Rachel Mallin + The Wild Type

After one too many trips from Columbia to Kansas City and back, Rachel Mallin decided it was time to listen to her heart and follow her muse.
“I realized there was no way I could go to school and keep coming back every weekend,” she said. “This thing was really developing and growing and blossoming, and I wanted to focus on it.”
That “thing” was her music, which was gaining momentum in the local music scene. So after completing her sophomore year at the University of Missouri, Mallin decided to take a year off from college and focus on putting together a band. The impetus: “The Persistence of Vision,” an EP she released in 2014 that got some radio attention from the Buzz (96.5 FM). It played the song “Razorback.”
Her decision has paid off, so far. Her band, the Wild Type, just finished its inaugural EP, and is getting more attention from the local music community.
“Some things that seemed unattainable when I started are actually happening,” she said.
Mallin grew up in a musical family. She started writing songs when she was 12 and was in a couple of bands while attending Oak Park High School. During her senior year she started tinkering with music production on her laptop. After her first year at Mizzou, she spent much of the summer in her mother’s basement recording “Persistence.”
“I was influenced a lot by what I was hearing on the radio and Spotify,” she said. “At the time I kind of related to Lorde and that whole ambient kind of minimal synth pop.”
After the Buzz started playing “Razorback,” the momentum started: “People expected me to play shows.”
She enlisted two friends from high school, bassist Justin Walker and drummer Austin Edmisten, to join her on stage, with a laptop to add other sounds. Their first show was for a Buzz Showcase at the Power and Light District.
“That was a really big show for us,” Mallin said. “We were all pretty terrified and excited. I’m pretty sure the laptop stopped working during the show, so we kind of winged it on the last few songs.
“We all got tired of that. I wanted a real live band.”
After a few hired hands filled in, she found the band’s two newest members: Jesse Bartmess, who joined in October 2015, on synths and keyboards, and Matt Kosinski, whooined this year, on lead guitar. All five coalesced almost immediately.
“It’s a really cool feeling to have a consistent lineup,” she said. “Now everyone is really into it, and we can get really creative and work on making our live performances better.”
The band performed in March at the Midcoast Takeover, a showcase of primarily Kansas City and Lawrence bands at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, and more recently at Ink’s Middle of the Map Fest.
At Middle of the Map, they performed a new track, “I Pick Winners,” a song that illustrated how quickly she and her band can find a creative groove.
“It was like when the process goes so fast and naturally that you almost automatically do the right thing, and you kind of have to get out of the way and not try anything hard and let it evolve naturally,” she said. “It’s so great to be with musicians who feel really comfortable and creative together.”
You can see the creative telepathy and rapport in the YouTube video “Blind Covers No. 4: Rachel Mallin & the Wild Type Cover Cyndi Lauper.” The band was given lyrics to a song they’d never heard before and given an hour to write and record their own version. They got the song “I Drove All Night,” a song recorded by Lauper, Celine Dion and Roy Orbison. Lauper’s version, the best-known, is a buoyant disco-pop tune. Mallin and her band turned it into something darker, stormier and more tragic, and as compelling as the original.
“That was a really good team-building sort of exercise for the semi-new lineup,” Mallin said.
This lineup has been together less than six months, but it is beginning to develop its own sound.
“We kind of want to go the way of, like, surf-pop, with the kind of guitar tones from the ’50s and ’60s,” she said. “Like the first Best Coast album, ‘Crazy for You.’ It’s my favorite. There’s something great about music that’s mercurial and intelligent and substantive but still appeals to a wide audience.”
The band recently finished a four-song EP, “Degenerate Matters.” It has released to radio the single “White Girls,” but for the time being it is sitting on the EP and mulling over the next possible step, including some label shopping.
“Matters” was recorded at Element Recording with Joel Nanos, who, Mallin said, was more than just a producer.
“I’m so happy I met him,” she said. “I learned so much. He probably doesn’t see himself as a teacher, but he taught me so much about music and recording.”
Proof that there’s more than one place and one way to get a good education. - Kansas City Star (Tim Finn)

