Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Cartwright. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

While I love all of our songs, “Prove You Wrong,” which is currently our most played song, stands out as exceptionally meaningful. I (Rachel) was bullied several times in my life, especially in high school. Their relentless, heartless words and actions inspired the song’s lyrics. Moreover, the recording process went really smoothly. We worked with Barry Magner at ROFO Records. His engineering gave the song an aggressive edge and creative depth. The rest of the band played their parts well. We were all immensely happy with the final version of the song.

The song’s edgy feel and vulnerable lyrics allow me to process my difficult experiences with bullying. However, several individuals from around the world have identified with the lyrics and found solace amid their own interpersonal turmoil. Whether through TikTok videos, social media comments, or direct messages, several have thanked us for providing them with a song that makes them feel like they belong somewhere, despite the bullies in their lives. The song has been streamed over 240,000 times on Spotify. It makes me happy to see that so many from around the world are able to sing these lyrics loudly and proudly. It has become an anthem!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Atypical is a hard rock/alternative metal band based in Kansas City, Missouri. We are part of an aggressive genre, but we write positive lyrics that promote themes like searching for higher meaning, rising above the bullying of others, and surviving trauma and abuse. Our message runs counter to what our genre typically focuses on, making us atypical. In addition to our positive message, we write music that combines unique elements. For example, we incorporate Van Halen-esque guitar solos, advanced bass playing (soloing and slapbass), modern effects, and unique chord shapes into our music. Additionally, our songs run from soft and melodic to fast and heavy. We try to make each song unique, and we love experimenting with creative new approaches. However, we seek to keep the lyrics meaningful and relatable to our fans. Overall, we want our fans to sense in our music that they truly matter. With Atypical, they have somewhere to belong, no matter what lies the bullies have told them.

If you want to check out our music, you can find Atypical on all major streaming platforms. You can check out our website at https://www.atypicalband.com/.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Like all bands, we love playing in front of crowds and getting streams on social media. However, nothing brings us more joy than hearing how our lyrics positively impact our fans. We have received many messages from fans about how our music encouraged them during tough times. These messages motivate us to keep going and write more music.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society has never been kind to artists. Indeed, there is much truth behind the “starving artist” expression. Despite the financial hurdles, most artists seek to express their questions and feelings in meaningful, creative, and original ways. However, it is challenging to create inspiring art sustainably when primary distribution channels provide artists with virtually no income. Moreover, today’s tough economic conditions limit the creativity of many artists with smaller followings because they cannot make ends meet.

There are no easy answers to deal with this prevailing problem. However, society could at least encourage streaming platforms to give artists a fairer income. Also, it helps bands tremendously when fans attend shows and buy merchandise. I think it is safe to say that all bands feel the same!

That being said, Atypical will continue to write music we believe in. We have always done this, and we will continue writing creative music with sincere lyrics grounded in our beliefs and values.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atypicalband.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypical_band
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtypicalRockBand/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@atypicalband
• Other: Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/atypicalband

Image Credits

Ashley Pointer