Spotlight On Rechelle
Rechelle, who at the tender age of 27 is a respected singer, dancer, actor, and commercial model. She recently sat down to talk to City Hub about her career, her dreams for the future and the release of her new single Lush.
Her passion for performance was cemented at the age of 7 when she was cast in the live theatre production of Annie The Musical and soon after in Billy Elliot The Musical.
“My parents said I could sing and dance long before I could walk and talk. They took me to lessons and auditions as a young child and they were so supportive,” reminisced Rechelle. “These experiences shaped what I wanted to do. There’s never been a period in my life when I’ve not been in love with performing. I knew when I was lucky enough to keep working as a child that it would transition into my adult career.”
When asked whether the music industry is a hard industry to break into Rechelle paused momentarily.
“I’d be lying if I said no. A few months ago I thought that releasing my first single was never going to happen so it proves that if you work hard towards something nothing is impossible. I’m used to the ups and downs, the highs and lows and setbacks but thankfully, I’ve had a successful 10 plus years as a performer so I know it’s reachable and I’m willing to do the hard work.”
Being a dancer and a lover of music in general, she said that her personal favourite genres of music are funk, r&b, soul, and pop so her music represents all of these under the pop umbrella.
“I’m a professional dancer, singer, and actor so I consider myself an all-rounded artist. I would love to compare my artistry with somebody who is a triple threat artist – they’re the ones who have moved me most and I want to move audiences the same way. I would love to be on the scale of a performance artist.”
But Rechelle is no novice to the entertainment world. She had roles in Fame, A Chorus Line and Aladdin The Musical and was also in the original cast of Velvet The Show with Marcia Hines.
She has danced alongside many prominent artists on stage and in music videos including Ricky Martin, Bruno Mars, and Delta Goodrem, as well as dancing on Xfactor, The Voice, AGT, and The Masked Singer.
She was the backing vocalist for Danny Minogue’s supporting act, Take That the Australian Arena tour and also for Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy.
Rechelle also toured extensively for Blanc De Blanc, a world class cabaret touring show. “ It was the best discovery of my career because it introduced me to circus and fringe festivals where artists do one woman shows, acting, cabaret and burlesque. It’s so crazy that I’ve been in this industry all my life and I never knew that side existed.”
Rechelle loves performing and explained that she doesn’t get any other fire, electricity, or adrenaline as when she’s performing for an audience on stage.
“My favourite aspect in performing is when I see the audience feeding off what I’m doing. That has come from years of experience. When I see them connecting to what I’m doing I know I’m doing a good job. I’ve had tough audiences which were hard to get on my side and when I did eventually – my god! That’s my favourite feeling!”
Her new single Lush is going live on all online music streaming platforms on Friday, July 14th. She worked closely with a producer and co-writer and explained that the song can be interpreted in many different experiences.
“I wanted to create a vibe of lush – lush to me represents sensuality not sexuality. It’s an essential experience for all the senses. That’s what my future album will be called when it comes out in a few months and my first proper concert will be a lush experience.”
Rechelle’s ultimate goal as a performer would be to have a concert tour. “Let’s dream and say world tour! Even if I get to tick off just one concert in my life that people come to…goodness, that would be insane!”
And if the opportunity arose would you head off to further your career in America?
“Absolutely! I have travelled with different shows all my career but it is hard to leave home and family, especially when Australia is such an incredible place to live. It’s inevitable as I feel the goal I want to achieve is not really possible from Australia. I want to go hard and try to get to the bigger stage in that global market.”
She was quick to respond when asked the importance of family time away from the stresses of the entertainment world. “ They are an extension of me and I have a really close relationship with my family. I really hope my sisters are ready to leave their lives and come on tour with me! It’s hard being away from them. It’s my favourite coming home to the madness – we’re a crazy household of all Lebanese performers. It’s so loud all the time!” laughed Rechelle.
Rechelle’s debut single Lush is available on all online music streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, & deezer, from Friday, July 14
