Rachel Farris was playing piano, singing, and writing her own music before turning 13. She majored in music while in college and formed her own group, featuring songs she had written, but the project was nixed when she realized that it involved too much compromise. Determined to go it alone, Farris recorded a ten-song demo that earned her a contract with the Big 3 label. Soak, her debut album, was produced with help from Dino and John Elefante
Rachel soaked in her parents passion for music. Her dad played guitar and her mom often spoke to her about the meaning of songs. They listened to the BeeGees, Simon and Garfunkel, a lot of country. Rachel developed her own taste in rock; the Cranberries, Lisa Loeb and Alanis Morrisette. However Rachel say no matter how much she liked an artist, no one ever really did it for her. She had to make her own music.
It was a fate that the stage and the studio would be her life. "So many people were investing all this time and money in yet another pop-R&B group," she says incredulously. "I met all these producers who'd say, 'Oh you're great, you're gonna be a star,' and I'd show up all excited and they would try to change things."
Rachel's need to make music was so intense, she opted to pursue what she hoped would be a satisfying pop compromise, forming a girl group as a vehicle for her original material. Prominent producers got involved and major labels came calling -- yet when it came down to inking a deal, Rachel stopped short. "I had this huge revelation that I couldn't go on with it -- my songs sounding so bubble gum and fake, I couldn't bear it," she recalls. "Everybody thought I was nuts, and the attorneys were furious, telling me this was a once in a lifetime thing and I'd never be offered anything again."
Determined to prove them wrong, Rachel started pounding the pavement, managing herself, and leaving no opportunity untried. She landed full-time work acting at Universal Studios so she could afford to follow her muse and eventually put together the 10-song demo that led to her contract with Big 3 Records. Distributed by Warner Entertainment's wholly owned ADA, Big 3 has an impressive team of experienced and hands-on industry pros who know what talent is when they see it. They gave Rachel creative reign.
Rachel explains that "I'm Not the Girl" is "a final expression of 'NO!' like, 'Screw you-all of you!," As to the cinematic "So Good," which perfectly captures a post-breakup moment, Rachel reveals: "It's one of those conversations with a love that went wrong, when you say 'hello' and 'I'm better' but still feel destroyed inside." And while most of Rachel's lyrics are straightforward and relatable, she bravely charts more poetic terrain on "Paint the Truth." "I generally keep the more abstract songs for myself, but I wanted this one on the album to show that side of me," she says of the song that contemplates an artist's responsibility to honesty.