“inimitable storytelling, musical mastery, and soul-baring honesty.” – High Plains Public Radio
The musical partnership of Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran is rooted in a deep, long-standing friendship. For over 15 years, they have collaborated in creating a singular artistic voice, blending detailed, exacting poetry and evocative musicality. Their songs tell the stories of real people, exploring themes of death, grief, and their experiences of the world from their queer, BIPOC, multi-racial identities. Their deep connection weaves through their music and performances, creating an intimacy which they share with their audiences.
Rachel and Thu’s respective identities as queer mixed-race-Mexican-American and first-generation-Vietnamese-American inform the inclusionary, modernist perspective of their lyrics, which provide “smart commentary on social attitudes” (Pasadena Weekly), while their music and melodies cut across decades of classic American song forms, bending and blending genres to produce a unique sound with a fresh, clever and distinct approach to the classic traditions of folk and Americana.
In 2012, the duo won the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest in the Miscellaneous category for their original recording, The Art of Missing You – “…a delightfully poised and melancholic classic jazz ballad that Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday would have gladly wrapped their wounded souls around.” (Americana-UK)
In 2014, The Singer and The Songwriter released their critically acclaimed, debut full-length LP, What a Difference a Melody Makes, produced by Charlie Stavish (Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis) with mixing and mastering by Brooklyn collective, Mason Jar Music (Lucius, Feist and Andrew Bird). Debuting at #34 on the CMJ Jazz Top 40 Charts, the album has been critically praised as “diverse, confident, stylish and accomplished” (Americana-UK), “a revelation” (Pittsburgh In Tune) and “an opus worthy of national attention” (Playback: STL).
In March 2016, The Singer and The Songwriter released their sophomore EP, Ballads for Trying Times, produced by Griffin Rodriguez (Beirut). This latest release is being praised as “a delectable listen, an emotional journey down a sullen, yet hopeful trail. Garcia and Tran bring together songs that appear written just for the listener, and no one else.” (Playback: STL). The songs on the EP are described as “baroque lullabies that move along with an ease and fluidity that showcases their musical maturity and sensibility.” (The Deli LA) The deeply personal record highlights the duo’s strengths as writers and performers: “Garcia’s rich, warm voice wraps around you like the softest quilt and Tran’s subdued guitar shines at all the right moments, creating somber tracks that are more than palatable and necessary.” (Bitch Media)
In October 2017, the duo released their third collection of songs, DIRECTIONS. The Huffington Post says the album “radiates gorgeously contagious melodies, palpitating rhythms and luscious harmonies and, of course, Garcia’s unparalleled voice.” In February 2018, the song, “Give Love” was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Song at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards. Of their performance at the 2018 Kansas City Folk Festival, Playlist Play writes: “The duo creates soft melodic songs that could just as easily exist as poems. Beautiful and full of soul and emotion, the quaint pair swept the audience away; first time listeners and long-term fans.”
In October 2019, the duo partnered with High Plains Public Radio for the HPPR Music Ambassador Tour, a multi-city listening room tour, aiming to bring high-quality live music to the small towns and rural communities in the high plains region of the US. The HPPR Ambassador program increases community exposure to the arts and, through these intimate performances, provides these audiences with access to world-class musicians.
In 2020, with the cancellation of concerts and gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Singer and The Songwriter created The Songmobile, an innovative way to safely share live music with their local community. They created a mobile setup that allowed them to perform from their car while listeners enjoyed the music safely from their front yards, porches and garages. The duo performed over 52 donation-based, private, outdoor mini-concerts around the SF Bay Area during shelter-in-place orders.
In 2022, they were named a finalist in the prestigious Grassy Hill New Folk Song Competition for Emerging Folk Artists at the Kerrville Folk Festival, as well as finalists in the 21st Annual NewSong Competition. The duo is preparing to release their next full-length studio album, Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future in 2024.