Rachel Sermanni (born 7 November 1991)[1] is a Scottish folk musician from Carrbridge in Strathspey. She has toured with a number of well-known folk and indie artists in the United Kingdom. Her debut studio album Under Mountains was released in September 2012.
Rachel Sermanni | |
|---|---|
 Sermanni performing at Yes Basement in Manchester, England, 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 7 November 1991 |
| Origin | Carrbridge, Highland, Scotland |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | rachelsermanni |
Early life
editSermanni's grandfather moved from the Italian town of Barga in Tuscany to Scotland at a young age,[2] the family later settling in Carrbridge, where she grew up. Her father is a police dog handler and her mother works for the National Health Service (NHS), helping children with mental health issues.[3][4] She began singing and playing music in the forms of plays or spoof songs with her younger brother and sister, although at the time she dismissed this as being a normal household environment. Her father taught her to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on the pennywhistle, which eventually led to the guitar.[5]
Career
edit
Sermanni was influenced by musicians such as Eva Cassidy, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan and has talked about vivid dreams that slowly transform into songs. She developed and understood performing when she began listening and performing Scotland's traditional music at school. One of the first songs she wrote at 16 was featured on her first album, despite it being four years old by the time of its release.[6] Sermanni performed in pubs around Glasgow; in September 2009 she went to see the folk rock band Mumford & Sons perform at the Loopallu festival in Ullapool, and after the performance, she found them in a pub "and asked them if they wanted to jam", resulting in a session on the beach. In 2011 she supported them at Dingwalls in London.[7] Sermanni also toured with Fink on his European tour in 2011, was showcased at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, has supported Elvis Costello and Rumer, and performed at 150 gigs between June 2011 and June 2012.[8][9][10]
Rough Trade Records released an EP, Black Currents, in February 2012, and in August, Sermanni appeared on the BBC Music Introducing Stage at the Reading Festival. In October she toured Ireland, and on 31 December 2012, she headlined BBC Scotland's annual Hogmanay live programme, appearing in the Glasgow studio with Frightened Rabbit, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain.[11][12][13][14] Glasgow newspaper The Herald chose her as one of their "Stars of 2012".[10] Her debut studio album, Under Mountains, was released on Middle of Nowhere Records and Rough Trade Records in September 2012.[15][16]
In 2019, her fourth album So It Turns was released.
In 2021, Sermanni hosted a bi-monthly podcast titled Rachel Sermanni's Finger That Points to the Moon.[17]
In September 2023, she released her fifth album, Dreamer Awake.
Personal life
editSermanni has a child with fellow Scottish musician Adam Holmes. Their daughter, Rosa Sermanni-Holmes, was born on 5 March 2018.[18]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Chart peak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCO [19][20] |
UK Indie [21][20] | ||
| 2012 | Under Mountains | 26 | 23 |
| 2014 | Live in Dawson City | — | — |
| 2015 | Tied to the Moon | 25 | 32 |
| 2019 | So It Turns | — | — |
| 2023 | Dreamer Awake[22] | 8 | 27 |
EPs
edit| Year | Album | Album Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Bothy Sessions | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2012 | Black Currents | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2013 | The Boatshed Sessions | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2014 | Everything Changes | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2016 | Gently | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2021 | Swallow Me | Format: 12" Vinyl, digital download |
| 2022 | Every Swimming Pool Runs to the Sea[23] | Format: digital download |
Singles
edit| Year | Album | Album Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Eggshells" | Format: CD / 7" Vinyl Deluxe Package, digital download |
| 2013 | "Ae Fond Kiss" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2014 | "Everything Is Ok" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2017 | "Lay My Heart" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2019 | "What Can I Do" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2019 | "Tiger" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2021 | "Brighton House" | Format: CD, digital download |
| 2021 | "My Moon My Man" | Format: MP3 (collaboration with The Fretless)[24] |
| 2022 | "Aquarium Kisses" | Format: MP3 (self released) |
References
edit- ^ "ABOUT - Rachel Sermanni". Rachel Sermanni - Official Site (rachelsermanni.co.uk/). Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Rachel Sermanni Interview". James William Houghton. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "The gender reversal challenge". The Pop Cop. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ Smith, Aidan (27 December 2012). "Folk Singer Rachel Sermanni on Mumford and Sons and her Debut Album". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ Roberts, Lynn (21 March 2011). "Interview: Rachel Sermanni". For Folk's Sake.
- ^ "Rachel Sermanni". Dublin: Today FM. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Shockwaves NME Awards Show 2011 with Mumford and Sons". Communion. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Rachel Sermanni Interview March 2012". More Than The Music. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Sometimes I think I won't be able to write another song ever again". The Pop Cop. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ a b Jamieson, Teddy (7 January 2012). "Stars of 2012: Rachel Sermanni". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ "Reading and Leeds: Rachel Sermanni: Scottish Balladeer Poised to Charm". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "BBC Hogmanay Live". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ Carroll, Jim (4 October 2012). "New Music: Rival Sons, Rachel Sermanni, Hawklion". Irish Times. Dublin.
- ^ Udell, Phil (19 September 2012). "Incoming: Rachel Sermanni". State Magazine. Kildare. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ Dingwall, John (3 August 2012). "Teenage Singer Rachel Sermanni Set to Become Scotland's Next Big Musical Export with Release of Debut Album". Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "Rachel Sermanni: Under Mountains (Review)" (in German). Hamburg: Musikreviews. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ "Rachel Sermanni's Finger That Points to the Moon on Apple Podcasts".
- ^ "Adam Holmes". Facebook. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ "2012 Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive: 29 September 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ a b "Rachel Sermanni songs and albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "2012 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive: 29 September 2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ Folking website, Rachel Sermanni announces her new album, article dated July 2, 2023
- ^ Honeycomb, Jay (16 June 2022). "Rachel Sermanni - Every Swimming Pool Runs to the Sea (EP Review)". No Transmission.
- ^ Discogs website, Rachel Sermanni
External links
edit- Rachel Sermanni at AllMusic
- Rachel Sermanni at Bandcamp
- Rachel Sermanni discography at Discogs
- Rachel Sermanni on Facebook
- Rachel Sermanni on Twitter
- Rachel Sermanni on Instagram
