Peer Motivation: Rachel Epp

When I first started playing out in NYC, I frequented the open mic at Caffe Vivaldi in the West Village. I remember being awed by the talent that congregated in this beautiful venue and being incredibly nervous to actually play for the first time. I happened to sit at a table across from two lovely ladies who I was about to see play. One was the incredible Mary Jennings (more on this artist later), and the other was Rachel Epp. Both of them floored me when they played, which made it all the more rewarding when they commented positively on my songs and began to welcome me into their circle of friends. That feeling of welcome really helped me find the confidence to keep putting myself out there.

I remember that Rachel played her song "Beautiful Like This." This is one of those songs that you hear for the first time and it changes your life. I was stunned by the beautiful melody and lyrics but more so by the deep emotional connection and flawlessness of the voice that delivered them. There is a purity when Rachel sings that lets the listener right in to the heart of the song. I remember thinking that the song may be one of the best songs I had ever heard. To this day, it is still one of my favorite songs.

Our friendship grew, as did my appreciation for her as an artist. I began to attend singer/songwriter sessions at Mary's apartment with Rachel and others from the Vivaldi open mic, and I really felt like I had found a supportive artist community in New York. I also had found a wealth of inspiration from these fellow artists.

Rachel has just released her new EP "Rosary," which can be found on iTunes. From start to finish, this album is inspired. With her flawless voice that spins melodies as smooth as silk, and the breathtaking arrangements of her brilliant writing, "Rosary" manages to transcend genre and create its own space in the musical continuum.




From the first note of "Ghost in the Graveyard," Rachel hooks in the listener to a tale of youth and the first tinges of reality that bring about the loss of innocence. Set to the backdrop of the popular children's game, the carelessness of being a child is juxtaposed with the first inclings of love and loss. This focus sets up the theme of the songs to follow. In essence, the EP is an examination of a woman's journey to adulthood through the lens of love and loss.

"East of the River," picks up the thread by examining the feeling of being isolated in the city and the realization that the distance that separates people is not only geographic. The guitar work and production on this song is extra sweet and reinforces the longing that permeates this track.

"Virginia" is one of those epic songs that somehow captures a whole moment in time and extrapolates the meaning of life out of it. I was seriously addicted to this song for a few months, listening to it on repeat to try and glean another facet of this incredible song. At its heart, "Virginia" is about going home and realizing that it can never be the same as it was before you left. This is reinforced by the fact that she is returning home to say goodbye to a dying relative, which solidifies the fact that there is no going back. Only the slow progression of time is left and the memories of the way that it used to be. This song will grab your heart and leave you with nostalgia for your own lost memories.

"Beautiful Like This" is one of my favorite songs of all time. This simple yet emotionally deep song about leaving and knowing that there is no going back once the moment it passed is universal and a perfect song to follow and reinforce "Virginia."

"Are you taking a picture? Are you taking this all in? Cause it could be the last time that it looks like this."

If only we could always be as present in our lives as this song is. The way she paints the moment is in a way the picture that she sings about, which forever captures it in this beautiful imagery.

Transcendent. Emotional. Beautiful.

"Wasted" rounds up the album as a seemingly more wise and weathered woman deals with an emotionally unavailable man and tries desperately to reach him. In the end, she is now seeking a partner who can match her presence and experience.

"Rosary" is an amazing debut for this gifted artist and amazing woman. In life, she oozes a calm strength and beauty the is contagious and her music is just an extension of this. From the writing, to the production, to the incredible performances, "Rosary" is sure to leave a lasting impression on any listener and help them discover their own inner beauty.

Buy it here
Find her here

Peer Motivation: Carmel Mikol

When I was in Jr. High school back in Kenosha Wisconsin I went to the yearly talent show. This was the first time I saw Carmel Mikol perform. Seeing this performance would change my life.

I was always drawn to music, but never thought that I could do it myself. Seeing this girl my age performing a song she had written suddenly opened a door that would end up leading me down the path of my life. At this point in my life, I was combating a slew of issues relating to my family and myself and was longing for an outlet. I could see salvation in this opening.

I remember asking my mother for a keyboard soon after the talent show and she got me a Casio keyboard with light up keys. Little did she know at that moment that this small keyboard would completely change my life. I began writing immediately and started learning how to play as I wrote. A little backwards, but always my way.

In high school I had a class with Carmel and we became friends. I shared with her my interest in writing, and she became a sort of mentor. We spent countless evenings after school playing songs that we had written for each other. She was far more advanced in her craft, but she listened intently to all of my fumblings as I learned to walk. This was one of the most magical times in my life, because for the first time in my life I was able to get out these shadows inside me. Through my music and my friendship with Carmel, I was finally started down the path of self-discovery and self-acceptance. It's a little scary to look back and wonder what would have been had I not gone to that talent show. I truly do not know who I would be.

Even in Jr. High, Carmel was an incredibly advanced and percosious writer. Her song "Seventeen Tomorrow" that she had written before she herself was even seventeen is still to this day one of the best songs I have ever heard.

"She's a wild horse rider, a mustang driver
Too many cigarettes for an unbroken heart
She's lonely girl on an empty sky
With hurricane hair and midnight eyes"

-Lyrics from Seventeen Tomorrow by Carmel Mikol

After high school, Carmel moved away and we lost touch only to reconnect every few years randomly. Then some time went by and I didn't hear about her or her music. I remember being afraid that she was no longer pursuing music and thinking what a loss that would be. Then out of nowhere I began to hear news of her performances in Canada (where she hails from originally). I was ecstatic. Not only because she was still writing and performing, but because it meant I would get to hear new music from her.

She released an EP called Lost Lives, which set the groundwork for her quick rise in the Canadian music scene. She followed this up with her full album In My Bones.



In My Bones is a powerful and poignant album that deals with love, loss, and the human experience with incredible wisdom and sensitivity. Crafting personal tragedy, the loss of her father whose guidance set her on the path of music, and her innate ability to translate what she sees and experiences into compelling songs, this album is a thrilling debut.

The title track starts with an incredible lyric that exposes Carmel both personally and as a skilled writer.

"We're young, then we're old
Born with a fire that burns to coals
The path of hungry living is our one and only road
We're pressed to make decisions that divide and conquer souls
Its a pity we're forgiven, cause it makes our sinning bold."

-Lyrics from In My Bones by Carmel Mikol



The whole album is full of these lyrical and musical moments that create a stunning piece. Some other notable standouts are:

Hometown- A song about the meaning of home and trying to reconcile the realities of coming home and facing a history we have tried to escape.

Escape To You- The oldest song on the album. I remember her playing this song for me back in high school. It's amazing to see how it has grown in the years since.

Blaming Myself- Probably the most pop leaning song on the album. This song has a hook you will not be able to get out of your head. It topped the East Coast Countdown for multiple weeks. This is a hit.

Colt 45- This song is sexy and sultry. Best listened to with a bottle of red.

I'll Never Find You- This track makes me cry every time. There is a longing in this song that I think all of us have deep inside, like trying to find moments lost that we can never get back. Universal and heartbreaking.


For me, this album is the realization of that girl I saw at a talent show over ten years ago. Critics have agreed, and Carmel has won multiple awards and toured cross country sharing her incredible music and stories.

To me, she will always be one of the most important connections I have ever made. Carmel and her music are the reason that I am a songwriter and thus the person I am today.

So check her out and become and instant fan.

You can find her here.