Rachelle Van Zanten

I am sad in Glastonbury which is a nice place to be sad. I am being deported for the first time ever from the UK back to Sweden where I am hoping they will except me with loving arms. Who knows? I have to leave this beautiful country and go somewhere else until me paperwork comes through for the remaining shows. The cost of this paperwork is more than I will earn in a all of my shows so why am I coming back? Because I am not a quitter and I came here to fulfill a mission which I intend to finish. I am trying to place myself right in the middle of where the music flows left to right and right to left and does not stop ever. That is why I chose southern England to spend my time off. I love Real World Studios and all of the people there. I love the musical compadres and jams that tend to lift me to the next level of musicianship. There is so much more and I can't find that in Canada right now. So I will enjoy my short time here in England, embrace Sweden for a few weeks, and then come back in full force but NOT to Stansted. Oooh. And I just got a new gig with Wendy McNeill in northern Sweden so like ain't all that bad. Love to you all. RVZ

Posted by Rachelle at 5:55 AM | Permalink

"Excuse me Mark Knopfler and Brian May but i've found a new guitar hero...It's been a long time since I have listened to a record that has this kind of quality all the way through..." Read it.

Posted by Rachelle at 4:27 PM | Permalink

Stockholm was a nice surprise. It is a prestine city with castles and churches not scarred by war. I had a few days of television and radio before playing Pet Sounds Bar and rocking out for the reserved and shy Swedes. In my spare time, I had a chance to check out the sites including the very cute Gammla Stan shopping area, the castle, and the numerous churches. My fearless leader, Toby, taught me how to ride the underground subway system in the correct directions and how to find the best Semlor in town.
I then made my way to Uppsala by train. It is a university town packed with frat houses and student study halls. I played HiJazz Bistro which had the most wonderful staff, food, clientelle, sound, and atmosphere. Celal, the owner, got up at one point to jam on a tune that had a very arabic flare to it. I was in heaven. Thank you to all of my new fans for being so cool. God Bless Duane Allman...you know I am talking to you! Thank you Sofie and Abda for selling my CDs and teaching me arabic.

Posted by Rachelle at 5:13 AM | Permalink

Hijazz
Central Station
Uppsala, Sweden
www.hijazz.se

Posted by Rachelle at 5:54 PM | Permalink

Studentradio Uppsala
Uppsala, SE
Live Interview (2-5 pm)

Posted by Rachelle at 4:57 AM | Permalink

Send in the Clowns
Stockholm, Sweden
www.myspace.com/sendintheclownsstockholm

Posted by Rachelle at 11:29 AM | Permalink

THS Radio
Stockholm, SE
Interview and Live Performance at 7 pm

Posted by Rachelle at 4:54 AM | Permalink

I am at P4 Radio in Stockholm just waiting to go on and give the Swedes what they need. I found Wendy McNeill last night in a suburb of this huge city and felt like a little kid in a sandbox. We spent a good 3 hours catching up on what has been going on in our lives. We are both touring foreign countries and once in awhile both crave Kraft Dinner and Smarties.
Yesterday was a 4 am soundcheck at TV4. I was grumpy and stressed after a night without sleep. No sleep on the road often leads to sickness, shaky hands, and me accidentally leaving my guitars in the train station toilet....been there. Anyhow, the Swedes know how to do tv. After soundcheck at 4am we were fed a huge breakfast with healthy options, followed by a rock and roll makeup and hair session. I played 2 tunes after they interviewed the medal winners from the World Cup downhill skiiing Championships.
Today I was educated about the aboriginal people of Sweden- the Same people. They look similar to the Inuit people and were just being interviewed on the radio regarding the reclaimation of skeletons found in the north of Sweden. Oh, and today is Semlor Day!!!! I am a lucky girl. So later, Toby and I are going to 7 Eleven to buy 2 for 1 Semlors and celebrate. Toby only eats the top half because he hates the "mandelmassa" in the middle. It tastes like Marzipan. The guys being interviewed on the radio right at this moment just ate 14 Semlor! That is alot of whippedcream!
So Stockholm rocks and I am learning how to use the subway system. By the end of this week I shall be a seasoned pro at getting around. okay, time to rock out now.

