Interview: Rachel Purcell
AL native Rachel Purcell talks to Louder Than The Music about her Centricity Music 'Keep Going EP', releasing Sept. 4, writing with Blessing Offor, and the deeply moving story of the miscarriage that inspired the title track.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
I grew up singing in a small town in northwest Alabama called Muscle Shoals. As a small girl was making up little melodies in my head and my home was full of all kinds of music. I started piano lessons, ended up taking some of my diary entries and putting them to song, and it became all I wanted to do in my spare time. I kept writing songs until high school and started performing them out at restaurants and town events. While performing in the corner of a steak restaurant in my town, I was approached by a Nashville label rep and my Nashville story began. I moved to Nashville after college, and now I've been in Nashville ten years. Looking back, It's been a crazy beautiful journey.
Tell us about your new single 'Keep Going' and what the inspiration behind it was?
My song "Keep Going" is a reflection of the beginning of Hebrews 12, and the way God gives me strength to keep going. About two years ago, my husband and I unfortunately went through a miscarriage. It was the kind of situation where everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. I ended up almost losing my life in the hospital, and it took months to regain my physical strength while also dealing with the heaviest grief. For a while, I could barely walk through the house without getting out of breath. It was traumatic and really rocked my belief in God. In the aftermath, I felt like I just wanted to give up on life all together. But God continued to help me put one foot in front of another. Day after day. God was my strength. A few months ago I ran my first ever 10K, and it was not only a milestone for me as a runner, but it reminded me how far God has brought me and my husband in trusting God again. God has restored so much, including my joy and my sense of fun in life - something I thought I would never get back.
That song is the title track from your forthcoming EP, what more can you tell us about the EP?
The EP comes from my love of the dreamy retro sounds that came from my hometown in the 60s and 70s. I wanted to make songs that felt like they could be the soundtrack of an old Hollywood movie. Big strings, horns, and dreamy back ground vocals. With the lyrics, I wanted to write about the themes God has highlighted from the past couple of years of therapy as I've recovered from the grief of losing a child and as I have healed from other pieces of my story as well.
We've heard that you wrote with Blessing Offor for this EP - what was it like writing with him?
Blessing Offor and I were introduced by a mutual friend my first year in Nashville, and he quickly became one of my good friends. When I told Blessing that I had wanted to make music like this, he was immediately on board and such a champion for me to go for it. After we wrote "You Love Me The Best" together, my sound really started falling into place. He is one of my favorite writers because he is so easy to be around and fantastic with both melody and lyric. We write really fast normally because we just get each other.
If you could work with any other songwriter, who would it be and why?
I have had the chance to write with many of my heroes, but I think one I've never had the chance to get with is Tobias Jesso Jr. He is fantastic with melodies and lyric, and is the secret weapon behind many pop hits.
Which is your favorite track on the EP and why?
My favorite track on the EP is "(Can't) Trust You)." John Strandell and I wrote that song together and that day it felt like something really special. The most "me" song I've ever heard. It was a moment I won't forget, and I can't wait for the song to be out in the world.
What message would you like people to take from your music?
I really want people to hear the message that no matter how stuck or broken you feel, God can move you forward. He is completely capable of giving strength out of nowhere, and bringing restoration where it seems impossible. God has changed my life so much in the past couple of years, and even when I had the smallest mustard seed-like faith, he used it to do so much good.
How would you define success in your career as an artist?
I felt complete satisfaction when I finished getting these songs ready for release. It felt like I had "made it" because I just loved the music so much and felt like it was a clear reflection of my taste and my heart. I also feel like almost losing my life gave me a different perspective. Success doesn't feel like money or a big home. It feels like loving what I do and who I am with. Christ really is my true success , and everything He gives is a cherry on top.
What is your favorite album of all time?
I think the 19 Adele album is one of my all time favorites. She influenced me so much as a young girl, and that I put that CD in my car every day to and from high school. Everyone knows she's iconic, but I like to think I'm her biggest fan. I had her poster in my room as a teenager, and wanted to be just like her.
What does the next year hold for you?
I'm curious to see what God has in store next year for me. My prayer is to land an opening spot on a Christian tour, and get to meet a ton of the fans I've found on social media. My hand and heart are open to whatever God has for me.
