Currently based in London, bubbly 26-year-old Rachel White has had a passion for music since her mum introduced her to Disney’s classic musicals when she was tiny.
“I grew up listening to all the cheese: The Jackson Five, S Club 7, The Spice Girls…”
She laughs but Rachel also attributes much of her love of music and drama to her time at Kinross High School.
“It was actually a really creative school, to grow up in,” she says, “we had talent competitions and concerts for the school and charity and the staff were really supportive.”
Musical training
She left high school to study at MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh, where she trained in acting, music and dance.
“When I was in studying I was coming home and writing my own music – I thought I should learn more about playing piano and guitar.”
“I’m still doing musical theatre on the side – I actually see it as an extra string to my bow. A lot of musicals are now going down the pop route.”
Rachel’s London base makes sense from the point of view of her musical theatre career – she is just back from an audition as we chat – but her music seems to naturally attract a Scottish fanbase, which she is delighted with.
“I’m planning on doing a headline show in Edinburgh in July. I did a poll on social media asking where would you prefer to see me, in London or Edinburgh, and Edinburgh won!”
Despite balancing what she calls her two ‘Muggle jobs’ working front of house at a gym and teaching dance and musical theatre to school kids, Rachel somehow finds the time to write her own songs.
She has released four singles to date and the video for her latest song You Don’t Want Me Anymore is scheduled to go live at the end of this month.
Super support crew
That video was filmed on Camber Sands in East Sussex on a freezing January day. “We left London at 5am to drive there,” she recalls.
“People are surprised that I’m not signed to a label as the videos are so professional.”
In fact, she has been lucky to be able to call upon the talents of friends such as Jack Douglas who filmed the video, stylist Jessica Ranaldi musician Bow Anderson and many more. “For musical theatre I have my agent but for music I am managing myself with the help of a small team of friends.”
Although getting signed to a music label is definitely a goal, Rachel is well aware that: “When you get the label the pressure is there.
“They kind of mould you a bit more and I have always said that now with the more raw sound I want listeners to take something from my song-writing – maybe they relate to what’s going on or feel inspired – it’s a form of therapy for me.”
Lessons in love
You Don’t Want Me Anymore was inspired in part by the terrifying experience of a ruptured appendix, a recent break-up, and her first experience of reality TV.
“I was playing a gig the night my appendix popped, she explains. “I was very lucky to be alive, I was playing an acoustic set in Loch Leven’s Brewery and ended up in hospital.
“I thought gosh is (this man) really who I want to be with? It maybe wasn’t fair to be with him if I wasn’t sure. But it’s so hard to tell someone that you don’t want to be with them.”
Her spell in hospital also coincided with a call asking her to appear on ITV reality dating show The Cabins: “In my head I just went ‘I’ll do it!’ My love life has been pretty chaotic in the past. I literally go from 0-100, where I give everything and don’t necessarily get it back.”
Inspiration
She may not have found love with her match but the experience was certainly productive.
“Freddie was great, I could see why they paired us together and I had a great experience on there – I got emotional when it came to the end of the two episodes.
“Then, when I got out, the second half of the song You Don’t Want me Anymore just flew out of me.”
She was pleased that the programme “portrayed me as me, which is great and I gained a bunch of different followers too. I had so many lovely messages from people”.
Looking ahead, Rachel has her new video and an EP on the horizon, along with an appearance in her childhood friend and rising star Bow Anderson’s new music video.
She’s determined to follow her dreams.
