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Happenstance

Rachael Yamagata (C97) dropped her aspirations for an acting career and followed her heart into the world of music

Summing up Rachael Yamagata’s brief but blossoming career is like tying a large knot with a short rope. Her path to a career in music hasn’t been the longest, but it’s been packed with loops and sudden turns.

Yamagata (C97) released her first full-length album, Happenstance, on RCA Victor in June 2004. Critics compare her to singer/pianists Norah Jones and Fiona Apple for her honest writing and elegance, but Yamagata prefers to think of herself in the vein of musicians like Elton John who tell stories over lush arrangements.

Yamagata came to Northwestern in 1992 to study French but transferred to Vassar College before returning to Northwestern as a theater major.

“I love that premise, everything happening for a reason vs. chance occurrence,” says Yamagata. With the album title, “I was thinking in terms of relationships, but my career has also taken turns by happenstance.” She explains, “If I hadn’t been kicked out of my acting class I wouldn’t have joined the band,” and she credits one of her theater professors for her “tough love.”

“The band” is Chicago-based funk outfit Bumpus, the first band she’d ever been a part of. Starting in her junior year, in short order Yamagata went from fan to observer to backing vocalist with the band, and then she became one of its lead singers and began writing songs.

She continued to write, accumulating some 200 songs in five years with Bumpus. Convinced by a scout, she performed at an open mike night. The audience response convinced her to seek a record deal as a solo artist. Yamagata was the star of the 2003 edition of MOBfest, a Chicago showcase for up-and-coming artists where she drew the attention of recording industry professionals.

“Her lyrics are very personal. There’s this real heartfelt feeling coming from her music,” says Terry Armour, entertainment columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Armour has known Yamagata since 1998 and in 2002 wrote the first major article about her. “She’s been writing songs for such a long time. … She’s technically in that age group, the 20-something singer/songwriter, but her sound is more mature.”

In September 2003, Yamagata signed a two-album deal with RCA Victor, and Happenstance followed nine months later. (She released a six-song EP with RCA Victor in October 2003.) The songs on Happenstance are confessional, and almost all of them are about love, but the music and the arrangements are very accessible. The pop elements are never far from the surface, but there’s a good deal of variety, ranging from the funk of “Letter Read” to the dreary, elegant waltz of “Quiet” and hints of vaudeville on “I Want You” with many stops in between. However it is Yamagata’s gritty, husky voice that dominates the album. She sings with great intimacy: no matter how personal the lyrics become, her voice continues to hold the listener close for the duration of the journey.

After completing her summer tour, Yamagata planned to return to the studio and begin work on her sophomore album. She is improving her guitar skills and beginning to compose more on that instrument, complementing her chops on the piano.

Making Happenstance, she explains, involved “a lot of trial and error.” Lacking an overall vision for her debut, the songs themselves were the guide, and they led to a positive reception. So far there is no grand scheme for the second album, only songs Yamagata is working on and wants to try. But by now, she’s comfortable not having a plan.

— Marley Seaman (J04)