Rachel Mallin slips into frame looking every bit a college sophomore in her hoodie and jeans. It’s early spring, a month before she turns 20. Taking a seat, she apologizes — in between studying for school and prepping for SXSW, free time is in short supply.
Wait, what?
“I got invited last week to play at this coffee shop at SXSW,” she explains with Midwestern demureness.
OK, slow down.
The Kansas City, Mo. native has been playing music since she was a child.
“Both of my brothers were drummers, so our house wasn’t ever quiet. But I just wanted to be a different kind of obnoxious and loud person, so I picked up guitar,” she deadpans. She began taking lessons at age 8. At 15, an instructor introduced her to blues guitar, an influence keenly apparent in her current music.
Around the same time, Mallin formed a “two chick lead singer alt rock band” dubbed Faithful Distortion. The quintet played such venues as the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, giving Mallin her first taste of success and getting her foot in the doorway of the local music scene. (Around this time, Mallin began producing, too).
Mallin started writing songs at age 10. “My inner monologue started bubbling over with angstiness and sassiness,” she says with a laugh. “So I channeled that into writing songs, and that evolved over time with the influence of different life experiences and artists.”
She uses the word “evolved” with great frequency which proves telling of her understanding of her burgeoning career. Despite her ever-rising profile in the Midwest, she refrains from being complacent and considers herself to be always learning and fine-tuning her sound. As the conversation flows from gushing over her influences (Death Cab for Cutie, Billy Joel and Robert Frost, to name a few) to weighing the challenges of the school-music balance, her speech, like her success, is rapid.
She punctuates her sentences with profanity, yet she is impeccably polite. Her Missouri upbringing has clearly ingrained in her a sense of humility; just months later, she’d open for Metric, the Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy)-winning synth-rock band, yet she’s bashful when she’s asked about the moment she felt she “made it.”
Her manager, Ethan Wilson, “[initially] thought [Mallin] was going to be pretentious … or really stuck up when it came to her music, but she wasn’t at all.”
Wilson first met Mallin when the two were students at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. At the time, he worked for Greenlight, a music management group formed by a handful of MU students. In addition to designing the artwork for Mallin’s debut EP, “The Persistence of Vision,” he helped craft her sound, a blend that’s equal parts Halsey and Florence + the Machine. While the two have both left MU and Greenlight to pursue careers in the music industry (Wilson spent a summer interning at Interscope Records and was heavily involved with Interscope’s spin-off label, Cherrytree Records), Wilson remains Mallin’s manager and one of her close friends.
“We still talk to each other as much as possible, but sometimes it’s a little difficult since we’re both so busy. Whenever I ask her a question through text, she’s usually like, ‘Wait, are you asking as my friend or are you asking as my manager?’” says Wilson via email from Los Angeles.
Spencer Westphalen, a founding member of Greenlight and Mallin’s ex-bandmate (and ex-boyfriend), also played an integral role in Mallin’s musical development. Westphalen served as the drummer for Dangerfield, a “classic-rock, indie-pop fusion” band for which Mallin sang lead vocals. (Dangerfield would go on to tour the Midwest for a year and a half before its band members parted ways in the summer of 2015).
Westphalen remains close friends with Rachel, calling her “an amazing, kind-hearted person.”Yet despite her rosy demeanor, the now- 20-year-old Mallin is honest and level-headed when it comes to the pratfalls of being a starving artist.
“You spend lots of money on recording, equipment, cigs and coffee [as a musician],” she says, shifting her tone from youthful excitement to mature realism. “Money is the only thing that’s ever made me question being a musician.” She pauses, then adds: “[Up-and-coming] musicians aren’t paid shit.”
In the spring of 2015, Mallin decided to leave MU to pursue music full time; she’d previously considered transferring to a school in Nashville, Tenn. to study music production.
“There are so many pros and cons to both ways … school would’ve been [one] way to get my foot in the door [of the industry],” yet even with a degree, many students “can’t get a damn job. I’d hate blowing 30 grand with no job,” she explains.
Yet every time Mallin performs with her live band, Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type, and connects with the crowd, all her toiling away into the wee hours of the morning, all her meticulous recording and re-recording, all her drafting of lyrics, all her tweaking of melodies, all the nights she’s made pennies for a full set, “it [makes] the past 10 years worth it.”
“That’s what music’s all about, making connections. That’s what’s so damn beautiful about it. You put all your emotional shit out there and the audience is like, ‘That’s so fuckin’ true!’” she says, the excitement once again surging in her voice.
She’s currently touring relentlessly and working on her next EP (She released her newest single, “Something Wicked,” last September, right around the first anniversary of her debut EP’s release). With the unfettered dreams of an amateur and the insight of a seasoned pro, she continues to make her mark in the music world.
“I don’t think [Mallin] needs a lot of advice,” says Dave Kemper, a fellow ex-Columbia, Mo. music scenester and onetime collaborator. “She was 18 when I first met her — you usually don’t meet someone as talented as a musician that young. She’s extremely sure of herself.”
“At the age of 20, I’m ready to put all my eggs in one basket,” says Mallin. - Phonographic Magazine

