1. Hi Rachel, can you tell me a little bit about yourself before you became musician?

    Hi Danaille, I was born in Denver, Colorado and always knew I wanted to sing, I was always involved in choirs at church and school. Growing up in a household where my parents would play everything from Blondie, Pat Benetar and ZZ Top to Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dwight Yoakum and John Denver. I feel like a lot of that early influence really helped build my love for all genres of music and deepen my internal catalogue.

2. How did you get into country music and how did you know you wanted a career in it? 

    Having the influence of my parent’s taste in the formative years of my life, I did stray from country in my late grade school years–I went through phases of craving other types of music. I would listen to only classical for a while, then only rap, oldies after that and then started listening to country right before getting into high school. I then realized that’s where my heart belonged, but I have such an appreciation for all types of music and it really comes out in my album, we created a diverse sound and we are so proud of this project! Maybe you can hear a little bit of my “flow” from rap fan days in vocal delivery on some of my songs, such as “Bad Girl Barbie” and “Hell of A Job”.

3. Who are some of your musical icons?

    Mary Chapin Carpenter is one of my biggest icons, but I also absolutely adore Garth Brooks, and Tina Turner. All of these artists were game changers, they took risks and did their own thing. I admire that about anyone who dares to be different.

4. What is your favorite song off your latest album “Dancin’ in the Neon?”

    Hmmm, this is a really hard question because we built this album with songs that I absolutely believed in and loved. I might disappoint you and not be able to pick a favorite, they all are unique in their own way and I love all of the songs.

5. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years with your music?

    In the next 5 to 10 years, I want to be just like Kenny Chesney when I grow up. Selling out stadiums, creating my own little world and empire to make sure my fans get the best experience ever.

6. If you could sing a duet with a singer or group who would it be and why?

    If I could sing a duet it would be with Mary Chapin Carpenter or Garth Brooks. Either one of these artists would be a dream to work with, let alone be able to share the stage with these icons.

7. How did you decide you wanted to go play overseas for the Troops?

    I have such a special place in my heart for our military and 1st Responders, I knew at a young age that I wanted to travel overseas and entertain our troops when they needed it most. I just didn’t know how to go about getting over there, without being a name sake and having hit songs. I did endless research and found the Armed Forces Entertainment. I applied many, many times before I got my first tour from Daniel Cook in 2013. The first time I saw the email, it made me so emotional. Being able to live a dream I had dreamed for so long was anything I could have ever imagined. Then being able to go over 3 times (so far) has been one of the best gifts I have ever been given. We’ve been to Djibouti, Africa; Kuwait; Bahrain; Qatar and Abu Dhabi and have shared many amazing memories with our men and women in uniform and immerse ourselves in other cultures.

8. What is one of your favorite quotes?

    One of my favorite quotes is “Imagination is more important than knowledge” by Albert Einstein. Our minds are powerful and can exceed many of our expectations. Having knowledge is important but can a lot of times put people in a box. Being a creative whether in music, engineering, science, etc; it is super important to believe anything is possible and “think out of the box” as corny as that sounds, it is more true than some like to admit.

9. Is there anything else you would like to share?

    The super talented Jamie Marshall has choreographed a line dance to my current single “Dancin’ In the Neon”, here’s a link to the instructional video: https://youtu.be/be1HNsp7YF8 and a link to the step sheet: http://www.copperknob.co.uk/stepsheets/dancin-in-the-neon-ID118455.aspx  if you want to learn it with us and dance along. Also, this past May, my band and I were humbled and honored to have won the Nashville Hard Rock Rising Competition.