Rachael Yamagata

Rachael Yamagata (born on September 23, 1977 in Arlington, Virginia) is a singer-songwriter. She plays piano and acoustic guitar, and her dark, smokey alto garners frequent comparisons to Fiona Apple. Her first full-length album, Happenstance, was released on June 8, 2004.

Yamagata became the vocalist for the Chicago funk-fusion band Bumpus, spending six years with them while writing and recording three albums and touring the country. However, she began to write songs which took on a style that conflicted with the funk vision of the band. In 2001, Yamagata decided to take those songs and pursue a solo career. In September 2002, she landed a two-record deal with Arista's Private Music label, and her EP was released in October.

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