but there is a mix of producers on the EP, which means they are not all going to sound the “same, and I quite like that. There is a lot more angst on the EP lyrically and quite a mix of genres, I would say, but again, telling a story underpinned by lovely chords is a constant feature.
Rebecca Richards, composition, vocals
Tim Prottey-Jones – production, drums, guitars, keys
Facebook/Twitter/Insta – @Becmusician
Joe Coombes – guitar
Artwork – Chris Powis Powell
George Price – Bass Guitar
Spotify page here
By Lorraine Foley
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