Rachel Platten Can’t Wait to Meet Fans & ‘Give Them Hugs’ on First Headlining Tour
It's been just two months since Rachel Platten released Wildfire -- her third studio album and home to breakout track "Fight Song" -- but that doesn't mean she's not already thinking about her next…
It’s been just two months since Rachel Platten released Wildfire — her third studio album and home to breakout hit “Fight Song” — but that doesn’t mean she’s not already thinking about her next collection of songs.
“I’m writing all the time, even if it’s just singing a melody into my iPhone,” she told Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast just days before heading out on her very first headlining tour (listen to her full interview below, beginning at the 30:30 mark). “It’s hard for me not to be creating all the time. It’s how I process what I’m going through. My songs are like journal entries a lot of the time.”
That writing and recording process won’t slow down as she makes her way across the country for the Wildfire Tour, which kicked off in Dallas on Feb. 26 and goes through early April (the remaining tour dates are listed below). “I’m gonna bring my little mobile studio setup, and we have a lot of downtime, like in the mornings before — actually, I say that now and I have no idea if that’s true!” she laughed.
While it’s her first headlining tour, Platten has plenty of experience out on the road, opening for Andy Grammer, Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri over the years. She kept an especially close eye on Perri during the Girls Night Out, Boys Can Come Too tour in 2015 and hopes to emulate the “A Thousand Years” singer on her own jaunt.
“I love how she was the boss in charge of her band, but also made sure to take downtime and appreciate the moments off. Although when it came time to work, she wasn’t afraid to kind of own it and be in charge. I think, as a woman, sometimes we back down to other people’s opinions, and it’s hard to be like, ‘I’m the boss. I run this ship.’ And I loved watching her do that. I loved how she created the energy for her band and her team, and it seemed to translate onstage too. You know, when you create a positive, beautiful place for your bus and for your crew and for your team and treat everyone with respect and make sure everyone feels well taken care of but also is ready to work hard, I think that translates to the energy of the live show being kick-ass.”
Pop Shop Podcast: Rachel Platten & MAX Interviews, Oscars Recap, Adele’s Historic No. 1 Reign
Also kick-ass: Platten’s beatboxing skills, which she picked up thanks to an iconic 1998 album. “I was obsessed with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and [‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’] starts with a beatbox, and I would listen to that track over and over until I could learn how they’re beatboxing, because a lot of the guys in my high school used to freestyle and I wanted to hang out with them at the parties. … I didn’t want to freestyle, but I learned to beatbox and then I got to hang out.” So will fans hear any beatboxing on tour? “Maybe,” she laughed.
Mostly, Platten is pumped to hit the road so she can meet each and every fan who took her to the top of Billboard‘s Adult Pop Songs chart with both “Fight Song” and latest hit “Stand by You.”
“I’m excited to see: Who are these people that helped these songs get out into the world? Because it wasn’t from the industry,” she said. “It wasn’t like the industry decided, ‘You need to hear about Rachel.’ It was fans who decided that and made it too loud, made too much noise for anyone to ignore anymore. So I can’t wait to meet them all and give them hugs.”
Here’s where you can collect your hugs from Rachel:
March 4 — Orlando, FL, Cheyenne Saloon
March 7 — Charlotte, NC, Amos’ Southend
March 8 — Philadelphia, PA, The Trocadero Theatre
March 10 — New York, NY, Irving Plaza
March 12 — Boston, MA, Royale
March 14 — Washington, D.C., 9:30 Club
March 15 — Millvale, PA, Mr. Smalls Theatre
March 16 — Toronto, Canada, The Opera House
March 18 — Detroit, MI, St. Andrew’s Hall
March 19 — Chicago, IL, Park West
March 20 — Minneapolis, MN, Mill City Nights
March 22 — St Louis, MO, The Ready Room
March 23 — Lawrence, KS, Liberty Hall
March 25 — Englewood, CO, Gothic Theatre
March 26 — Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot
March 28 — Vancouver, Canada, The Vogue
March 29 — Portland, OR, Wonder Ballroom
March 30 — Seattle, WA, The Showbox
April 4 — San Francisco, CA, The Regency Ballroom
April 5 & 6 — Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre
April 8 — Albuquerque, NM, Isleta Resort & Casino
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