WW: Tell us a little bit about yourself
RL: Well my name is Rachael Lampa and my show size is 6 ½ and I like long walks on the beach…no sorry, just kidding. Ok, I am 19 years old and I have been singing all my life but recording for about 5 years now. I just released my 3rd studio album on July 27th. I was born
in Ann Arbor, MI but I grew up in Louisville, CO. I have an older brother named Ryan, a younger brother named Nathan, and a younger sister named Colleen. I love Jesus and my heart is devoted to living for him. And I like ice cream.
WW: When in your life did you decide to be involved in the music business?
RL: It honestly wasn’t really something that I woke up one day and said, “I want to be in the music business!” It started with a love for music and singing and turned into a passion for communicating my faith though music and god put me in the right place at the right time.
WW: You are still kind of young, does your career interfere with your relationships with friends and family?
RL: I think it could if I let it, but it actually has only made me become even more aware of how important they are in my life. I talk to my parents at least once a day and my brothers and sister just as much. The distance does get a little frustrating sometimes, but just like anything else, we make it work. My family is so patient and supportive; our love would never be threatened by a few thousand miles.
WW: Do you have a role model that helped you get to where you are today?
RL: My parents have honestly been the most influential people in my life. Both in completely different ways. My dad has really shown me what it is to be selfless and generous and his love is so strong. My mom taught me how to be a warrior at heart and still be a gentle person. They are both unbelievable people and they helped to build me into the person I am today.
WW: How did it feel co-penning this album?
RL: Very freeing and healing and almost a little scary. It was exciting to finally say, “this is what I like,” and “this is what I don’t like,” and “lets try this here”. It also was very therapeutic for me to be able to have an outlet for what I have been feeling. It has been a very eventful year for me as far as my personal life goes, so it was a good way for me to not only write out my feelings, but also to be able to look back and see how God has been working on me.
WW: What sort of thing inspires you to write or when you are writing?
RL: It is always different. Sometimes songs come from specific situations or just a couple words that occur to me when I’m on an airplane. Sometimes, we’ll have a melody idea before we even have a lyric in mind. I just want to write whatever feels natural to me.
WW: What is your favorite song off of the album?
RL: It’s hard for me to pin point which one is my favorite since everything is so new to me, but at this point, I would have to say “Rubberhouse”. Its one of the most outside-of-the-box as far as the track goes. I love to find new and almost weird ways to say things. It’s a song that you really have to listen to really get it and that’s what we were going for.
WW: If you had a chance to sing a duet with any artist who would you choose and why?
RL: Stevie Wonder of course. You get the genius songwriting, the vocals, and the harmonica solo. And afterwards I would pick his brain about anything and everything.
WW: What are your aspirations form here on out? What would you like to accomplish in your singing career?
RL: Obviously, my plans don’ mean much because you never know what kinds of obstacles will come along, but at this point I would love to continue what I am doing right now and just become more involved in all aspects of it. I would like to continue writing and maybe write for other records besides my own. I would like to learn more about production and engineering and all that crazy, confusing stuff. I ultimately just want to always be relevant and honest in my music and lyrics and never fall into anything that would hinder that.
WW: Do you have any celebrity crush’s? If so who and why?
RL: Jude Law, Jake Gillenhal, Chris Martin, and yes, Brad Pitt.
WW: What kind of music do you like to listen to?
RL: Almost anything. I seem to gravitate more to the funk stuff and I love a lot of the melody driven rock that’s out there. I can even enjoy some bluegrass/folk kind of stuff. I can appreciate anything if its different and with good quality. I don’t like anything that’s trying to hard to be something that its not, you can always tell when it just doesn’t feel right.
WW: Have you been to any concerts recently? If so who’s?
RL: The last concert I attended was one of those concerts that you just don’t want to end. It was Eric Clapton and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Out of all the stuff my mom listened to when I was little, one of the only things I ever continued to listen to on purpose was Eric Clapton. He’s just got it and his band was out of this world. Robert Randolph also blew me away. They have so much energy and the talent to match.
WW: When you have spare time, what do you like do with it?
RL: I am easily entertained. I do everything from watching movies and sitting with friends at Starbucks to go-carting and playing basketball. I also like to write and be by myself sometimes.
WW: Last by not least, who would you like to thank for helping you get to where you are today?
RL: I will go ahead and start with the obvious. The God who gave me a gift and a passion and then gave me the resources and the people to help me through my journeys. Coming from such a close family, I would have to give them all the thanks I have left for being all that they are. No encouragement or opinion is more valuable to me than my family’s. I just love them so much.
