Rachel Bochner
It’s been a long time since I last featured Rachel Bochner on my blog but I never stopped supporting her. She’s definitely one of my favorite female artists out there. I’ve said this before but she’s a breath of fresh air. Her music has never stopped evolving. I noticed how much she gained confidence as an artist. I noticed how the songs got better since her debut release and she is now one of the best in the game in my opinion. A creator who’s not afraid to be herself.
Her new single "If I'm Gunna Be Sad (I Might As Well Look Hot Doing It)" is edgy, powerful, sassy, fun and big. It is the second single off her upcoming EP, a project we cannot wait to hear.
"If I'm Gunna Be Sad (I Might As Well Look Hot Doing It)" is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Carina Allen
Hi Rachel, how are you? You're getting ready to release your brand new single "If I'm Gunna Be Sad (I Might As Well Look Hot Doing It)" - what made you want to release this particular song?
After I finished writing this song with Tiger [Darrow], I loved that it rounded out the EP in an unexpected way. A lot of the project kinda sits in the melodramatic post-heartbreak spiral, and "If I'm Gunna Be Sad" acts sort of as a moment of clarity in the midst of all that. Songs on the EP like “Sucker Punch” are me attempting to self soothe by thinking of all the ways I can get even with this person who did me wrong, but “If I’m Gunna Be Sad” acknowledges that even if I did go absolutely crazy, it wouldn’t necessarily take the hurt away. It’s kind of about being able to find the humor in it all to be able to remove yourself from it - at least temporarily.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it? When did you start working on it?
I wrote this track with Tiger Darrow, a songwriter, producer, and artist I work with a ton. The EP was coming together, and I thought I wanted to push that narrative in Sucker Punch of being heartbroken but out for revenge even further. It became really clear pretty quickly though that I was trying too hard to be angry and aggressive. Tiger and I took a break and talked some more about it, and we realized we are, in fact, sad girlies to our cores. We took a break and when we came back to it, we thought that it actually made a much more interesting and funny concept to be like, I might be 25 minutes post-menty-b, but I just put on my favorite outfit and some mascara and I’m going out anyway.
What's your favorite lyric on "If I'm Gunna Be Sad (I Might As Well Look Hot Doing It)"?
Honestly, maybe the prechorus… “All the leather in the world / Won’t make me a harder girl / But I don’t feel like breaking / Instead I’m gunna fake it”.
What did you feel when recording this song?
I love working with Tiger, because anything can happen when we start a song from scratch. I think we do our best work when we’re having fun, so when it came to the vocal production - and production in general for this song - we just let ourselves be in our element, try weird things, laugh a lot, and make something we love.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
All the singles reveal more and more of the bigger artwork for the whole EP (which is called ‘It’s Not Me, It’s U’). It’s full of little easter eggs for each track, nods to past songs, and even the handwriting of a handful of fans in my Discord.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
Whether you need a scream-sing-in-your-car rage session, are getting particularly in your feels, or need a song for the girl’s night pregame… there’s something for you on this EP.
How did your music evolve over the years? How would you describe it today?
Since I started releasing music, I’ve really come into myself and become a lot more confident in my abilities as a writer, artist, and creative person - I think that reflects in the music I’m making now. At first, I was so unsure of what felt authentic to me versus what I thought the people around me liked/wanted me to make. I can’t say I’ve totally grown out of the imposter syndrome, but I’m much better at trusting my instincts and standing behind what I make. I always struggle to answer this question, but I think I’d describe my music as playful with an edge… I’m excited to see how my sound continues to change from project to project.
How's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What advice would you give to women out there?
My biggest advice for women navigating this industry is to find other women to be part of your support system in whatever way makes sense for you. Whether that means collaborating with more women creatively, making friends with other women in the industry, or whatever, it’s just really affirming to have another woman to call when you need to talk to someone facing a lot of the same struggles.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Haaaa - I think a lot of artists are of course a bit burnt out by the emphasis on social media within the music industry right now. I feel like we just have to ride it out and find ways to use social media productively until the next big thing comes into the picture. If I could change one thing? Hmm, this might be cheating, but I’d probably just snap my fingers and make the whole world know my music.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the release of your debut single?
Making music feels the most fulfilling to me when I love the people I’m making it with.
Why do you make music? What keeps you going?
I make music because I have so much fun doing it. I really do love the process from start to finish… Conceptualizing something that feels worth writing about, working with the talented collaborators I call friends to write it, seeing it come to life through production, creating the visuals, thinking of creative ways to promote it, and finally getting to share it with listeners and see how people respond, resonate, and embrace it. It’s all so special. What keeps me going is probably the cute little delusional voice in my head that is absolutely convinced I’ll win a Grammy one day.
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