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Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977) 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 lifeA 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 careerBumpusYamagata 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 careerHer first full-length album, Happenstance, followed in June 2004. 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 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. 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.[title=Billboard.com] It was originally slated for release in the late-summer of 2007.
On October 9, 2008, a two-song live acoustic video performance premiered on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring the songs "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon"[Video performance of "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon" by Rachael Yamagata at LiveDaily Sessions].
On April 2,2009, she performed her single "Elephants" on One Life to Live in the fictional Capricorn Cafe.[title=Saopnet.com]
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, 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, 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!"[Complete cast list of 30 Rock season finale]
DiscographyStudio albums- Happenstance (2004)
- Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart (2008)
EPs- EP (2003)
- Live at the Loft & More (2005)
- Loose Ends (2008)
Singles- Worn Me Down
- Letter Read
- 1963"
- River
- Elephants
- Faster
- Sunday Afternoon
Live/Compilations- Live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival (2004), released exclusively on Bonnaroo
- Sony Connect Sets (2005), released exclusively on Sony Connect
- KCRW Sessions: Rachel Yamagata (2005), released exclusively on iTunes
- Napster session: Rachael Yamagata (2005), released exclusively on Napster
Bumpus- Bumpus (1999)
- Steroscope (2001)
Other contributions- WFUV: City Folk Live VII - "Worn Me Down" (2004)
- Toots & the Maytals - True Love (2004)
- Ryan Adams - Cold Roses (2005)
- Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z (2005)
- Chris Holmes - Blister of the Spotlight (2006)
- Rhett Miller - The Believer (2006)
- Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black (2006)
- Bright Eyes - Four Winds (2007)
- Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (2007)
- Ben Arthur - Mouhfeel (2007)
- Mandy Moore - Wild Hope (2007)
- Jill Cunniff - City Beach (2007)
Copyright Citations
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