Posted by Rachelle at 4:58 AM | Permalink

TV4 Live Performance
Stockholm, SE

Posted by Rachelle at 5:31 AM | Permalink

4/5 stars
A dream come true...I have fallen for the Canadian songwriter with heartaching, good songs. 'Back to Francois' is both mellow and beautiful. The boys leave the girls alone in the rehearsal room and far away from dangerous hormones and they will come out as sensual guitar heroes.

Posted by Rachelle at 2:12 AM | Permalink

I have to pee really badly and there is a man beside me playing online poker and snorting and belching very loudly. I am waiting for the next train to Malmo which I think comes in 45 minutes. Ooooh, he just lost a hand and is swearing in Turkish I think. Oooh, more pflegm (spelling?) and cursing under his breath.
Well, my update is simple- Karlstad kicks Scandinavian buttocks! Particularily Cafe August. It was a packed house of hot Swedish babes, two of which were turning 50 and celebrating it at my show. Such an honor! They were so into my music and into my jokes (rare) so I gave them 150% in return. Oh oh oh , now the dude is chanting while a digital babe with big boobs hands out cards. Ooh, another hork. Yuck! I gotta go. So thank you to all of the peeps who bought my album. I have NO CDs left which is great for my backpack weight. Now, the fine people of Karlstad can rock out to my tunes and miss me while I am gone. Thank you to the staff for the tshirt and Semlor! I was out of clean shirts and I hadn't eaten a Semlor in a few days. Good timing. The hotel was beyond 4 star and the breakfast room had an orange juice squeezer! Oh, and more pickled herring was amongst the vibrant cornucopia of Swedish delicacies. I am planning on hiding a tube of caviar in my back pack so my parents can check it out. I guess there really isn't any risk. I haven't heard of fin and gill disease yet.
Okay, this guy is driving me nuts and I am about to pee my pants but sometimes being on the edge helps me write better. I am now heading south for a few days of business with the Marilyn Boys. Peace and Love to you all.

Posted by Rachelle at 9:01 AM | Permalink

Cafe August
Kanikenasholmen 652 26
Karlstad, Sweden

Posted by Rachelle at 11:55 AM | Permalink

Muddy Waters...you ROCK! Thank you so much to all of the Norwegians and Swedes and Americans who came to my show in Oslo last night. I played 3 sets of every song I ever knew and partook in some of the fine Norwegian beer. But only just a little as I am staying fit this time. Yes, and then they played Lucinda Williams during the breaks and I was lifted with utmost inspiration. What a woman!
So then I got to sleep in a hotel with a shower and bed and I felt like I was in heaven!!!! Okay, Toby, your place is cool but 4 walls of 4 star action was pretty darn special. I managed to sleep for 5 hours before waking to get ready for the journey to Karlstad. The hotel breakfast consisted of caviar, pickled herring, and goat cheese! It reminded me of the Painting Daisies' tour in Iceland. We were poor back then so we would come home after the show and rob the fridge of pickled herring for our late night snack. I think karma came around to hit us in the butt because we all got really ill almost died on our way to Holland.
So now I am in Karlstad (SE), waiting to check into yet another hotel. Ha, life is amazing. Then it is radio time at the university. I then plan on lounging! Maybe even swimming before the show. I am the queen:)

Posted by Rachelle at 5:22 AM | Permalink

Muddy Waters
Grensen 13 0159
Oslo, Norway
www.muddywaters.no

Posted by Rachelle at 11:35 AM | Permalink

8 hours on a bus. This is so not rockstar. Do they know who I think I am? OKay, yes maybe another year and then I will have my Mercedes Sprinter with a tour manager/driver/yoga instructor named Sven. The landscape in northern Sweden is much like northern Ontario. Lots of rocky terrain with similar trees (fir I think). We drive north up the coastline so I would get sneak peeks at little fishing villages tucked into the inlets. I have yet to walk the streets of Oslo and discover what it has to offer. I did see a good boot sale. I am playing Muddy Waters tonight, a very cool blues club downtown. Erik has made me 2 lattes and now I am ready to rumble. Hopefully my favorite band will come out tonight...BIG BANG. They changed my life back in June.

