LMF: Why don't we start off with you introducing yourself.
RL: WELL MY NAME IS RACHAEL LAMPA AND MY SHOE SIZE IS 6 1/2 AND I LIKE LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH…NO SORRY, JUST KIDDING. OK, I AM 19 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN SINGING ALL MY LIFE BUT RECORDING FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS NOW. I JUST RELEASED MY 3RD STUDIO ALBUM ON JULY 27. I WAS BORN IN ANN ARBOR, MI BUT I GREW UP IN LOUISVILLE, CO. I HAVE AN OLDER BROTHER NAMED RYAN, A YOUNGER BROTHER NAMED NATHAN, AND A YOUNGER SISTER NAMED COLLEEN. I LOVE JESUS AND MY HEART IS DEVOTED TO LIVING FOR HIM. AND I LIKE ICE CREAM.
LMF: When did you know you wanted to be a singer?
RL: EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR MUSIC AND SINGING. NO MATTER WHERE I WAS I WAS ALWAYS SINGING. I EVEN GOT IN TROUBLE SOMETIMES BECAUSE I WAS TOO LOUD AND I WOULDN’T KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT! I THINK IT REALLY HIT ME AFTER I HAD FIRST SUNG IN FRONOT OF PEOPLE WHICH WAS AT CHURCH WHEN I WAS FIVE. I WAS SO NERVOUS AND I TOTALLY SET UP MYSELF TO ABSOLUTELY HATE PERFORMING, BUT BY THE TIME IT WAS OVER, I DIDN’T WANT TO STOP. FROM THEN ON, I CONTINUED TO LISTEN TO MUSIC IN A DIFFERENT WAY, ALMOST STUDYING IT. MY LOVE FOR SINGING JUST GREW FROM THERE.
LMF: Describe your music to someone who has never heard it before.
RL: OVER THE PAST 4 RECORDS, MY MUSIC HAS CHANGED A LOT, BUT THE NEWEST RECORD IS DEFINITELY “ME” THIS TIME. WE WERE SORT OF GOING FOR A MIX BETWEEN FUNK AND ROCK AND POP. I HAVE LISTENED TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSIC AS I GREW UP INCLUDING STEVIE WONDER, MARIAH CAREY, AND U2 SO I WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO FUSE IT ALL TOGETHER AND MAKE IT SOMETHING ALL MY OWN.
LMF: What was the process of recording your album like?
RL: WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS RECORD WAS THAT I NEVER FELT RUSHED. SOMETIMES WHEN I FEEL LIKE I AM PRESSED FOR TIME, I LOSE FOCUS AND END UP SETTLING FOR WHAT IS NOT MY BEST. I WAS REALLY ALLOWED THE TIME TO JUST GET EVERYTHING RIGHT AND WHERE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE DONE MY BEST.
LMF: Do you have a favorite song off of it? If so which one and why?
RL: IT’S HARD FOR ME TO PIN POINT WHICH ONE IS MY FAVORITE SINCE EVERYTHING IS SO NEW TO ME, BUT AT THIS POINT, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY “RUBBERHOUSE”. ITS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSIDE-OF-THE BOX AS FAR AS THE TRACK GOES. I LOVE TO FIND NEW AND ALMOST WEIRD WAYS TO SAY THINGS. IT’S A SONG THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO IN ORDER TO REALLY GET AND THAT’S WHAT WE WERE GOING FOR.
LMF: If you could plan your own tour, which artists would you take out on the road with you?
RL: IN A PERFECT WORLD, I WOULD PUT MYSELF ON A TOUR WITH STEVIE WONDER, BUT I DON’T SEE THAT HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON SO I WILL GLADLY STEP BACK INTO REALITY AND TRY AGAIN. I ACTUALLY WOULD LOVE TO DO A TOUR WITH ROBERT RANDOLPH. HIS LIVE SHOW IS SO FULL OF ENERGY AND JUST RAW AND UNIQUE SUPER-TALENT. IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO BE ON A SHOW WITH SUCH A MUSICALLITY.
LMF: There are a lot of female artists out right now, what sets you apart from the rest?
RL: I THINK THE COOL THING ABOUT HOW ALL THE FEMALE ARTISTS ARE SETTING THEMSELVES APART IS THAT WE ALL ALLOWED OURSELVES TO JUST BE OURSELVES. MUSICALLY, IT DEFINITELY SHOWS THAT WE HAVE ALL SOMEHOW FOUND OUR LITTLE NICHE AND WENT WITH IT. WHEN SOME ARTISTS ARE FOCUSING ON THE R&B THING, OTHERS ARE DOING THE ROCK THING, I WANTED TO TAKE MY MUSIC TO MORE OF A FUNK/ROCK THING. I TRY TO JUST BE WHAT I AM AND BE OPEN ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVE. I DON’T WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR WHAT I AM NOT, BUT FOR WHAT I AM.
LMF: What was your first on stage experience like?
RL: IT WAS AT MY BIG CHURCH IN ANN ARBOR, MI AND I WAS 5 YEARS OLD. I SANG A SONG THAT I LEARNED IN KINDERMUSIC AND I PLAYED THE GLOCKENSPIEL! I WAS SO NERVOUS AND MY MOM TOLD ME THAT I NEVER HAD TO DO IT AGAIN IF I DIDN’T WANT TO. BY THE END OF THE SONG, I DIDN’T WANT TO GET OFF THE STAGE!
