Rachel Jaymes is a teen, pop artist from Massachusetts who has dreamed of using music to help others for as long as she can remember. By using her hometown, her friends and her family to influence the meaning behind her single “Light Up The Night” , Rachel has definitely proven that the music industry is where she belongs.

Teenage Indie Artist Rachel Jaymes Inspired by Friends
Teenage Indie Artist Rachel Jaymes Inspired by Friends

MT/Danielle: Your latest single is “Light Up The Night”. Can you explain the meaning and significance of the song?

Rachel: This song was inspired by my relationship with my friends. I really wanted my first song to be about how I feel when I’m around them. During the summers in my hometown, we have concerts on the green in the middle of the town. It’s like a social gathering that so many people go to, to listen to music, lay back and spend time with friends and family. I love going to these. There was always so much love and appreciation for the same things in one place that it made me so happy to be there. I would go with my parents and when we got there I would split off to hang out with my friends and sometimes we would go a block or two down the street where there was dim light but also close enough to be able to still hear the music, we laid down in the grass and look up at the stars and admire them. We would get into really deep conversations and talk and laugh and have fun being where we were and recognizing the moment and the people we were sharing it with. I always felt that when I am with my friends, my smile is so bright that it can light up the night. I felt like it was a magic moment that needed to be shared.

MT/Danielle: Tell us about your creative journey. How long have you been singing? Do you play any instruments? Can you share with fans exactly when you knew singing was going to be your ultimate goal and why?

Rachel: I have been singing and making music for as long as I can remember. Music has always been a part of my life. When I was young, I used to put on concerts in my living room, I would throw the blankets over the dining room chairs to make a stage and I would tape my hand made posters all over the house to let everyone know what was happening and I would dance and sing around the makeshift stage. I have played guitar in the past but it never stuck, my fingers were not strong enough and were not long enough to reach the strings. So I converted to piano and have been playing that for a couple of years now. There has never been a specific point in time that I knew music was it for me, it has always been a part of my life and it seems crazy for it to not be part of my future, it seems silly for my life not to include music.

MT/Danielle: Tell us about how “Light Up The Night” fits into your brand or current creative direction?

Rachel: Light Up The Night is my debut song and I really wanted to make an impression of who I am, what I value, and what drives me. I want who I am to come through my music and my life experiences to be incorporated in it. I don’t want to be singing about things I haven’t experienced or don’t feel some emotional connection too because in my opinion, it won’t sound like it is from the heart. In order to put real emotion into something, you have to have a firm grasp on what it is and how it connects to you.

MT/Danielle: Since you are still in High School which makes it difficult to tour, how has social media helped move your music career forward?

Rachel: It has helped me to give info on my creative process and sometimes explaining exactly why I haven’t been coming out with more content because of the fact that I do have school and I am trying to get into college and get through that process while also trying to write and create.

MT/Danielle: What are your musical influences? If you had to pick one artist to share a stage with, who would it be?

Rachel: If I could share the stage with any artist it would most likely be Bruno Mars, a couple years ago, my mom and I went to go see him in concert and it was by far the best concert we have ever seen, we were on our feet the entire time dancing and marveling at the incredible performance he put on. I have always admired him as a performer and a creator since I was very little and I feel like he could help me get out of my shell a bit because I do see myself as being a bit shy and awkward and I feel like it would be an amazing experience.

MT/Danielle: You recorded “Light Up The Night” in Nashville, but have grown up in Massachusetts. How has your local area influenced your music career?

Rachel: It’s not so much how my town has shaped me as an artist, but the experience and people I have met in the area. Every year in the summer my hometown hosts concerts on the green in the middle of town and people from town and the surrounding towns come and listen to music, attending these concerts was my inspiration for Light Up The Night. I used to go to concerts with all of my best friends from my town and we would have a blast and walk around downtown so the experiences and memories I have made has really shaped me as a person, artist and singer.

MT/Danielle: You are currently in High School. Do you find it difficult to balance school with the goals for you music career?

Rachel: Yes, I do find it difficult. Balancing school work, college applications , music and work can sometimes prove to be more challenging than I could have ever imagined but it just goes to prove how scheduling, organizing and planning your time appropriately can really help to see what you have done vs what needs to get done. It really helps to set goals at the beginning of every week and at the end of the week reflect on the ones you accomplished and push the ones that didn’t get done to priority the next week. It has really taught me a lot about time management and how important it is.

MT/Danielle: What has been your favorite performance and why? Do you have any upcoming performances that you would like your fans to know about? Is there anything else you would like to tell your fans? What next in your music Journey?

Rachel: It’s really hard for me to pinpoint a favorite performance because they have all been extremely fun and valuable to my musical growth and development. I am working on some upcoming performances. So people can stay connected and up to date with me via social media for immediate updates. As for my fans, I would like to just say thank you for being there and taking the time to listen and play my song and give me feedback and hope. I am trying to get more singing and recording and creating whenever I have the time at the moment, but time will only tell when the next song or album will come out.

LINKS TO RACHEL BELOW

Teenage Indie Artist Rachel Jaymes Inspired by Friends