Rachael Yamagata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata on stage in 2008
Background information
Born	(1977-09-23) September 23, 1977 (age 47) Arlington, Virginia, United States
Genres	Adult alternative, indie
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Piano, guitar, vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	RCA Victor, Warner Bros., Frankenfish/Megaforce

Rachael Amanda Yamagata, born on September 23, 1977, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She started her music journey with a band called Bumpus. Later, she became a solo artist. Rachael has released many EPs (Extended Plays) and studio albums. Her songs have been featured in lots of TV shows. She has also worked with famous musicians like Jason Mraz, Rhett Miller, and Bright Eyes.

About Rachael Yamagata

Early Life and Education

Rachael Yamagata was born to a Japanese American father and an Italian-German mother. She grew up with her half-brother, Josh Ruben, who is a comedian and actor. Rachael went to the Holton-Arms School. She also studied at Northwestern University and Vassar College.

Starting Her Music Career

Rachael became the lead singer for a band called Bumpus in Chicago. She spent six years touring, writing, and recording with the band. In 2001, she decided to leave Bumpus to start her own solo career.

In September 2002, Rachael signed a deal for two albums with Private Music, a part of Arista. Her first EP, called Rachael Yamagata EP, came out in October of that year. It was produced by Malcolm Burn.

Her first full album, Happenstance, was released in 2004. John Alagía produced this album at Compass Point Studios. From 2003 to 2005, Rachael performed at popular places like Amoeba Records and The Hotel Café in Hollywood.

Working with Other Artists

Rachael Yamagata was featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals. This album won a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album. Many other famous musicians were also on this album, including Willie Nelson and Eric Clapton.

Rachael also toured with Mandy Moore and helped write a song for Mandy's 2007 album, Wild Hope.

New Albums and Performances

In May 2008, Rachael released a three-song EP called Loose Ends. Her second full album, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, came out in October 2008. Billboard magazine described this album as having a darker and sadder feel than her first one.

That same month, Rachael performed live acoustic versions of her songs "Faster" and "Sunday Afternoon" for LiveDaily Sessions. In April 2009, she performed her song "Elephants" on the TV show One Life to Live.

Rachael released a new album digitally in the fall of 2011 through Pledgemusic. Her third studio album, Chesapeake, was released in October 2011. In 2012, she released another EP called Heavyweight.

Rachael has often been a guest singer for other artists. She sang on Jason Mraz's "Did You Get My Message?", and on "Fireflies" and "The Believer" by Rhett Miller. She also sang on Toots & the Maytals's album True Love, and on the song "Barfly" by Ray Lamontagne. She contributed to several songs on Ryan Adams' Cold Roses album and six songs on the Bright Eyes album Cassadaga.

Rachael also helped write, play keyboards, and sing on the song "Kaleidoscope" by Jill Cunniff. She appeared with other artists on the 30 Rock episode "Kidney Now!". The movie Dear John features her duet with Dan Wilson called "You Take My Troubles Away". She also sang the Muppets song "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" for a cover album called Muppets: The Green Album.

In 2016, Rachael worked with PledgeMusic again for her album Tightrope Walker, which was released on September 23, 2016. She also offered an acoustic digital version of Happenstance to her fans.

Personal Life

Rachael Yamagata has a twin brother named Benji. Her half-brother, Josh Ruben, is an actor and director who used to work for CollegeHumor.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Songs in Movies and TV Shows

Rachael Yamagata's songs have been featured in many films and television shows. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Rachael Yamagata para niños