Embracing the positivity of the festive season, songstress Rachael Leahcar’s fifth album release – Together For Christmas – is a beautiful journey through her favourite yuletide tunes, effortlessly delivered in six different languages and with a swag of special guests. Featuring duets with Darren Mullan, Ben Whittington, Grace Bawden (Australia’s Got Talent) and Lara Nakhle (The Voice), the 14-track long-player includes rousing renditions of Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, Jingle Bells and Jingle Bell Rock, to breathtakingly gorgeous versions of Ave Maria, O Holy Night, Silent Night and White Christmas, to name a few. The album is sprinkled with the magic of the festive season from the opening track, until the closing bars, and embodies that inherent bubble of excitement that surrounds the final month of the year.
For Rachael, the Together For Christmas album isn’t just about the celebration of Christmas. The core theme of the release is about bringing people together, regardless of their beliefs, and sharing quality time catching up. “We’ve become so busy in our lives that we often let too much time go by but this way we’re forced to do it – share stories, give a gift, have a laugh and be merry,” she says. “Christmas is about people coming together with love, something everyone can benefit from. What better way to do this than through music? Christmas is also a time to celebrate our differences, because life would be so boring if we were all the same. I have learned so much from people – their stories, beliefs and opinions. We can only move forward as a human race if we are open, respectful and accepting of each other. I’m hoping that by sharing the songs of old and new, with diverse languages and voices, it will help this message be shared.”
Recording the album in six different languages was part about incorporating this diversity into the album. “I started my singing career singing in English and Italian, and picked up French and Spanish shortly after,” says Rachael. “There were Christmas songs I wanted to do with Latin and German in them, especially for this album. I have always loved singing in alternative languages because they all FEEL different, even if you’re singing the same song in a different language. We are stronger when we are all united and I’m hoping people around the world will be able to connect with this album for Christmas.”
Rachael Leahcar came into the public consciousness in 2012, finishing in the Top 3 of the first season of The Voice Australia. She captivated the public with her gorgeous vocals, where approximately four-million people watched her television audition. Her debut album Shooting Star achieved Gold status, and her three subsequent releases Romantique, Here Comes The Sun and Shadows, also debuted in the Top 10. Despite living with a degenerative eye condition and losing 90% of her vision – she is considered legally blind – Rachael has been working at her musical dream since she was a child, performing around her home-town of Adelaide and steadily earning acclaim for her incredible talent.
Listening to her fifth album release, there is a maturity and beauty to Rachael’s vocals that showcases her passion for these songs. That’s one thing that has always stayed true throughout all her releases – Rachael always keeps her authenticity as a performer, she does what feels right and Together For Christmas was the next step forward for her as an artist. “Every album I’ve made has given me valuable experience and a chance for growth,” she says. “I can hear the youth in my voice in the first album, not only in tone, but in life experience. I know that I will always have more to learn as a performer, singer and in the music business, but what I have learned has been absolutely essential to my confidence releasing this album independently. I’m very grateful to all those who have supported me now and in the past, in all my big dreams and endeavours.”
Keeping true to her down-to-earth style, Rachael has dedicated Together For Christmas to her best friend Ella, her eight-year-old Golden Retriever, who features in the superb illustrated front cover artwork by artist Rosanna Lam. “She also happens to be my eyes as my RSB Guide Dog,” she says. “She has pretty much been by my side for almost 24/7 for six years, guided me through thick and thin, every recording session and tour, putting up with all my rehearsals and shows. I wanted to pay credit where it was due, as she is my Rudolph, guiding me through the dark so that I can find my way safely. The bond between us is unlike anything I’ve ever known, we are completely in tune with each other and I love her to the ends of the earth and back.”
Rachael Leahcar’s Together For Christmas album is released on Friday 25th October 2019. For more information, please visit www.rachaelleahcar.com.au
