Rachel excited to release her debut music EP

A singer/songwriter from Beverley who recently released her debut EP is hoping that her music can inspire action on climate change as she looks to raise money and awareness of the World Wildlife Fund.

Recording with recently-launched label Lunar Wax Records, Rachel Makena has put together Indigo Violet, a four-song EP.

The lead single, Daylight, can be heard on all major streaming platforms, whilst the video that accompanies the track can be seen on YouTube, with scenes from well-known areas of East Yorkshire.

The pop/country singer told Beverley Life that her musical journey started when she was a student at Beverley High School, which set Rachel on a path that saw her perform at venues across East Yorkshire.

During the pandemic, performing music as a career has been very unstable as many opportunities were cancelled or postponed.

Rachel makena

“I have loved singing for as long as I can remember,” she said. “One moment that stands out for me was in Year 7 at Beverley High School and auditioning for the solo singer at our Christmas carol concert.

“I was 12-years-old and I thought if I could sing in front of such a large audience, a full Beverley Minster with approximately 1,000 people, then I might be able to live the dream of singing professionally.

“My favourite type of music to perform live is pop/country where I sing and play acoustic guitar.

“But I also like extending my genre to include electronic dance music to create pop tracks.

“A major inspiration for me is Taylor Swift. She writes the majority of her songs and has a great way of creating the song’s storyline.

“Taylor Swift’s genre also mixes country with pop which is very fun to sing.

“I started taking music as a career more seriously in my last year of university in Scotland.

“I was auditioning for the TV show The Voice at a pub in Stirling and the pub’s music organiser heard me sing.

“She offered to pay me to sing there every week. I was so excited and frustrated at the same time because I was returning home to East Yorkshire the week after my final exams, however, this offer made me believe in myself and gave me confidence to consider singing as a potential career.

“So, I decided to see what I could do in Beverley. My first serious gigs were at Flemingate, the Beverley Fringe Festival, Service Station in Hull, Trinity Food Market, Jaz Bar and Viking FM’s P&O mini-cruise to Amsterdam.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, it started a difficult period for all live performers, with Rachel’s schedule wiped out.

However, she had a lucky break when Lunar Wax Records discovered her music online, which has led to Rachel’s release of her debut EP.

She now has a busy few months, with gigs and private bookings throughout spring and summer, running alongside her campaign to tackle climate change.

“During the pandemic, performing music as a career has been very unstable as many opportunities were cancelled or postponed,” said Rachel, who currently works full-time as an assistant scientist.

“Incredibly, Lunar Wax Records found my music online. They liked it so much they approached me to work on an EP with them as the lead singer as they felt I had the sound they were looking for.

“Paul Greenfield from the label sent me some beautifully written demo songs and I thought they were a great fit for the type of music I was releasing.

“It was a perfect match. I am very excited to have released my first EP with Lunar Wax Records.

“Not only have they been so supportive, but I get to sing these brilliant songs and collaborate with a talented team.

“The four-track EP is a bit of a mix of folk/country/indie and the lyrics are those of Paul Greenfield.

“Daylight was written on the first day of lockdown and it’s all about being positive.

“Mrs Mississippi is purely fictional and is the most country style song on the EP. It’s about a character that’s a ‘down and out trying to make it somehow’.

“Personally, my favourite song on the album is I’m Coming Home, I think this will be a great song to sing live to the backing track as it is a bit indie/rock.

“It’s about being homesick and wanting to get back to the place you belong.

“I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities. Currently, my next gig is supporting The Southmartins at the O2 Academy in Leeds on 9th April.

“I’m also performing in Hull at Jaz Bar on 10th April and Folk in the Field, Shiptonthorpe, on 25th June.
“In between gigs, I have a number of private events for the jubilee, birthdays and weddings.

“In an ideal scenario, in five years’ time I’d like to have released another acoustic EP and an electronic EP with music videos to go with the lead singles.

“Although my music has already been played on BBC Introducing, I’d really like to be performing it live on their show.

“I’d also like to have made a video for my song Walrus, which I am particularly proud of.

“Walrus is an original song written to raise money for the WWF. It’s all about a walrus living through climate change and you have to imagine you are a walrus when you listen to it.

“My mum says it always brings a tear to her eye. All profits from Walrus go to the WWF to help fight climate change.”