10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rachel Wong

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance to catch up with Seattle artist Rachel Wong.

Originally from Vancouver, Washington, Rachel Wong is reminiscent of Sara Bareilles but on the guitar. Her unique acoustic pop sounds can bring energy into anyone’s uneventful day. One of Rachel’s special talent as a song writer is her innate ability to draw from everyday love and loss and use it to connect with her fans. Combine that with her soothing vocals and catchy style, and we’ve got a recipe for a top 12 Gimme the Gig artist!

Rachel Wong on the Guitar

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about Rachel Wong!

GTG: Where was your live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Rachel: I was performing in Seattle, Washington.

GTG: Did you get the chance to sit and try out the new Ford Focus?

Rachel: Yeah I did, I was one of the earlier performances so I got to drive it. And my favorite feature was definitely the self-park, it was pretty incredible how accurate and easy it was to use.

GTG: What is one thing about you we would never guess?

Rachel: I actually can’t snap my fingers (laughs). And I used to play the drums when I was younger too so it’s funny as a musician I can’t snap my fingers.

GTG: How did you decide to use your real name as the artist name?

Rachel: I thought about different stage names but decided to just keep it simple and make it me. But if I had to use a stage name it would be something close to my nick name; Rae Rae.

GTG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage or on tour?

Rachel: Last fall, about 15 minutes before my shows at a new venue, I broke my guitar string. Luckily, the booking guy ran down a couple blocks to get me some new strings and literally 3 minutes before I started, I had to unscrew and change the guitar string! Luckily I still started on time and the show went well.

GTG: Who were your biggest inspirations as a singer in the beginning of your career?

Rachel: John Mayer definitely influenced my lyrics in being able to take a story and turn it into a song. Vocally, I try to pull from my heart and my soul and I’ve had a lot of influence from Lauren Hill. Then of course there’s Michael Jackson, the king of pop.

GTG: Do you have any conspiracy theories?

Rachel: I do think there’s something or someone that steals your socks in your house, and they always only want 1 out of the pair.

GTG: Any guilty pleasures you want to share with your fans?

Rachel: (Laughs) This is terrible but I Love watching Jersey Shore. There’s something incredibly daring about people who can just have fun without any reservations. I enjoy the personalities, mostly the ridiculousness of it.

GTG: Favorite album of all time?

Rachel: This one is so hard! But I am going to have to go with Michael Jackson’s Bad, because it’s incredible on so many levels. I think it’s one of Michael’s best.

GTG: Some of your songs have that coffee house style. Does being from Seattle; the coffee capital of America, have any influence over your style?

RACHEL: Maybe a little bit just because I did open mics in the beginning of my career in coffee houses, but I would consider pop having more influence over my style.

Check out Rachel’s video message to Gimme the Gig and her fans below!

Make sure to check out her debut CD Curtain Fall available now.
You can “Like” her at https://www.facebook.com/RachelKMWong and you can follow her at https://twitter.com/raecho. If you are a fan, give her a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!