New Music: Rachel Costanzo ‘Starlight’


Young Australian pop singer on the rise, Rachel Costanzo has announced the release of her new single, Starlight (out August 1) lifted from her self-titled debut EP, out August 22.  Rachel’s EP also features her debut single Blindside, which created a decent buzz in the industry on release late last year.
 
Most people will remember Rachel from her chance encounter on Fox FM, where the station had a temporary computer meltdown and were unable to play programmed music.  Rachel saw her opportunity and called Fox who then put her call to air, allowing her to play her single, Blindside down the line.  She was then invited to return for an interview and to play her song in full the following day.  

It kind of all felt like a dream when they answered my call. Then it hit me when I heard Blindside on air. My whole family were in separate cars that morning listening to it being played on the Fox and I’ll never forget that moment,” Rachel gushes. 

Rachel’s new single, Starlight is a fresh and fun pop number with light and shade, and will have you up and dancing in no time.  Her powerful and impressive vocal range and delivery are captivating and help bring this youthful and energetic sound to life.  “Starlight is about escaping from your day to day life and doing things you’ve always wished of,” explains Rachel.
Filmed in the picturesque Melbourne bayside suburb of St Kilda and featuring iconic Melbourne landmarks Luna Park and The Palais Theatre, the video was shot by Peter John from Epik Films (Simple Plan & The Paper Kites) and stars online dance sensation and X Factor contestant Liam Ferrari.  Staying true to who Rachel is, the clip sees a fun loving group of teenagers leaving their normal life and “escaping in the Starlight”.
Rachel’s EP was two years in the making and recorded and co-written with Michael Paynter (The Voice contestant 2013, Sony Music recording artist) and Michael DeLorenzis at MSquared Productions.  With a mix of upbeat songs and ballads (one of which features Michael Paynter), the EP maintains a youthful sound and explores the concept of dreaminess and escaping to the unknown.  “Working with Rachel Costanzo is a pocket-sized little dream come true. When she opens her mouth to sing, she instantly adds a dimension and character to the melody that we never imagined was possible,” explains Paynter.  “Voices like hers are rare, and it’s very exciting to see where her journey is going to take her in the coming years.”

Special Interview: Rachel Costanzo

theaussieword.com interviews the lovely Rachel Costanzo.

What can you tell our readers about you? How and where did it all begin?
I am a 16 year old singer songwriter from Melbourne that is working on achieving big and exciting things in the near future. I discovered my love for music at around the age of 5 years old and since then I’ve never been interested in anything else. 
What had you first interested in music?
I remember always watching TV when I was younger and I would always be on youtube looking up different singers and different types of music, so I don’t really have a specific person or artist that has influenced me to get in to music, but if I had to pick someone it would have to be Beyonce. 


Who motivates or influences your quest to make great music?
My motivations and influences that help me create music would have to be through experiences. When I’ve had a rough day I find myself just sitting at the piano belting out a tune. When I’m experiencing different emotions or going though a rough stage in life it’s as though singing just heals everything and picks me back up. 
Do you have any planned tours coming up?
I don’t have any planned tours coming up, but I can see some ahead in the future!  I’ll also be playing at Teen Expo supporting Timomatic at the end of August.
What are some of your biggest goals you hope to accomplish as an artist?
Some of my biggest goals I want to achieve as an artist are to release an album and get radio airplay. It’d be a dream come true to meet and perform with other mind-blowing artists in the world, and last but not least to be able to sing to thousands of people that know me, and are in the room to hear ME sing. 
What can fans expect from you in the coming months?
Fans can expect to see a lot more of me performing and recording. A lot of exciting things are happening at the moment, as mentioned, I have a gig at TEEN EXPO on the 29th, 30th and 31st of August – I’ll be performing on all three days. 
Success, what is the secret to it and what has been your biggest career highlight so far?
I believe success is mainly about hard work and a bit of luck. I always tell myself to stay true to who I am and to always be humble and good things will come in time. 
Which stars of the music industry do you find inspiring?
I am inspired daily by Jessie J, Rhianna, Ellie Goulding and The Script. Their music and the way they all perform really inspires me and overall just makes me feel soo happy and I guess as an artist myself, my biggest aim is to get people inspired, feel happy and to connect with me and my music. 
How would you best describe you and your music to your fans?
I would describe my music to be pop music.
What can you tell us about your latest album?
My latest single is about that feeling that we all get when something or someone comes out of nowhere unexpectedly and it changes your life. Blindside is about how you weren’t looking for love, but it came and found you. It hit you from your Blindside. 
The music industry is huge, where do you see yourself a few years from now?
In a few years from now I see myself traveling the world, touring through every country performing my albums and seeing the smiles on the faces of all my fans. 
Name a few of your favourite Aussie artists.
A few of my favourite Aussie artists would firstly be Michael Paynter, and Guy Sebastian. These two artists have worked extremely hard for their careers and have achieved soo much. I am soo inspired by how humble they are to everyone and their energy when they perform. 
The shape of the music industry has changed significantly over the years, including the use of social media, how do you feel about the industry as a whole and what does it mean to you in getting your records out into the public eye?
I believe that if artists these days didn’t have the social media that we do now, it would be so hard to get our music out there into the publics eyes and to get noticed for what we love doing. Facebook and Twitter have really helped me get my music in to the publics eye. I think of social media as my backbone at this point in time because if it wasn’t for Facebook and twitter my music wouldn’t be known as much and seen as much as it has been. Getting my music out there to the world really means the world to me, I put my heart and soul in to writing music and it’s always a great feeling getting something back in return. Hearing that people are enjoying my music really makes me soo happy and grateful. 

Thank you for the interview! What can you leave fans of theaussieword.com with here today?
THANKS FOR HAVING ME!

New Music: Rachel Costanzo ‘Blindside’

Sixteen year old Melbourne pop diva, Rachel Costanzo has announced the release of her debut single, Blindside available on iTunes now.  Co-written and produced by the talented Michael Paynter and Michael DeLorenzis at MSquared Productions, the single is lifted from Rachel’s forthcoming EP set to hit stores later this year.

“Releasing my first single feels like a dream come true,” says Rachel,  “I put a lot of hard work in to this song and to share it with the world was my one wish.”

With an impressive belting vocal performance, an infectious melody and a strong beat, Blindside is an obvious pop smash that has been receiving early spins at Australian commercial radio.  The video clip was conceptualised by Jordan Merry and produced by Peter John and has already garnered a notable 16,000 plus views.

“The lyrics are about a special someone who has changed my life incredibly,” explains Rachel “but I’m hoping most people will be able to relate to my song in different ways because in life anything can hit you from your blindside.”

The Caulfield Grammar student’s ambition to make it in the music industry has seen her gigging consistently for the last few years, on our screens in television ads and on popular Aussie drama, Neighbours.  Rachel has also spent time in Los Angeles studying music and theatre at the respected Hollywood Immersive program and took part in a production of Sunset Boulevard working with Eva Mendes.

“I’ll find any excuse to write and play. Music is what motivates me everyday. I’ll avoid other things I don’t want to do – which sometimes includes my school work – but if it’s related to music, I’m right there.”