Pianist, composer and singer Rachel Eckroth’s first release on Rainy Days Records unveils fresh sounds from her evolving artistry. Steeped in synth orchestration, The Garden reflects a nuanced exploration of sonic impulses and inquiries alongside Eckroth’s signature layered compositions and glimmers of trance-inducing vocals. With contributions from acclaimed guitarist Nir Felder, saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Andrew Krasilnikov and modular synth master Austin White, and a core band featuring bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Christian Euman, The Garden emerged conceptually while Eckroth was writing new music during the pandemic. “Everything on the album has a different feel to it — different colors and textures,” says the West Coast artist. “It felt like a garden. So we just rolled with it.”
Eckroth revels in new experiences across rich, diverse musical settings. The multifaceted artist continually refines her expression, frequently collaborating as a featured guest with creative visionaries who have included Rufus Wainwright, St. Vincent, KT Tunstall, Donny McCaslin, Tia Fuller and Chris Botti. But composing during the pandemic afforded Eckroth and partner Lefebvre unique opportunities to compose and perform together. From their home in Arizona, they dug in to each other’s expressions and began developing a duo sound. “Especially during Covid, we were making music pretty much every day together,” says Eckroth. When Eugene Petruhanskiy greenlit a possible release from Eckroth for Rainy Days, she and Lefebvre considered what they might create around a synth-forward recording.
The textural-minded musicians began soundscaping across familiar territory and new domains. Almost immediately, the Prophet 6 emerged as a key element for record’s sound. “It ends up on a lot of my live gigs,” says Eckroth. “I’ve used it on all the tours I’ve played with other people. I’m a pianist, but the record doesn’t have a lot of piano. The Yamaha CP 70 served the ‘meat’ of some of the songs. And the Korg minilogue is an instrument I use really well for some reason; it’s very intuitive.
"Multifaceted artist Rachel Eckroth releases textural, mood-casting new music on Rainy Days Records “Eckroth explores difficult emotions with a deft touch, letting her soul-baring performance and swelling instrumentation form the heartfelt emotional core of the track ”
— Under the Radar
“Breathtaking vocals”
— PopMatters
“[Eckroth and Lefebvre] are two in-demand musicians who elude categorization”
— NPR Music’s Jazz Night in America
1. Dracaena
2. Under a Fig Tree
3. Low Hanging Fruit
4. Dried Up Roots
5. The Garden
6. Black Eyed Susan
7. Vines
8. Oil
Rachel Eckroth - Piano, Voice, Yamaha CP70, Prophet 6, Mellotron
Tim Lefebvre - Electric Bass, Guitar
Christian Euman - Drums
Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone
Andrew Krasilnikov - Soprano Saxophone
Nir Felder - Electric Guitar
Austin White - Modular Synth
Written by Rachel Eckroth
Produced by Tim Lefebvre
Executive producer – Eugene Petrushanskiy
Mixed by Jason Kingsland at Frenchtown Sound
Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant
Mastering Recorded at Sonic Ranch - Studio A in Tornillo, TX
Recording engineer - Felipe Castaneda
Additional recording at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY by Christopher Benham
Overdubs made at Blackbird Sessions in Tucson, AZ
Additional recording made in Moscow, by Sasha Mashin
Album art – Vika Kogai
Photography by Eugene Petrushanskiy
Video by Eugene Petrushanskiy and Rachel Eckroth
Package design by – Dimitri Komedea, 271dsgn
