Rachel Davie Lee
Interview conducted on March 3, 2022
By Dan Locke
It’s no secret that versatility adds an extra string to any player’s bow. For vocalist Rachel Davie Lee, it’s this multifaceted approach to music that is central to the dream of establishing her name at the top of the industry. Hailing from Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Rachel’s eclectic blend of Pop, Neo-Soul, Ballad, and Caribbean-influenced music draws inspiration from the likes of Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Alaine, and Roberta Flack
Born in Jamaica to a Guyanese father and Scottish mother before growing up in London, her dual heritage and array of environments meant that she was exposed to a wide range of influences. Having played the violin and piano from a young age, Rachel began singing in her teens before taking it more seriously at St Andrews University in Scotland, where she received Classical tuition at the department of Music. Rachel continued her vocal development, as a young adult within operatic and chamber ensembles. After moving to Glasgow, Rachel acquainted herself more deeply with contemporary music, joining a Gospel choir and forming musical partnerships in Glasgow’s diverse music scene. The next few years saw Rachel live in both Belgium and North Carolina, continuously developing different musical skill sets that have made her the artist she is today.
How did you discover music?
My earliest awareness of actually appreciating music was through pop music. As a child of the 80’s/90’s I was given Kylie Minogue’s album when I was about 8 and I remember that I loved ‘Locomotion’, such an upbeat, catchy song, that was played at a lot of children’s birthday parties and the school disco from memory! However, I still remember quite clearly when one day out of curiosity I played my brother’s Michael Jackson ‘BAD’ tape. I’d heard him playing it before but hadn’t paid too much attention, probably thinking it was boring “boys” music! It goes to show how music is a very personal discovery, because just listening alone, and when Liberian Girl came on, I was instantly hooked. The opening of that song is so beautiful and Michael Jackson’s vocals have such a lyrical quality in that song. That was the first song I remember stirring something more emotional inside me. I was also about 8 when I first started playing the violin and I got involved in various orchestras from there. Learning an instrument got me into the mindset of having music as a routine part of my life and made it easier to take up piano later on. Singing eventually took over both of these and in the end I think you have to settle on what you enjoy the most and what is within your personal reach and ability. It’s fair to say I was never going to be a violin maestro, but at the same time I wasn’t willing to put the practice in to reach a level of something more. With singing I found I had the enthusiasm and a different connection to my voice to try to grow and mature as a singer.
How did you start to write music?
I was living in Glasgow several years ago and was getting more involved in creative singing projects and collaborations. I was providing backing vocals for a couple of songwriters in Glasgow and had started recording covers to demonstrate my vocals with the view of building an online portfolio. I had never really thought of myself as a “songwriter” as although I read music, I have limited skills in technical composition and music theory. Having said that, I think starting out in learning music from a classical perspective, including with singing, held me back from thinking more boldly and creatively and I tended to focus on getting a perfect sound with what I was singing rather than developing art. But once I began to connect with different musicians and started to “find” my voice beyond classical and church singing, I started to experiment with lyrics and melodies as the first step to writing my own songs.
Describe your music.
I sing and have written songs in several styles, but my primary leaning is soul/RnB. My EP has 5 tracks broadly within this genre but with other elements woven in including pop, light rock, classical and disco. My aim is to be versatile because that’s what I feel is most truthful about my voice and I think it would be inauthentic to say I am purely a Soul/RnB singer within the commercial categorizations of those words. Generally, I would say that I make soulful music because I am driven to make music that expresses emotions and incorporates elements of the black musical traditions that have inspired me most strongly as a singer. I definitely do want to do more Neo-Soul that’s in the vein of my lead track, Love is in the Air, in terms of what I want to create musically and lyrically. Growing up in UK but with both Caribbean and Scottish heritage, I was exposed to different musical influences which have had a combined effect on my musical sound, and I’ve also received classical training for a number of years. These experiences stay with you and for me it’s important that I can use my voice in different ways that all feel natural to me, even when staying within a more defined genre.
What was your first performance at like?
My early solo performances were all church based or early music chorales that I was in during my early 20’s. There’s a different feel to singing a typically sacred piece in a more formal setting, but once it becomes routine you get used to it, and principally you’re singing not to “perform” but to be part of the worship. When I Ivied in Edinburgh I had the role of Barbarina in an amateur production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro which was probably my first more exposed venture onto a stage, and I was about 24. It was quite daunting because opera requires you to get into the written character and portray that character through the song. I am no opera diva but I remember I did end up enjoying the performance and making the most of it! My first performance as a ‘pop’ singer was not long after, when I lived in Brussels for one year and I collaborated with a musician who was actually a partner in a law firm but happened to be an amazing jazz and blues pianist. We put on a show at a small local wine bar and did a set of classic soul, jazz and blues numbers. That was an awakening moment for me as a singer because not only had I been longing to sing more soulful music, but I realized I just felt an instant and different connection to a performance of a nature that allows more freedom of expression.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
No, I don’t but would definitely consider it.
What makes a good songwriter?