Rachel Mallin is a self-produced singer/songwriter that finds it difficult to comply within the restrictions of one genre. Whether it’s her self-proclaimed A.D.D. tendencies or another likeable force blending sounds, Mallin has a way with uniting the unlikely. Check out Rachel’s EP here.

You’re a proud, KC-born lady; what KC artists have inspired your music? How has KC helped your music develop?
Growing up in Kansas City I was heavily influenced by the Jazz and Blues scenes that we’re known for. I learned blues guitar from the lead singer of a local band called Blue 88 and came up admiring other KC natives like Count Basie, Big Joe Turner and Janelle Monae. This year I began collaborating with musicians from local bands like Rev Gusto, Crystal Baller and the guitarist from Clairaudients. Altogether these guys have vastly expanded my awareness of the local scene; it’s an experience that has supplemented my creativity and stylistic approach to music writing, production and promotion.

“The Persistence of Vision” EP was written, produced, mixed and mastered in only a summer. How did you gather the energy to complete everything?
I did the writing, recording, production, and mixing. (A mentor of mine by the name of Wil Reeves at Centro Cellar Studios in Columbia, MO did the mastering.) I have no idea how I found the energy. I was coasting in the wake of my first year at college; a year where I had experienced more emotional growth than I had in the last five years. I learned so much about people, music, myself and the world in one year and it kind of spring-boarded me into a summer of creative/music-induced isolation.

How did you get into producing and mixing? What were your programs and equipment of choice for the Persistence EP?
I discovered GarageBand my senior year of high school. I started out doing simple instrumentals using some of my brother’s old microphones from his recording set ups. Eventually I started composing scores for my friend’s short films and documentaries and started investing in more equipment. I upgraded to Logic Pro X, bought a vocal condenser mic, and my freshmen year of college, I started integrating songwriting with my recording/producing.

What’s your technique for avoiding the occasional inner-battle of wearing all the hats?
I would say recording the actual parts can be the most tedious. I’ve always been kind of a control freak when it comes to sound, so it’s nice getting to work in isolation. But, I do encourage the contribution of others’ ideas because an unbiased third party listener is a healthy method to refrain from being stuck inside your own box of musical perception. My favorite part is when you know that you’re done with it; you burn it onto a CD and drive around for a bit to car test it.

“Sleep Easy” off your EP clearly harbors some raw emotion. What stirred things up for you in this tune?
I was getting over a destructive habit of projecting my own fabricated ideas of a person onto the surface of someone I didn’t know all that well. The idea being that you know the person you made up in your head doesn’t exist in reality, but when you’re in love with the idea of them – you’ll project it onto any stranger you can’t have for the purpose of keeping it alive.

You have some different genres morphing together in some of your tunes; what do you envision your music style to be like in the next five years?
As a musician who was raised on the blues, I will always surrender to it when I have the opportunity. At the same time, I’d love to take my new material in the modern direction of Indie Synth-pop while still making a point to preserve the raw quality of soul. - Demencha Magazine

Indiepop artist, Rachel Mallin, has an incredible ability to connect with her fans. The singer/producer based out of Kansas City is a self-made producer on her own record, as her most recent EP, The Persistence of Vision, was written, recorded and produced in the confines of her own musical dojo, bringing listeners a personal exploration into her music.

Current Single: “Razorback”

How did you get your start in music?

“I had previously been writing songs and contributing vocals, keys, and guitar in alternative rock bands around the Kansas City, MO and Columbia, MO area. It wasn’t until this past year that I really picked up a knack for individually arranging and producing whole tracks that took on a more indie pop vibe. Since then I’ve produced and released an EP titled “The Persistence of Vision.”


What has been the highlight of your career so far?

“Probably the release of this EP. It’s gained more popularity and attention than any music I’ve ever released, and I definitely think it’ll be the key to open up performance and promotion opportunities I didn’t have before.”


