Rachael Yamagata

Husky-voiced singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist Rachael Yamagata was born on September 23, 1977 in Arlington, Virginia. Her father is a Japanese-American attorney and Harvard graduate who works in Washington, D.C. while her mother is a German-Italian artist and painter based in New York City. Rachael has a twin brother named Benji. Her half brother Josh Ruben is an actor and director. Yamagata's parents divorced when she was two years old. She graduated from the Holton-Arms School for Girls in Bethesda, Maryland. Rachael attended both Vassar and Northwestern University. Yamagata was a vocalist for the Chicago, Illinois funk-fusion band Bumpus for six years. In 2001 she left the group to pursue a solo career. Yamagata released her self-titled debut EP in October, 2002. This was followed by her first full-length album "Happenstance," which was released in June, 2004 on the RCA label. A gifted musician with a special knack for mature and thoughtful lyrics, Yamagata alternates betw