RACHAEL & VILRAY - NEW ALBUM WEST OF BROADWAY OUT AUGUST 1

West of Broadway, the third album from vocalist Rachael Price (also of Lake Street Dive) and guitarist/singer/songwriter Vilray, is an exquisitely out-of-time vision of their beloved New York City, out August 1 on Concord Jazz. Upcoming tour dates include Newport Jazz Festival on August 1, The Ford in Los Angeles on October 26, and The Town Hall in New York City on November 18. Fans can access presale tickets beginning Monday, June 9th at 10am local time. General on sale begins Thursday, June 12th at 10am local time. 

West of Broadway unfolds in a series of sharply-drawn vignettes—offbeat tales of love and heartache along city streets—inspired by a recent fascination with classic musicals.  “There’s so much imagery in the lyrics, and I think a fun way to listen to the record would be to go for a walk and let the songs play out like a little movie in your mind,” says Rachael.  

Pre-order / pre-save West of Broadway here, and watch the video for “Love Comes Around,” one of the first songs written for the album.  “Love Comes Around” is out now on all streaming platforms.  

 “That song was a commission from a widower who thought he was done with love but then fell in love again,” Vilray recalls. “As I was writing, I could hear an arrangement that had the colors of West Coast cool—something angular with rich harmonies and vibraphone instead of piano, which adds a bit of a penthouse jazz flavor.” A trained jazz singer, Rachael lights up the song. “Once I figured out how to get the phrasing in the pocket, I could focus on bringing out the character of the lyrics,” she says. “It’s a very joyously written melody, and if you get out of the way it almost sings itself.”  The song also features Warren Wolf on vibraphone. 

Since their formation in 2015, Brooklyn-based duo Rachael & Vilray have achieved a certain timeless quality with their singular take on traditional pop. Like all of the duo’s output to date—including their 2019 self-titled debut, hailed by NPR as “Tin Pan Alley meets the Lower East Side in a smoky bar,” and its 2023 follow-up I Love A Love Song!—the album finds Rachael & Vilray working with arranger Jacob Zimmerman and producer Dan Knobler.  

 Recorded at Sear Sound in New York City, West of Broadway features saxophonist Steve Wilson (Chick Corea’s Origin sextet) and drummer John Riley (Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie). “Instead of attempting to recreate a big band section with a smaller number of musicians, I wanted to get a little wild and slightly weird with the instrumentation and trust that it would make for an interesting record,” says Vilray, who composes all of Rachael & Vilray’s material.  

“Going into the studio, there was a bit of a question as to whether we could bring together all these different elements that aren’t really connected, like West Coast jazz and Broadway musicals and all the crazy characters and flavors within the songs,” says Vilray. “But it showed us that even if the themes don’t feel unified at first, they’ll feel unified by the end—just as long as you’ve done your work, and you’ve got a room full of great musicians to knock the whole thing out of the park.”