Based on my own subjective appreciation of music, I think it’s having the ability to convey any message powerfully. The lyrics don’t have to be complex but strong messages can be conveyed through the music. The music itself has to appeal to the emotions and so the ability to create a chord structure and melody that’s emotionally engaging is truly a skill. I’m personally drawn to pop music which has variation in terms of chord progression, bridge, key change and harmonics that build to create an amazing sound. That’s why I love a lot of the old Motown classics and pop songs from the 90’s.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I think it was “Still Got this Feeling”, a pop ballad. I have never recorded it because I could never find a satisfying chorus for it that felt right.
What is the process of writing your music?
No set process but I usually come up with a melody that inspires some lyrics. I usually have a background theme but the melody is always a driving factor and the lyrics fall into place from there. I may use the keyboard to start giving it some musical structure. For any song I’m more serious about I work with other musicians or producers to really develop it into a piece of music.
Tell me about your EP “Barely Concealed”?
It’s an EP that is based on themes of love, reflection, and longing. All songs are intentionally quite short because the idea was to convey a feeling or story in several different styles, using a minimalist approach lyrically and instrumentally, but enough to highlight my vocals and give an idea of me as an artist. It’s my first official release so it was about using it to develop a platform in a simple but distinct way. The EP was produced by Try Bishop a US producer who has won Grammy and Dove awards, so I was fortunate to be able to work with someone of his level. I’d previously sent him some song ideas and he had a good sense of my voice. When we were in the studio Bishop was able to add some more contemporary and edgier twists to my ideas and together with his production, is why the EP has a clean and commercial quality to it. I came up with the name ‘Barely Concealed’ because the ballads reflect strong emotions but there’s also something that remains camouflaged and a bit contained, so in other words, barely concealed.
Out of the 5 tracks which one is your favorite track on your album?
My personal favorite is Put on My Coat, although its actually been the one that has been the one that has been the least well received by some in the industry. When I first started creating it I was not sure where it was really going and then I used this same feeling to just let the song become about searching but also being ok if I don’t find what I’m looking for, and finding comfort in my “old route”. In the song I am hoping to see a person who is still in my consciousness and there’s some inner conflict between wanting to move on yet being held back by certain memories or old habits. So, the song is based on a pretty unoriginal “trying to move on” scenario, but what I like about it overall is that although it never gets dramatic and is a bit melancholy, there is variation with different vocal styles to express the different phases of the journey. The underlying instrumental is 80’s rock inspired and it’s the same phrasing pattern throughout, so it has this bare feeling to it, but the contrasting vocals help give the song a certain tension and it kind of escapes any musical definition.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I have mixed feelings. My main experience of streaming is with Spotify, both as a listener and having my own songs promoted via playlists. It’s a good way for any new artist to try to get more exposure but at the same time you need significant streaming breakthrough to actually earn income from it. Also, there is still debate as to the level playing field within music streaming, due to Spotify’s deals with the big music companies meaning that major-label acts are prioritized by both editorial and algorithmic playlists. Overall, I think Spotify is better for more established artists.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Well, I grew up with CD’s which I guess counts as digital analog! When I was still a child, my first music was all on cassettes. In comparison to today’s digital streaming, part of me misses that excitement of going to one of the record shops to buy a physical copy of a new album and then the prolonged anticipation of hearing it because you still had to travel home and unwrap it to insert it into your tape or CD player! I think digital streaming has partly changed our actual experience of appreciating music.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
It’s going to sound very cliche, but as we go into new and uncertain times with the current Ukraine, Russia situation, the first song that comes to mind is “War, (What is it good for)? by Edwin Starr. Such a memorable opening, straight to the point. Listening to it in the present, you realize its message never dies.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I think we’ve seen signs of live music slowly coming back. I have been able to start singing live again from last year and I’ve seen a lot of flyers and advertisements about live music. When Covid was at its height, it was sadly very detrimental to musicians of all kinds. I remember reading that the Met Opera had cancelled its entire 2020-2021 season. If your entire livelihood depends mainly on live performing, a total cold period like that would be very debilitating on an emotional and artistic level as well as financially. I am in a bit of a cocoon where I live in the BVI, but I would hope that Covid does not affect live music globally once it is controlled. I don’t think streamed performances can ever beat a live music experience.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
In some ways because most artists have probably felt forced to become more inventive in terms of how they can continue to create and publicize their music. If we did not live in such an online age, I think things would have been very different. I had been wanting to release my own music for a while and when Covid hit I realized recording music was something I could still control and use to build an international platform even if I couldn’t do my live performances.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
We had our worst lockdown period in 2020. I started doing more online collaborations and virtual choir recordings! Other than that, I was still working from home with my day job and just trying to stay sane. You can feel quite cut off here in the BVI as even though geographically it’s close to the US and other parts of the Caribbean, it is its own small world. I remember that keeping in touch with friends and family from afar became very important and I had more Skype and Whatsapp calls than usual!
How was it to work with Stefan Wyatt?
