Kinross lass Rachel White has been back on dry land for less than a year, but she’s already rocking the boat.
The singer’s new single, Over It, written “in my bedroom over lockdown on a rubbishy wee keyboard”, caught the attention of BBC Radio Scotland before it was even released earlier this month.
Praised for its “real lyrics, catchy hooks and feelgood music all merged into one” by BBC Introducing DJs Phoebe I-H and Shereen Cutkelvin, it’s marked Rachel as one to watch in the world of pop.
But despite her success, the cruise-ship entertainer still has her feet firmly anchored. Asked about the BBC Radio response, she giggles: “It was crazy, honestly. Tears of joy!
“They made incredible comments that I didn’t expect. I was jumping around my room, and I thought, ‘I’m so excited for people to see the video now’.”
Making it pop
And for good reason – Rachel’s music video is an example of lockdown art at its finest. A homemade production with a professional finish, the Over It video is a slick, pink-neon affair with high-impact visuals and deliciously flamboyant styling.
With its mixture of vamped-up camp and nostalgic noughties throwback (hello double-denim dancewear), it knows exactly what it is setting out to do, and pulls it off.
Rachel cites Britney Spears and the Spice Girls among her main influences, and she reckons she could fill the gap of an all-singing, all-dancing Scottish pop star in the UK music scene.
And when it comes to believing in Scottish talent, she’s put her money where her mouth is.
Betting it all on White
After a stint as a cruise-ship singer – and more than a month of isolation on board in Dubai at the beginning of the pandemic – Rachel invested her savings into her own music career.
“It was made in London, but it was a fully Scottish creative team behind the project, which I really enjoyed,” she says.
Rachel’s friend Dave Simpson, who hails from North Queensferry, produced the mix for the track. And when it came to the music video, her flatmate and fellow Scot Jack Douglas took on the roles of director, producer and editor.
“I basically went through to his room with the song, and said ‘What do you think? I want to start in a laundrette’. That’s all I knew in my head,” Rachel explains.
“And as the ideas went back and forth between us, we thought: ‘Why not just have a team that you would normally have behind you if you were signed to a label?’”
Having trained in musical theatre, Rachel was able to call up creatives in her social circle to help.
“I got in touch with my friend Jessica Ranaldi, who studied fashion in Edinburgh. We’re school friends, and when I approached her for doing a music video she agreed – having no idea how big the whole thing was going to be,” she laughs.
“And because of my training in musical theatre, it was quite easy to reach out to a few of my friends that are dancers. I said I could pay for their travel, but obviously, being an independent artist, I wasn’t able to offer to pay them for the job.
“I was so overwhelmed because everyone was well up for it and wanted to help.”
With just enough resources to book “a wee studio in Greenwich for five hours on an evening slot”, Rachel and her team created a video with all the cornerstones of modern pop – narrative, costume changes and TikTok-worthy choreography.
Covid can’t stop creativity
Amid their pitch-up-and-pitch-in effort, Rachel and her team made sure to stay Covid-safe. The video was made before the third English lockdown was imposed, when restrictions were relaxed.
She explains: “I sent the choreography out on video beforehand so people could rehearse it. That way, we wouldn’t be in a space together for too long.”
But in terms of creativity, Rachel has found lockdown more beneficial than limiting.
Trying to find the bright side of “a crazy year full of loss”, she explains: “When it’s come down to a creative side of things, I’ve seen the lockdown as a blessing because I’ve had so much time on my hands to write music and to chat to people on Zoom.
“And TikTok has saved my life! It’s so entertaining and addictive, but it’s been something that’s really helped with music.
“You can post covers every day, and collaborate. You can duet with people who are on literally the other side of the world!
“This is a great time for people to pause and reflect. I think it’s definitely helped people to go after what they really want. Minus the gigging side of things!”
Negativity? Over It
Rachel’s positive attitude radiates when she speaks, and it shines through in her songwriting.
With echoes of early Little Mix tracks like Shoutout To My Ex and Hair, both Over It and her debut single Royalty (released last July) focus lyrically on empowerment. In Over It, Rachel says she’s found her sound.
Cause baby I’m so over it,
I’m no longer interested.
I’m moving on to someone else,
been told that I should love myself!”Rachel White, Over It
“I still feel very new to songwriting so I’m always learning,” she explains.
“But I now definitely have a better understanding of what I want to produce as an artist. These songs are empowering and uplifting, and I definitely want to stay on that route.
“The world already has Lewis Capaldi writing about heartbreak, so I’d rather be a Positive Polly!” she jokes.
Rachel is living in London currently, but can fans expect a home show anytime soon?
“I grew up in Kinross, and I am desperate to come home – and get a haircut. I refuse to pay the rates for it down here!”