Interview Flashback - The 9513’s Interview With Singer/Songwriter Rachel Proctor

I have been blessed to write contributions/reviews/interviews/opinion pieces for several country music and roots-oriented websites and publications over the years including Saving Country Music, Nashville Scene, Country California, Country Weekly, American Noise, The 9513 and Engine 145. As a regular contributor to the last two in that list, I did close to a 100 interviews with different artists- and since both of those great sites have come down, I will reprint some of those interviews here to give them a home in perpetuity. This interview was originally published in July 2010 on The 9513.

Rachel Proctor was born in West Virginia almost quite literally into music. She began singing in front of crowds at the ripe old age of six and traveled all over the country to participate in talent competitions- culminating in her starring on the American Idol show of 1989, the hit TV show Star Search. At eighteen, Proctor moved to Nashville and became the youngest staff writer ever signed to Warner-Chappell Music. She spent the better half of the 90’s singing in a band with a then-unknown Blake Shelton. But she continued to hone her songwriting skills and artists such as Tanya Tucker, Lisa McCann, Danielle Peck, The Lynns, Nashville Star winner Erika Jo, Kenny Loggins, Katrina Elam, Blake Shelton and Martina McBride all recorded her penned songs in those early days.

Proctor signed to BNA Records finally in 2002 and released her debut album Where I Belong. It spawned chart hits "Days Like This" (#24 in 2003), "Didn't I" (#43 in 2003), “Where I Belong” (#37 in 2004) and her highest chart hit, "Me and Emily" (#18 in 2004). The last track, a song about a young parent escaping from domestic abuse, became an anthem for abused women across the world and earned a direct commendation from then-President Bush.

After losing her record deal after BNA was purchased, she kept with her songwriting roots, co-writing country/pop singer Jessica Simpson's 2008 singles "Come On Over" and "Remember That" and Jesse Lee's 2009 debut single "It's a Girl Thing". This last October, she went the indie route and self-released a brand new album called What Didn’t Kill Me.

“This album is a collection of songs from the last 5 years of my life. There have been a lot of ups and downs & loves and losses that have made me grow both as singer and as a songwriter. I've always believed in writing from the heart about my own life experiences.”

Each of the 11 songs of the album are written or co-written by Proctor and that life experience from the last few years is poured out best on the title track off of the album. She uses the loss of her major label record deal and her scrape for musical relevance as inspiration on a great autobiographical song about getting stronger from the stuff that knocks you down. Overall, Proctor has focused more on striking equilibrium between fast up-tempo numbers and those introspective ballads that marked her radio success the first go-around.

The 9513 caught Rachel for a quick interview in between songwriting assignments to talk about her album and upcoming projects.

Ken Morton, Jr.: You just launched a brand new album of all new material called What Didn’t Kill Me. What will fans will hear on the album?

Rachel Proctor: What Didn't Kill Me is a little edgier and more personal than my previous releases. I wrote most of the songs with Bruce Wallace so the album definitely has its own sound. Somewhere between Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.

KMJ: You’ve mentioned before there’s a deeper meaning behind the album’s title. How so?

RP: I went through a lot of ups and downs after leaving BNA Records. There was a lot of soul searching and healing that happened in the years between "Where I Belong" and "What Didn't Kill Me." I've found that it's true what they say... Everything we go through good or bad makes us who we are and hopefully makes us stronger.

KMJ: I would say it’s decidedly more up-tempo and edgier than your previous release- is that fair assessment?

RP: Absolutely!

KMJ: Any favorite songs on the album?

RP: It's a toss up between "Wrong" and "Don't Let It Hit Ya"

KMJ: You’ve had a tremendous amount of success as a songwriter, a more moderate amount of success as a singer and performer. Do you envision yourself as one or the other or do the two things go hand in hand?

RP: They most definitely go hand in hand. I don't think I could do one without the other.

KMJ: On your first release, you had four charted hits, but one single in particular really resonated deeply with America. Talk to me about “Me and Emily.” What did that song mean to you and to those that identified so much with the song?

RP: The song was a gift from God from the very beginning. I feel blessed to have written it. I met so many wonderfully strong women because of the song and I'm very thankful for that.

KMJ: What was it like touring around as nobody’s with Blake Shelton back in the 90’s?

RP: It was an absolute blast. Blake is so fun to work with.

KMJ: Jessica Simpson certainly caused lots of discussion with her release of your song “Come On Over”- most of it fairly polarizing on both ends of the argument spectrum. What was it like being the songwriter behind that track?

RP: It was one of the most exciting times for me as a writer. Jessica is an amazing girl and working with her was a great experience. She recorded two of my songs and I am very proud of the cuts. Her whole album is really well written and produced. People are missing out if they don't at least give it a listen. They may find they really like it. I still listen to it myself.

KMJ: Any other songs out there either in the recording process or on-hold that we should keep an eye out for?

RP: I have two songs on Jennette McCurdy's album. I co-wrote her first single "Not That Far Away" with her and Blair Daly. I also have a cut on Jewel's new album called "Bad As It Gets." I'm excited about writing a song with Margaret Durante called "Maybe Tonight" that is available as a free download on her website www.margaretdurante.com

KMJ: What new projects are you working on?

RP: I'm focused on songwriting right now. I've been trying to write by myself more which I have never really done. I feel a new project on the horizon with some of this new stuff.

KMJ: Are you still hopeful for another major record deal opportunity?

RP: If the right deal came along I would truly consider it but I'm not actively seeking it out. I love my life as a songwriter.

KMJ: What is country music to Rachel Proctor?

RP: To me country music is about real life. It doesn't matter to me if it's stone cold country or contemporary country. It's all about a great song.