Now that the excitement of the LA Music Awards is over, it’s time to turn our attention back to the women that make indie music and art great. This week’s Women in Entertainment spotlight shines on one of those winners, Rachel Alena, lead singer of Rachel and the Ruckus, and winner of Best Blues Band.
Alena grew up in the Los Angeles music scene and, according to her official bio, “started making music before she learned to talk.” Her mother and father played in a band together and taught Alena about music. Those lessons took root and created Alena’s deep love for music. Her father played guitar in such bands as The Ronettes and the Crystals, both of which were produced the great Phil Spector. Among her father’s credits were “Da Do Run Run” and “Be my Baby,” which received much radio airplay. Alena became a session vocalist who also toured and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic before moving to Colorado in 2000.
Alena met guitarist Alec Sims in 2010 when they began playing together in a popular Colorado R&B band. Their songwriting chemistry quickly became obvious, and Rachel and the Ruckus was formed shortly thereafter. Sims was a published author from Massachusetts who got his musical start playing in blues and funk bands in the 1980’s. They were joined by Kyle Comerford in 2012. Comerford’s musical journey took him from the club scene in Los Angeles to touring with Carly Simon before joining Rachel and the Ruckus. Last but not least is bassist Vince Carmellini, who joined the band in 2013. Besides bass, Carmellini plays multiple instruments and his work is featured on several chart-topping albums.
What inspires Alena? “That’s a big question. There’s so much that inspires me. As a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was to use my voice. So, when I left home at 17, I went out into the world and became a session singer, a voice talent and went on the road and started living my passion. When I was in my early 20’s, though, I began to develop a pretty strong anxiety disorder. I’m not sure how it happened, but it got to the point where I was afraid to fly or go too far from home. I stopped singing. I even refused to sing at my own wedding. About 12 years later, after having kids and feeling like I had completely lost myself, I started looking for help. I needed to find my voice again. One day, I came across a poem by Dawna Markova. I keep it with me all the time now and it serves as a daily reminder for me. The poem starts off by saying “I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear . . .” That’s what inspires me. For my children and for anyone else who isn’t living their best life. Live your best life without fear. Do what you came here to do.”
Where does Alena see herself in the future? “The band and I have some great shows on the books. We’re writing new material and we plan to do a lot of recording this year. We’ll have some new good nuggets to release in the near future. R&R is also pursuing some licensing, so that may be coming down the pike. Personally, as a solo artist, I keep writing. I plan to release some solo tunes this year and will be in the studio starting in two weeks. I’m also continuing my voice acting work, which keeps me very busy.”
So how come Rachel and the Ruckus haven’t become a household word? “That’s very kind of you to say! I wish I knew how to answer that question. All I know is that the guys in the band and I keep putting one foot in front of the other. We do what we love and we shoot from the heart. That’s all any of us can do. The rest is up to fate.”
To find out more about this amazing artist, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her YouTube channel.