A month and a half ago, Rachel Goodrich packed up her car and hit the highway, bound for Cali.
In the run-up to the February 22 release of her self-titled sophomore album, she had set up a month-long residency at Los Angeles's Hotel Café, a tiny Hollywood joint where a whole slew of singer-songwriter types strum their axes each night.
That gig is now over. But she's picked up others. And it looks like Goodrich will be calling the West Coast home for the foreseeable future. So last week, Crossfade rung Rachel up for a short, casual conversation about living in LA, her record collection, and return trips to Miami.
Crossfade: Are you a fixed Los Angeles resident now? Or are you there temporarily?
I don't know. I kind of just drove out here with my vinyl and I'm just like ... I don't know. I'm just moving around, you know. I'm here for right now.
So the future's a little uncertain. By vinyl, you mean your record collection?
That's right. Well, half of my record collection.
Which half did you bring?
I brought the good half. Not that the other half is not good. But maybe I brought the better half. I just have to leave room for a new half, you know.
Any choice selections you're listening to more than others out there in Cali?
Um ... No, I listen to all of them all about the same. I love them all.
Did you drive out to the West Coast specifically for the Hotel Cafe residency?
Well, I was actually planning on going regardless. But it was good to set that up to motivate me to actually get there on time, you know. It's kind of hard to leave Miami.
If you hadn't had a deadline, what would you have done? Lingered in the middle the country for a couple weeks or something?
Yeah, probably. I would have just, like, chilled in New Orleans a little longer or something.
How did the Hotel Cafe residency go?
It was great. It actually just finished last Thursday. But it was amazing and lots of people came out to the shows. And I kind of scored some other shows. And that's kind of neat too.
What kind of other shows? Have you already played them? Or are they scheduled for the next couple weeks?
No, I've got one coming up this Wednesday at Bordello and this other gig at Bootleg Theatre. I don't know ... I'm still just learning about this place. I have no idea what these venues mean or the name of it. I don't even know if they're good or not. But it's fun.
Had you been out there playing shows in LA before this last month? Or is this your first business trip to the West Coast?
No, a couple of summers ago when I was recording the record with Greg Welch, I had a Hotel Cafe residency and since that residency I've been coming back frequently and playing random gigs at Hotel Cafe and other venues as well.
I've never been to Hotel Cafe. What kind of place is it?
It's intimate, it's quaint, and it's dark. The sound is really good. But you can't see anyone's face when you're on stage. And I like to see faces, you know.
It seems like they have a lot acts every night. Like five or six sets per night?
It's interesting too, because a new crowd comes in for each act. So people don't hang out, they go see a band and then leave.
Are you planning any upcoming return trips to Miami right now?
I do plan on coming back to Miami and hopefully putting together a big CD-release party for this new record. But I don't have a date right now.
Stay tuned to Crossfade for news about Rachel Goodrich's promised homecoming.
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