We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Peters. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
I mean, story of my life. I’ve always had big feelings, being the youngest of five kids, and two wonderful, yet emotionally unavailable, parents. My feelings were, and still are, just a lot, all the time. Growing up in the Mormon Church, all my peers would tell me to just turn to God. I never felt like even God could understand why I always just felt so deeply. There’s not enough time in a day to unpack that, so I started writing. At first, in journals when I was younger, and I would write little stories, as my imagination would take off. I remember learning about poetry in grade school, and I immediately was like “Yes! Finally, something that really captures how I feel!” From then on, I’ve relied on writing poetry as my coping mechanism, and from there, songs. Music has always been the one thing in this world I felt like understood my big emotions. Music can be big, dramatic, loud, and angry! It can also be fun, happy, and danceable! It can also be tender, somber, sad, and yearning. These emotions we all experience, I always felt them bone deep, no matter what, and I just never felt like anyone in my real life could relate. It’s strange how I’m now able to write songs that make me feel that same way, and seeing, and meeting, people who tell me they feel heard through my songs. That’s the biggest compliment for me, personally. Especially with the variety of emotions, I try not to limit myself to any sort of box- like genre, look, or label. I’m just a fluid being with a lot of feelings, so I always want to be free to express that accordingly. However people are able to relate and see themselves, that is an honor for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Rachel Peters. I’m 24 years old. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. I’m a singer, songwriter, sound engineer, and I am the frontwoman of a band called Valkerie. We’re an alternative rock four piece, and a space where big feelings are to be expressed dramatically. Valkerie also includes Dan Bacon, Jordan VanSise, and Bradley Dirlam. Dan and I produced our entire EP “Prelude”, which is available on all streaming platforms now!
Valkerie initially was a solo project, that then turned into a recording/mixing project. Dan had heard me perform “Chokehold!” at an open mic, after we had recorded another band together. He came up to me all like “Hey, this needs to be a rock song. Can I show you what I hear?” Dan and I had bonded over our love for bands such as Paramore, Wolf Alice, and Halsey, so I knew this was going to be good. The next day he sent me a demo of the song, and, he was right. It was meant to be a rock song. I told him about my project Valkerie, and he urged me to make it a full band. We asked Jordan to join us, with Bradley joining later, and that’s how Valkerie came to be. I’m so grateful to have these guys with me- they are such a big support for me, and they have become my family in the span of a year. To be surrounded with such talent is a blessing.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
October this past year, Valkerie, as a unit, really came to a breaking point. I had received some devastating news concerning my health early in the month, with a difficult procedure following the next week. We had to drop a show 15 minutes before going on the following week. A few days after that, we suddenly lost a dear friend of the band. It was all Earth shattering. The grief was, and still is, intense. I don’t believe in the idea of rock bottom, but I would say that we were pretty close there. My first course of action was dropping a bunch of shows we had scheduled through the end of the year, as well as postponing the release of the EP. It felt like everything we had worked for, and everything I had worked for in my personal life, came crashing down in the matter of weeks. We fell off the face of the Earth for a little bit without explanation- we didn’t know how to move forward. In grief, we found each other, and turned to each other. Dan, Jordan, and I had come together to grieve, and we decided that our friend, would want us to continue. We decided to take it slow. Meeting and playing with Bradley, we came back together. I remember crying at that first rehearsal, knowing that our friend was cheering us on from the other side. The support we received from each other, from our friends, and from the community, was the whole reason we made it to the other side. We were able to reschedule the EP’s release, we have been playing shows again, and we have grown closer as a band. We can’t wait to continue our journey together, we are so proud of everything we’ve been able to accomplish, and we can’t wait to share more with the fans.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think there are things even other creatives don’t understand about the journey! When I say I do everything in Valkerie, I really mean everything. Here’s a little about my background: In June of last year, I graduated college with a degree in Music and Sonic Arts (sound engineering), I’ve been writing songs for a decade, I started playing music at age 11, my first instrument being the flute, and I am self taught on the guitar since age 14. Be prepared, long list ahead. In Valkerie, I write the songs (lyrics and melodies, bringing them to the band to build in full), I sing the songs, I play guitar, I run our social medias (I have a background in social media marketing that has been very helpful), I book the shows, I record and engineer our songs with Dan, I book photographers and videographers for shows, I edit the album artworks, I make show posters, I network for the band (yes, a huge part of the job is showing up for other bands shows), I set up rehearsal times, I coordinate schedules and update the calendar- I did the math not long ago, on average, I spend 60 hours a week on doing a variety of these things. That does not include practicing guitar, or vocal lessons. It’s all a labor of love. I do not get paid to do all these things. Frankly, I’m usually paying to do a lot of these things. However, this is my passion, and what I strive for to do in life. Outside the band, I work another full time job (gotta pay the bills somehow). Yes, I consider what I do a full time job.
A day in the life would look as such, without my clock in job: When I wake up, I start with vocals warm ups. I then check my email for any updates on gigs, opportunities, or marketing. When it comes to marketing, emails, and social media, I check stats in the morning, and everything consistently throughout the day. If we have a gig that night, I will usually practice a song after my personal morning routine. We offer recording, and when Dan and I tag team, I am the primary contact. I’ll take notes on the artist, their sound, their desired sound, and so on. Dan and I go back and forth on edits, so there’s always fresh ears on a mix. I’ll usually listen and edit in the afternoon. I bug Dan a lot with Valkerie and recording. Getting ready for gigs, I’ll post stories of the gig that night, reach out to people interested in going. Check in in the Valkerie chat, see that everyone has what they need (physically, emotionally, and mentally), and check in with the other bands we’re playing with, to make sure they have what they need. I try to be at the venue as early as I can, meeting with the sound engineer before sound check, meeting with the bands as they arrive, setting up the stage for our needs, as well as the other bands. More posts for the other bands playing. Picking up and packing up after the show. Another check in with the bands, and my bandmates, as well as thanking the venue (always thank your engineers and venues).
While this is a lot of hard work physically, it’s also constant work on yourself. Being a songwriter, being in tune with your emotions, mental health, and spirituality is a must. Therapy has always been a helpful tool for me, where I can’t just write it out, on my own. Processing those emotions in therapy helps me further in my songwriting. That being said, being criticized for your art can feel like a attack. After all the blood, sweat, and tears put in, any nay sayers may feel personal. I’ve learned that everyone has different tastes, and I understand my music is not meant for everyone. My music not being for someone’s taste is never about me, and I shouldn’t focus on pleaser the one person, when I have a bunch of people who do enjoy my music. Most importantly, it’s not about the money. I share my heart in my music, and that has no price. I only care to be heard and felt. Not bought. When I say labor of love, I mean that with it’s full definition. I would not spend all these hours if I did not think I had something bad to share. You don’t build skills for over a decade to just rot. I have built my confidence and self esteem to reflect this. All the work you put in yourself, you ultimately put in your art, and it will always show.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://valkerie.bandzoogle.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/valkeriepdx
- Facebook: Valkerie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Valkeriepdx
- Other: valkeriepdx.com is our merch site!
valkerie.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
Full band photos at Mt Tabor, EP cover: Mitchell Meyers
Red and Blue solo at The Six: Alexander Stanford
Blue solo, screaming band pink: McKenzie Scott