Posted by Rachelle at 9:43 AM | Permalink

5/6 stars
"Definately a lady to follow...a fresh and exciting musical talent from Canada..." Read

Posted by Rachelle at 12:46 PM | Permalink

Oh my...I think I have just discovered the best slide guitar player EVER! Alain Apaloo is his name and he originally hails from West Africa. He took the stage after me at Mojo in Copenhagen and changed my life forever. I have yet to find more info on him as he is very modest and quiet but if I have my way, at least my fans and friends will know about him. If you live in Copenhagen go see him play at Mojo! He will take you on a spiritual journey with his playing.

Posted by Rachelle at 8:43 AM | Permalink

Check out this talented photographer from Stockholm, SE.

Posted by Rachelle at 7:54 AM | Permalink

Mojo
Longangsstaede 21 C
Copenhagen, Denmark
http://www.mojo.dk

Posted by Rachelle at 1:42 PM | Permalink

I am a lucky human. Why? Because I have the best support team I could ever ask for. Marilyn Records have been so good to me, feeding my band, housing my band, driving my band, and loving my band. I also want to thank Adam, my Danish booker, for the great shows in Copenhagen and the most excellent morning eggs. Cafe Bartof turned out to be a pleasant surprise -lots of music hungry people, good food, and kind staff members. I played every song I knew and managed to find a couple more for the encore. I think I am coming back again in March for more shows and a boot purchase...Copenhagen has great boots!
Now I am on a day off in Malmo, eating Semlor and meatballs. Mmmm. I managed to get very lost and after 2 hours finally found my way back to home base. Now it's time for Animal Planet!

Posted by Rachelle at 2:24 PM | Permalink

5/6 stars
"Magnificant solo debut...she is the best when she does the country blues...Down to California is a song that Lucinda Williams wished she would have wrote...quality from Canada" Read

Posted by Rachelle at 12:32 PM | Permalink

Bartof Cafe
Ndr. Fasanvej 46
Copenhagen, Denmark
www.bartofcafe.dk

Posted by Rachelle at 12:27 PM | Permalink

We had a fun CD Release Party in Malmo with Marilyn Records and Achordian. Great show and wonderful Swedish people to share the music with. We lost Hamish and had no idea where he went. We later found out that he fell asleep in his parka in the venue and then the security guards threw him out thinking he was a homeless man. He eventually made it home and we tucked him into bed and told him to shake it off. Tomorrow was going to be a new day.
I love Copenhagen. We played Cafe Retro last night near the city centre. The streets are lined with the most unique shops I have ever seen and the people are beautiful. Every one of them. I had a photo shoot with Olivia before the show so had to go to the Magasin shopping centre to get my face done at Clarins I think. In front of me were lingerie models in high heels walking the cat walk! Then there was me in my grandma's old rodeo shirt and my tour worn levi's fighting to keep my eyes open as my makeup artist yelled at me for the fourth time to look up! I am an amateur when it comes to rock make up. It is a new world for me. So we did a photo shoot and G and Hamish joined me for the final half hour. They looked like hot body guard babes in their vintage cowboy shirts. I was proud. The show was fun but I think most of the people there were quite shocked at our stage volume and Hamish's rather large bass rig. An Ampeg STD or something. So we ate sushi to celebrate our final show together and then partook in some Leffe courtesy of Cafe Retro. It is a new day in Copenhagen and the guys are on a stuffy bus on their way from Stansted airport to Oxford. I think they have a lay over at King's Cross poor guys! G is going on tour now with Goldrush to Germany and Switzerland and then off to SXSW in Texas. His mission is to find me a naked man pen. Should he fail, he will receive 4 wet lashes from a large piece of seaweed off the coast of northern France in April. No pressure.

