Rachel Warkentin, known musically as Rachella Wred, began singing in her crib before she could even talk. She started playing music at an early age before discovering her love of songwriting. In 2014, she appeared in the 200th episode of the TV show Supernatural, being featured in the episode’s musical cover of the Kansas song “Carry On Wayward Son”. Rachel made the transition from the West Coast, moving to Canada’s capital city where she studied voice and performance, graduating with a Bachelor of Music Honours degree. She has been working on writing and recording original music for the past few years and released her first project in the fall of 2020. Returning to her childhood home in British Columbia during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Rachel found herself drawn to the sounds of her surroundings and the stories of the natural world. Picking up the acoustic guitar as a hobby during this time gave her the space to explore these stories while refining her artistic voice through folk music and songwriting. She released the rich and contemplative single “Warmer Light” in the fall of 2022 and “Ever Since You’ve Been Gone” in February of 2024, which she both co-arranged and co-produced.
Written around intimate endings and beginnings, Rachella Wred’s debut album Leave The Light On is set to be released in April 2025. This collection of songs split between the ambience of the Montreal bustle and the pull of the Pacific Ocean, explores honest heartbreak, loneliness, growing pains, and the challenges of navigating life alone in a fast-moving world.
Name:
Rachella Wred
Genre:
Indie/Folk
Founded:
I started releasing music under Rachella Wred about a year and a half ago
# of Albums:
My debut album Leave The Light On is coming out on April 25th, 2025
Latest Single:
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Tom Odell’s record Long Way Down from 2013
Favourite musician now:
I always go back to Big Thief
Guilty pleasure song:
Not really guilty but doing mirror choreography to “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer
Live show ritual:
Ginger lemon tea and rapping my own lyrics in my head
Favourite local musician:
I played a show with E. Roslyn last year and was mesmerized by her cover of Pete Seeger’s “My Dirty Stream (The Hudson River Song)”
EP or LP?
LP
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird
Road or studio?
Honestly probably writing
Any shows or albums coming up?
Yes! My LP Leave The Light On will be coming out on April 25th, 2025. And I’ll be playing some Canadian shows this spring/summer with an album release show in Montreal on May 6th.
Where can we follow you?
@rachellawred everywhere! Here is the Linktree.
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Banh Mi at Thé Perlé Banh Mi on St Denis
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Rue Drolet between Mont-Royal and Duluth in the summer because of all the colourful houses and balcony gardens with vines draped across.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Parc Mont Royal but specifically the cemetery on the Outremont side because you can’t hear the bustle of the city from up there
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
I love Bar le Ritz
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Steve’s Music Store!
