With a fresh new single under her belt, songstress Rachael Leahcar is stepping out of the shadows and onto the stage for a national tour to celebrate her recent album release – and new single of the same name – Shadows. This is a special tour for the self-made performer – she has planned each detail finitely, wanting to ensure it was an apt celebration of not only her fourth album, but also an opportunity to showcase how she has grown as an artist.
Rachael Leahcar came into the public consciousness in 2012, finishing in the Top 3 of the first season of The Voice Australia. She captivated the public with her gorgeous vocals, where approximately four-million people watched her television audition. Her debut album Shooting Star achieved Gold status, and her two subsequent releases Romantique and Here Comes The Sun also debuted in the Top 10. Despite living with a degenerative eye condition and losing 90% of her vision, Rachael has been working at her musical dream since she was a child, performing around her home town of Adelaide and steadily earning acclaim for her incredible talent.
“I wanted to make this a tour to remember, so I got the best of everything,” says Rachael. “I picked each venue personally, my support act is phenomenal and the band is incredible. They are a small bunch, but boy can they play! I will be performing songs from the Shadows album, plus a few stripped back versions of old favourites.”
Part of what makes this tour special is it is a bit of a glimpse behind the curtain into Rachael’s life, personally and as a musician. “When I first started performing, I always sung cover songs,” she says. “It was what I was most comfortable doing, so going on The Voice and doing this came naturally to me. I was excited, but nervous when I entered the stage where I had to write and perform our own songs. It was such a thrill, I wanted to do more of it. I kept writing and released some original work here and there, but this album takes the cake. With eight original songs on it, I’ve never felt so exposed and vulnerable and I love it. My wonderful fans have supported me for so many years now, I wanted to connect with them on a more personal level. These songs reveal all my secrets, but I’m not afraid to show the world who I am.”
The album – Shadows – is Rachael’s fourth long-player and a beautiful representation of her talent as a songwriter and performer. Her new single – released to radio on Friday 20th October – the album title track – is a haunting and emotional track that embraces the listener from the beginning – musically, vocally and lyrically. There is no doubt that Rachael has come leaps and bounds in the five years since her audition on The Voice. She is completely at home on the stage and can’t wait to share the honest and raw side of this new material with audiences in the intimate setting of the tour.
“I’ve changed so much over the years as a performer, it’s not funny,” says Rachael. “The first time I sang on stage, I was an awkward seven-year-old singing a solo in the school choir to Over The Rainbow. I didn’t know how to interact with a crowd… but I knew how to emote. That’s something I’ve always felt is important; to try and understand the lyrics and portray to the audience the message of the song, whether I wrote it or not. As time went on, I became more confident and my biggest transformation happened during The Voice. I feel like I grew five years in those three months because I was thrust into the crazy world of the music industry; endless interviews, hectic performance schedules, albums, managers, record labels and all sorts of things I had no idea about. Each album I have done since The Voice has reflected the changes and growth for me as a performer and this album has allowed me to complete my transformation into a more confident performer, yet at the same time I feel so bare on stage now… like I’m proudly handing the audience my heart and soul on a platter and trusting them to handle with care.”
With shows in the major metropolitan centres for the Shadows tour, Rachael says she is most looking forward to interacting with fans out on the road and wants to extend her thanks to everyone for their ongoing support. “The music industry is deceptively hard to manage,” she says. “It looks glamorous, but there is SO much work put in behind the scenes. I rely on people buying my album and coming to shows so I can continue to do what I love most in the world. This is why I’m so grateful for every single ticket sold and I want to thank everyone by putting on a great show and meeting them after each show to say thank you personally.”
Tickets for Rachael Leahcar’s Shadows tour are on sale now. Rachael’s single of the same now is at radio now.
Friday 10th November 2017
Thornbury Theatre, MELBOURNE VIC
www.thethornburytheatre.com
Sunday 12th November 2017
Riverside Theatre, SYDNEY NSW
www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Sunday 19th November 2017
The Gov, ADELAIDE SA
www.thegov.com.au
Friday 24th November 2017
The Old Museum, BRISBANE QLD
www.oldmuseum.org
Thursday 30th November 2017
Ellington Jazz Club, PERTH WA
www.ellingtonjazz.com.au
For more information, please visit www.rachaelleahcar.com.au