Posted by Rachelle at 4:34 AM | Permalink

Cafe Retro
Knabrostraede 26
Kopenhamm, Denmark

Posted by Rachelle at 1:38 PM | Permalink

Bodoni
Malmo, Sweden
CD Release Party w/ Accordian

Posted by Rachelle at 11:48 AM | Permalink

Malmo University
Malmo, Sweden
10 am Rock n' Roll Workshop with the RVZ Band

Posted by Rachelle at 10:55 AM | Permalink

So we are slowly learning the conversion rates between the Swedish Crowns and the British Pound. I don't even care about the Canadian dollar anymore as it is useless to me until June. Yesterday we played a shopping centre and the old and young walked past as we played our hearts out. Some paused, some glared, some smiled. It felt strange but we sold CDs and then went to find G some lip balm. Never shop at the Body Shop if you are on a budget. I believe his new coconut butter costed £7.30. But he didn't figure this out until it was too late.
Today we taught at a Musik University. We went in completely sleep deprived after I spent the night on a kitchen table and the guys spooned eachother against their will in a swedish king size bed (which is actually a double in Canada so tight). The students were more musically accomplished than we were so the day turned out quite splendidly with the RVZ band taking a seat at the back of the room. We nodded and added a few suggestions but these kids were hot! Now we are going bowling. I think it is 150 crowns for a bowl and tex mex dinner. It can't get much better than this.

Posted by Rachelle at 10:42 AM | Permalink

"check out this fresh and rootsy debut album from Rachelle van Zanten. It's contemporary, bright & optimistic whilst retaining its origins in the core values of North American music." Mick Glossop, UK Producer

Here is a sneak preview from Rachelle's new 2006 Release!

Take Me Right Back  

The Cracks  

Live Recordings

"I Will Be Numb" recorded live with Bill Bourne at The Nancy Applebee Theatre in Athabasca, Alberta.

Posted by Jason at 6:30 PM | Permalink

2006 Release | Rachelle van Zanten - "Back to Francois"

1. The Cracks
2. Take Me Right Back
   (Radio Edit)
3. A Hole in the Way
4. Yah Yahs
5. I Will Be Numb
6. Suicide Ride
7. Got to Let Go
8. Rusty Boy
9. January
10. Down to California
11. Dirty Water
12. Half Pint
13. Bannister Man
14. Take Me Right Back

Download Individual Tracks from ITunes

For mailorder in Canada:

Festival Distribution
1-800-633-8282
mailorder@festival.bc.ca

For mailorder in the United States:

For mailorder in Europe:

Glitterhouse Records ++49(0)5273 - 36360 mailorder@glitterhouse.com

For mailorder in Scandinavia:

Marilyn Records
++46(0)4229-4550

T-Shirts

Women's (small-xlarge)
Men's (small-xxlarge)

cost $15 + $7.00 shipping

please email: info@rachellevanzanten.com

For Painting Daisies' recordings please head to www.cdbaby.com or click here.

Posted by Jason at 6:29 PM | Permalink

The Tivoli
Kungsgatan 1
Helsingborg, Sweden
Supporting Stefan Sundstrom
www.thetivoli.nu

Posted by Rachelle at 10:43 PM | Permalink

Listen to CKUA Radio
Alberta Session Recording- 8 pm (MST)

Posted by Rachelle at 12:07 AM | Permalink

Cookin
Scandic Plaza
Boras, Sweden
http://www.cookin.nu

Posted by Rachelle at 11:50 AM | Permalink

We made it. After 4 hours on a bus from Oxford to Stansted, 2 bags of crisps, and some really nasty hot chocolate, we made it to Copenhagen courtesy of the lovely Easy Jet. We were greeted by tour manager extraordinaire, Hans, and our faithful sidekick and cello player, Helena aka Arlock. We went straight to the pub and straight to business and purchased 3 beers which drained my entire bank account in one go. So that was that and were off to the kabob shop by 2 am. It is now the next day and I can hear the rhythm section stirring below so I must go and partake in the great Swedish coffee and bread. First time here so I don't know what to expect for breakfast. Hmmm.

Posted by Rachelle at 2:55 AM | Permalink