Bay Area native, singer-songwriter Rachel Garlin will perform at The Lost Church on March 27th to celebrate the release of her latest indie-folk album, Mondegreens. Garlin’s ensemble will include the album’s producer, Julie Wolf, known to audiences internationally as a collaborator and touring side player with Indigo Girls, Carly Simon, and Ani DiFranco among others.
Mondegreens embodies a contemporary take on the Bay Area’s long history as a folk music standard-bearer. The 10-song album (nine originals, plus a not-to-be-missed cover of Don Henley’s anthem “Boys of Summer”) was recorded at Berkeley’s legendary Fantasy Studios, where bands like CCR and Green Day recorded era-defining works. Garlin’s record plays like a love a letter to today’s uncertain times, each song evoking a blend of heartache and hope, social reflection and self-discovery.
At the center of the work are Garlin’s nuanced lyrics—image-rich and literary, subtle and surprising—making each song its own snow-globe story that stirs and settles anew with every listen. Complementing Garlin’s finger-style guitar playing are top-shelf musicians like bassist Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Hadestown), harmony vocalist Vicki Randle (Mavis Staples) and guitar and dobro-player James DePrato (Chuck Prophet Band) among others. Deftly weaving together vocal and instrumental elements, producer Wolf illuminates each song’s emotional landscape while also creating the album’s cohesive sound.
Releasing Mondegreens at the Lost Church is a nod to San Francisco’s poignant role as an epicenter of artistic traditions in a rapidly changing city. Track 3, “Earthquake Town,” pays tribute to urban spaces that nurture diverse populations in ways many local venues can no longer do (including Fantasy Studios which had to close its doors due to economic factors last fall). As a lifelong Bay Area artist—also a teacher, parent, and songwriting mentor for systems-involved youth—Garlin and her songs give colorful stories and vulnerable voices a place to call home.
Having received airplay on KPFA, KALW, and KFOG’s Acoustic Sunrise with Rosalie (for the single “Gwendolyn Said” on her last album), Garlin’s discography also includes an acclaimed “Live at the Freight and Salvage” album engineered by Gary Mankin. An alum of Berkeley High School (where she played on the Division 1 state championship basketball team), Garlin is prolific and civically engaged—a Bay Area artist engaging with, and giving back to, the communities that raised her.
Rachel Garlin is a Bay Area native and songwriter’s songwriter who writes, “finely etched songs that respect the folk tradition” (SF Bay Guardian) and whose lyrical work has been described as “storytelling at its best” (Curve Magazine.) With a natural stage presence, Garlin is a performing songwriter whose interest in people—their stories, struggles, and truths—is at the heart of her work. “More than just a singer; she’s a storyteller with an infectious radiance about her that can enthrall an audience” (Music Connection Magazine.)
Don’t Miss Rachel Garlin Live!
Who: Rachel Garlin
What: Album Release Concert Celebration
Where: The Lost Church - 65 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA
When: Friday, March 27th
Doors open at 7:30. Music at 8:15
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 at the door
Purchase Tickets here
