The 20-year-old has this week released Black Currents, her first EP, to strong reviews and is currently in the middle of recording her highly anticipated debut album in the Highlands. (Watch her perform Breathe Easy from the EP here.)
Rachel said of the album recording sessions: “Ardgour’s been amazing, because experience-wise with recording there’s been lots of experimentation going on, and all of it useful and productive in the sense that sometimes it might not have worked, but it was good in order to find what was needed.
“We have a producer, Ian Grimble who got on board. I was scared about that but actually it worked out, he’s so patient and understanding, and really just allows space and gives the ideas when it needs to be. But he’s very subtle in his way of giving his ideas – he makes you think that they’re your ideas, and that’s how it probably works best for me!”
She added: “The recording studio itself is attached to the home that you stay in, so is accommodation included. You wake up, everybody’s just like a big happy family.
“We would have our breakfast then start to wander through, and it was like continuous jamming – so if we weren’t recording, we were arranging the music. And if we weren’t arranging the music we were either eating food or jamming music, because there’s some really great instruments there, and it’s a lovely space.
“So despite all the good gear that’s there, the space felt very homely and it didn’t feel like a recording studio at all.”
From Carrbridge, Rachel was in India for Christmas and New Year, collaborating with musicians there for a very exciting few shows.
“We began in Calcutta, with four days of writing about seven songs with two musicians who are well established in India and further afield. There’s a tabla player Bikram Ghosh – an incredible percussionist and a wonderful character, full of energy.
“There’s also an Assamese folk singer [Angaraag Papon Mahanta], who’s very famous in the Delhi area and the Northern areas, but well known he seems to be everywhere, with well known he seems to be everywhere with his electro music. He just does a lot of stuff, again really enthusiastic and very talented, and they were both very passionate and inspiring.”
With only one song “sort of prepared” before going out there, they had “four days to organise an hour-long gig, and we managed. We managed to play in Calcutta. It was really fun, learned lots about rhythm and hopefully absorbed a lot of Indian culture and the way that they play, but I don’t know yet, I’ve not tried writing.”
- For more details about Rachel visit rachelsermanni.net, and for information about this evening’s show visit celticconnections.com.
RACHEL SERMANNI ON STV
- Rachel Sermanni reveals debut album plan and excitement at Celtic Connections return
- Rachel Sermanni performs Breathe Easy from Black Currents EP for STV
- From 2011: Rachel Sermanni performs Humming Home for STV
- From 2011: Rising Scottish star Rachel Sermanni on being Celtic Connections New Voice
