Just a quick update, I'll be starting my new album mid May with talented producer/musician Stuie French at Swingin' Door Productions I'm really excited and hopefully will have something ready for you to listen to this year! Also I'm thrilled to announce I had a great awards season with The new Talent Award at The Gidgee Coal Awards and New Talent at the bungendore Australian Bush Ballad Awards.G'day everyone, it's Rach here, hmm a little about myself, I have to mention that I am the proud mummy of Jacko 3 and Mr. Kyan 2, they are mummy's gorgeous boys and will be fine muso's too. Jackson is already playing the harmonica, keyboard and ukelele and is attempting to sing, and so is Mr Kyan!I've been playing and singing now for 18 years and have definately developed a love of country music, it's songs, stories and people. I play keyboards and guitar, well my guitar skills are improving, since Dave bought me that beautiful TAKAMINE!! What a great insentive that was.I've won many singing and songwriting awards including some Tamworth Songwriters Awards which I'm quite proud of, in Queensland, Victoria and The Tasmanian Branch of the TSA's.My Best Mate Bazza Salkeld who I love dearly (great Balladeer/songwriter in his own right) introduced me to the traditional side of Australian country music and I really loved it, Bush Ballads are so good because they are stories and adventures of hardship, good times and crazy characters of the bush, and they are Australian! They will definately make you feel something when you listen to the words, which by the way you can understand as we sing in our natural voice. I have met some great artists who have helped me in getting my music out there, and to mention just a few: Golden Guitar nominee and multi award winners, Keith Jamieson and Alisha (the guitar pickin' chicken), and little Caitlyn Jane, Jeff and Lyn Brown and Dean and Suzanne Perrett what supportive people you re, multi-talented husband a wife team Teddy and Del Thompson, Golden Guitar Winner Wave Jackson and his wife Elaine, The Coad family, Lindsay and Reegan Waddington from KrossKut Records, who could forget Nellie T and Walter superstars in their own right, The gorgeous Cook Family....and one of the nicest blokes in country music the great Charley Boyter, Peter, Lynnete and Virginia Coad, Phil Coad and family, Lorraine Pfitzener, Ron Morgan, and so many others that I could go on for days. Thanks to you all for your guidance and support. You've never had to think twice about guiding me in the right direction and giving me your time and knowledge, thank you very much.Last Tamworth I was selected as one of 5 fnalists in Australia for the Balladeer Star Quest 2007 whilst having a round belly, pregnant with Kyan, I made the Grand Final and really enjoyed the experience and the exposure it's given me. The ABBA have been great supporters of me over this past year and have been inviting me to perform at major festivals coming up.So as a Balladeer, I'm keeping the Australian traditional music alive and I'm really enjoying it. As a songwriter so I mostly perform my own music but you will definately hear some great classics at my shows too from the great Stan Coster and Slim Dusty.Although I'm pursuing a career as a Balladeer I also write and sing some pretty contemporary songs too! I actually love all types of music and can listen to absolutely anything, so my songwriting does tend to be a bit unique. At the moment though I'm realy excited to be performing and composing Bush Ballads.I've just recorded my debut album with talented producer and session musician Lindsay Waddington of KrossKut Records and it's a very exciting project which Waddo brings a wealth of experience to. It consists of 12 tracks, 7 of which are Rachel Richards originals, including the award winning song, "The Drover" and crowd favourite "Weeping Willows", and the tribute song to the Great Stan Coster co-written with my great mate and talented balladeer, Barry "Bazza" Salkeld, "Coster….You're A Legend", as an added bonus there will be one original song written for me by the exceptional songwriting talent of Keith Jamieson, a couple of Coster Classics and my rendition of Slim's, "When The Rain Tumbles Down In July". It will be sure to please the most die hard Bush Ballad fan and lovers of songs which tell great stories of the bush and our Australian life. After all we are Australian!
After winning the 2008 Bush Balladeers Star Quest at Tamworth and I have been proud to be your ambassador for the last 12 months.Thanks to everyone for your continued support and for coming to my shows I've certainly met some great people over the last few years, as we've travelled the festival circuit.Keep an eye at at your next Festival for me and please come and say G'day!
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