91Èȱ¬

From Liz Green to Karima Francis, the female voice is ringing out right, left and centre from our music venues. One of the finest amongst them is the ever-smiling Rachael Kichenside, who’s new EP, Like The Tides, is garnering attention from more than just the local press.

Indeed, the lead track, Something To Say, has even found its way on to Steve Lamacq’s play list – a fact that has left Rachael a little shocked to say the least.

"I never imagined that would happen. I was staggered. I didn’t even know they’d played it. Someone emailed me to say they’d heard me on the programme and I just thought 'yeah, right, that wasn’t me'.

"But I looked on the website and sure enough, in-between artists that I really admire, like Feist and Cat Power, there was a listing for me – the only unsigned artist in a list of people with major deals.

"I was baffled and really impressed. I don’t have a manager or a plugger, I literally sent in a CD and well, God bless Steve Lamacq. He and his team must listen to everything they get sent and that’s so heartening."

The wind of change?

It’s hardly surprising that it managed to get to the top of Steve’s new music pile. After all, the simple sunshine pop of Something To Say is the kind of track that only takes one listen to make you sit up and notice. It’s a tune Rachael is understandably proud of, though she’s quick to point out that she had a little help from an unusual source.

Stickboy and Rachael Kichenside

"I think Something To Say is the first track where I feel like I’ve found my sound and I’ll go on from there. I’m pushing myself far more musically now. Previously, I thought that as I wasn’t the best guitarist in the world, I’d just get people who are of a professional standard to play the parts for me.

"With Something To Say, I didn’t have any musicians to do things for me, as my band were away doing other things, so I just went and tried things. I went to a friend’s house and played the most ridiculously simple guitar parts, a bit of glockenspiel and let the backing vocals fill out the other instrumental parts.

"That said, we did sample the keyhole. I recorded the track at Stickboy’s [musician Craig Edmondson] and the wind was whistling through the keyhole. A couple of weeks earlier, I was being all enigmatic and artistic and I told him I wanted it to sound like the wind – but I never meant it literally.

"When we came to do it, the wind was howling through the keyhole, I just thought 'that’s it!' So I ended up standing there with a microphone against the door."

Mixing it up

The wind isn’t the only unusual collaborator Rachael has been working with, though thankfully, her other helpers have been human. One unexpected name that has cropped up is that of the DJ, Dave Haslam, who has done a remix of the EP’s title track. It turns out that the ex-Hacienda disc spinner has been looking to work with her for a while.

Rachael Kichenside

"Dave and I met when I played Oxjam, which was only my third gig. He came up at the end of my set, bowed down in a 'we’re not worthy' motion and then walked off. I didn’t know who he was and someone told me. I thought 'wow, I’ve got a fan'.

"A few months back, we met up and he said he wanted to remix one of my tracks, which was really flattering, but I have to be honest, my reaction to the finished article is relief.

"I was worried because obviously, he’s a dance DJ and I have an acoustic folk edge, so I didn’t know how it would turn out. But it’s a sensitive remix, really chilled, and I’m pleased with it."

It seems things couldn’t look rosier for Rachael at the moment. No wonder she’s always smiling.

Rachael Kichenside plays the Ruby Lounge with Alice and the Majesty on Weds 6 Feb. Like The Tides EP is out on Thurs 14 Feb.