LMF: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you do before a performance?
RL: I ALWAYS GET TOGETHER WITH MY BAND AND PRAY RIGHT BEFORE WE GO ON STAGE. I ALSO TRY TO DO SOME KIND OF WARM UP TO GET MY VOICE WORKING WHICH IT USUALLY ONLY ENDS UP BEING ME MAKING SOME WEIRD NOISES BEHIND THE STAGE! MOST ARTISTS I KNOW DON’T LIKE TO EAT BEFORE THEY GO ON STAGE SO THAT THEY ARE NOT ON A FULL STOMACH, BUT I ALWAYS EAT BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER HAVE FOOD IN MY STOMACH THAN ON MY MIND!
LMF: For a fan that is going to see you in concert, what can they expect from your show.
RL: WELL MY BAND IS AMAZING, SO YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN FOR SOME GOOD MUSIC! WE WILL DEFINITELY BE DOING SOME OF THE NEW MUSIC, BUT I USUALLY CAN’T MANAGE TO GET AWAY WITH NOT SINGING “BLESSED”. YOU CAN EXPECT A LOT OF ENERGY AND ME ASKING THE CROWD TO SING ALONG. I ALWAYS WANT TO CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE AFTER THE SHOW SO I WILL MOST LIKELY BE OUT AFTER THE SHOW TO MEET PEOPLE AND HANG OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
LMF: Do you have any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
RL: ONCE I DID A SHOW IN ROME, ITALY IN FRONT 40,000 AMAZING FANS. IT WAS FOR AN EVENT FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY AND I HAD JUST COME OFF STAGE AFTER FEELING REALLY GREAT ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE. WITH ALL MY ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY, I MUST HAVE LOST A LITTLE COORDINATION BECAISE I DEFINITELY MISSED THE FIRST STAIR ON THE LONG STAIRCASE THAT LED ME OFF STAGE AND SLID DOWN THE ENTIRE WAY! ABOUT HALF OF THE CROWD SAW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED SO THAT WOULD ONLY BE ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE, ONLY.
LMF: What is the best part about being a performer?
RL: I JUST LOVE TO FEEL LIKE I AM CONNECTING. GOD IS ALWAYS DOING BIG THINGS IN MY LIFE AND TEACHING ME NEW LESSONS, SO I JUST WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT. IT’S COOL THAT I HAVE THAT KIND OF AN OUTLET. I ALSO JUST LOVE TO SING AND PLAY MUSIC, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. I FEEL LIKE I GROW A LITTLE MORE EVERYTIME I PLAY. IT IS BOTH HUMBLING AND SATISFYING WHEN I AM ON STAGE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS I COMMUNICATE IS THROUGH SONG AND IT FEELS GOOD TO PUT THAT INTO PLAY.
LMF: What do you like better, recording in the studio or performing live?
RL: IT’S REALLY HARD TO SAY WHICH ONE I LIKE BETTER BECAUSE BOTH ARE SO DIFFERENT. STUDIO TIME IS GREAT BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE CREATE THINGS AND THERE IS SOMETHING SO EXCITING ABOUT THAT. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PERFORMING LIVE AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE. I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IT’S A 50/50 THING.
LMF: What has been the most memorable moment in your career this far?
RL: ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS CAREER-WISE WOULD HAVE TO BE MY TRIP TO ROME IN 2000 FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 2.8 MILLION PEOPLE FROM 152 COUNTRIES ATTENDED THE EVENT. IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES AND CULTURES THAT SPOKE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES WORSHIPING THE SAME GOD.
I ALSO HAVE A THING FOR OLD CHURCHES AND BUILDINGS AND I HAD PLENTY TO WORK WITH IN ROME! IT WAS SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO REALLY TAKE IN THE CULTURE AND GET TO KNOW THE CITY.
LMF: What CD would we find in your CD player right now?
RL: TOMMY SIMS- PEACE AND LOVE STEVIE WONDER- FULFILLINGNESS’ FIRST FINALE
LMF: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be and why?
RL: THAT THEY WOULDN’T LIMIT THEMSELVES TOO MUCH IN ANYTHING. WHETHER IT HAS TO DO WITH FAN BASE OR MUSICAL STYLE OR EVEN MARKETING IDEAS. I THINK WE ALL GET A LITTLE TOO COMFORTABLE SOMETIMES THAT WE MISS THE POINT OF WHY WE DO MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE. I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE GOOD MUSIC ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVE IN AND WHOEVER WANTS TO HEAR IT SHOULD NOT BE TURNED OFF FROM LISTENING TO IT BY AN IMAGE OR A MISCONCEPTION THAT ONLY CERTAIN KINDS OF PEOPLE CAN LISTEN.
LMF: Do you have any advice for someone starting out in the music business?
RL: BE OKAY WITH NOT ALWAYS HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS. YOU ARE FAR BETTER OFF WITH JUST BEING YOUR HONEST AND TRUE SELF THAN WHEN YOU ARE FAKING IT. PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING ON A FRONT. BE WILLING TO LEARN THINGS FROM OTHERS AND EVEN FROM YOUR OWN MISTAKES. TREAT NO ONE LIKE THEY ARE ANY LESS IMPORTANT THAN ANYONE ELSE. AND FINALLY, WHAT I AM BEST AT: LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF!
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