Stefan is my former vocal coach during when I was transitioning from classical to pop singing. He understands crossover singing very well having had a formal classical singing background but who has now branched into more contemporary music. I started to provide vocal support to some of his earlier songwriting projects and fortunately we’ve managed to keep up a long-distance collaboration thanks to technology! His primary output became his A Cappella arrangements of popular music and the YouTube videos he made to accompany the learning tracks. Working with him has always been pleasant but also good for growth as he is quite a perfectionist in achieving a the best sound possible through constructive vocal direction.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Eating as healthily as possible, doing my morning yoga routine and exercises on my porch!
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Not really. I think I just intensified my attention to things I already enjoyed and that I could still do.
Recently the virus has come back with the Delta outbreak, then you Omicron, which as cause many people in the industry to worry about the future of live music.
How would you like live shows to be held and still keep you and fans safe.
The first time I sang live again after a year of cancellations, it was a Christmas set at my regular venue, the BVI Sushi Bar. This is an open-air setting but with some covered areas. They had a limited number of tables for reservation. It’s not practical everywhere but outdoor settings will likely be safer for as long as Covid is a risk.
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.
Today holograms are already being used in a variety of way, such as medical systems, education, art, security, and defense
Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas.
If the cost was down to the point, you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
I don’t see why not but not until it becomes essential! I think people would almost always prefer to see the real thing. The closest exception I’ve seen to this has been the success of the MJ Musical on Broadway this year. People have come away saying it is simply a remarkable celebration of his life and music and worth seeing as a show in its own right.
In the past if a musician stops doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
Music is already my “new” career! But if I can no longer do it, I would like to go into some kind of advocacy and policy work on something I feel passionate about. In recent years I have becomes very disillusioned with mainstream media and became aware of just how much it influences our perceptions and is often very divisive. I feel that media and whoever controls it is determined to have the last word on things and a lot of it is just for profit and to maintain its own “brand”. I’ve become very interested in following platforms that are willing to highlight the double standards of corporate media and encourage objective critical thinking. Even with these, we may still be influenced by our own biases even if we think we are not. If I could, I would like to try my own hand at journalism/podcasting on topical issues or create a platform that encourages independent thought and discussion from all perspectives, cultures and classes. I’m sure we could actually find we had more in common on many things than we thought.
What is your happy place?
Sharing a bottle of red wine and pizza with my beloved with some soulful music in the background.
How was it to get a award from Modern Soulful Music?
An unexpected surprise and a lovely feeling to get that recognition for my song Love is in the Air. MSM is a unique movement to highlight soulful music of all genres (going back to the question of what can be considered “soulful”!) and its founder really has an ear for identifying some really stand out music, based on what I’ve heard from her selections. So it was certainly an honor and an encouragement.
Is this your first award you have gotten?
Yes it is, apart from if I were to also count being made Artist of the Month last November by Prospect Radio in the UK, also significant for me, as getting that validation from a music platform means a great deal as a new artist.
How important are the Grammys?
I think they are still important within the industry itself an artist’s personal achievement, but they can’t hold the same wider influence as they did before as people have more autonomy now to decide what is “the best”, choose who they will listen to or how they will discover music, so I think mainstream awards generally in the arts don’t hold as much sway as far as the public are concerned. People are also becoming aware of some of the unfairness and possible bias that influences awards like the Grammy’s and this does include the marginalization of black artists in respect of the mainstream categories of awards.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, John Legend, ZZ Top and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited . Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offering by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
On January 19, 2021 Hipgnosis Song Management acquired 80% of Kenny Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering the country superstar’s discography from his 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. In addition, it was not an easy thing for him to do. However, by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. Now he does not have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands, which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
It wouldn’t be an easy decision to make. I think it would depend at what stage I was in my career and if I had a level of confidence to able to be comfortable enough with the knowledge that I had created the songs and no selling of rights could ever take that away or stop me from performing them.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.
Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
As I said in my earlier answer, it will depend on how successful an artist is with gaining streams on Spotify in the first place, as I can’t speak for all, but it’s not something that happens overnight. More independent artists also means more competition!
Were you surprised to see one of your songs used on TikTok?
Yes! And I love what they did with it.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has became a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artist to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to hug boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this with the the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I didn’t know this but I might engage more with influencers to promote my music via their creativity which can really add something extra to a song (as can Instagram). Whilst I’m still a little sceptical of Tik Tok as a means to add value to the quality of music (and therefore give proper credit to the artist as well as the influencer) given that its based on 30s videos, you have to move with the times and from what I’ve seen and experienced Tik Tok is an effective way to bring new life to a song as well as bring it more directly to potential fans particularly of the younger generation.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer.The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
Based on the proven potential for exposure via Tik Tok to date, it seems that this a radio station with combined resources could be a very powerful and positive force in music streaming! I like the fact that it would also be bringing music to people in a more “traditional” form of a radio station. Then again, it could have an unfair advantage over smaller independent stations which are hugely supportive of independent artists but themselves struggle for funding. It’s hard to comment fully on the potential consequences of an initiative like this without having a full understanding of all the commercial
Anything you would like to say in closing.
It’s still early days for my music but I hope to follow with new music in the next year or two by developing some other songs I’ve been working on. In the meantime, I will be doing some live performances of the songs from my current EP, with the debut later this Spring. I appreciate everyone who has shown support for my music to date!
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