Why should people listen to you? What makes you different?

“Indie Synthpop is a genre that’s sort of come to the forefront of musical mainstream in the last year or two. In fact, that’s the cool thing about being alive and active in the world of music today: you get to see all these sort of hybrid music genres popping up all over the place. I’ve gotten lost so many times in listening to “off-the-beaten-path” synthpop musicians, and typically after a while, I feel kind of numb to all of it. The EP I made this summer wasn’t made to be something that sounds cool underneath the hum of conversation at a party, or to be recycled as the hook of an EDM remix. I made something that’s meant to be shouted along to while you’re driving around town at night with the windows down, because you just got your heart broken, or you feel like you don’t fit in. Or maybe even because you’re overwhelmed by how wonderful and scary everything is all at the same time. It’s headed in the modern direction of indie music, without the suppression of emotion that manifests itself in the lyrical aspects of todays’ mainstream music.” - Highlight Magazine

Rachel Mallin & The Wild type is constantly changing. The difference between their EP (released just a year ago) and their latest single, “Drop Out,” is staggering. The band never seems to be complacent with their music, which is, in my opinion, a great place to be as an artist. “Drop Out” feels more fleshed out, more realized than their previous material, which is not an indictment of their older stuff so much as indication of their ability to push themselves. - Mills Record Company

With the Crossroads Music Fest on the horizon, some of the great concerts this week might get lost in the wash. That said, leading to Saturday, on Saturday, and after Saturday, there are a slew of concerts to catch. One of these is at miniBar on Friday. The show will feature some of the most accomplished synth pop and indie pop acts of the area and elsewhere: Dreamgirl, Fine Animal, and Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type. Each group brings a unique sound to the stage.
Beginning the night, Dreamgirl will surely become your next music crush. The St. Joe six-piece blends clean pop and beachy vibes to create songs that have a nostalgic undertone to their freshness. On record, each song of their Illuminaughty EP bubbles with a sweet and complicated tone. On stage, the band is tight and commanding. Despite their technical proficiency, Dreamgirl seems rather relaxed on stage. And this juxtaposition perfectly describes their sound: on the hand it is rich and full but on the other it is laid back and fun. In any case, Dreamgirl is an act you do not want to miss.

Along the same line as Fine Animal, Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type mixes the tense pop of M83 with the RnB infused melodies of alunageorge. The singer-songwriter layers her voice well to create hazy and stunningly beautiful harmonies and complex vocal rhythms. Likewise, the instrumental tracks beneath Mallin’s voice combine to create soundscapes that move from tense and ominous to cool and aloof quickly. The overlaying of these sonic textures makes for songs that wrap themselves around you and linger there for a while. As complex as Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type’s sound is on record, it will be interesting to see how the band recreates it on stage. - Mills Record Company

This is the last month recordBar will be at its current location, and it is definitely going out with a bang. Featuring a smattering of local and national talent, recordBar has a calendar full of great shows. One of those shows will celebrate the release of The Record Machine‘s compilation How to Keep Dreaming Vol. 1. The show will include compilation contributors: Pink Royal, Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type, and the author and the illustrator. Each band occupies a different part of the sonic stratosphere–which all but guarantees a truly eclectic show.
Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type has a synth-pop sound reminiscent of Imogen Heap and Florence and The Machine. That said, the singer-songwriter and her band do more than rehash explored territory. Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type arrange songs that slowly flex into dramatic arcs to create atmospherically tense moments. The band’s latest single (included on The Record Machine’s compilation), “Something Wicked,” continues this trend. Its juxtaposition between brooding melodies and bright synths gives it perfect balance. - Mills Record Company

#24 RACHEL MALLIN & THE WILD TYPE – PERSISTENCE OF VISION [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
It wouldn’t be a surprise if a majority of the songs on this EP turned out to be heavily inspired by Lorde’s “Pure Heroine”. Mallin recorded, mixed, mastered and produced this EP complete with drum samples, synths, multiple layers of effects and cleverly stacked vocals. It’s got a dark and laid-back vibe, with the exception being the song “Sleep Easy” which finds Mallin exploring with more live instrumentation, distorted vocals and a lil’ rock and roll. – AE - Demencha Magazine

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli's 2015 Year End Poll for emerging local artists!

After tallying our editors’ ratings for the Open Submissions stage, it’s time to release the results. Please note that to avoid conflicts, no local editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene:

Jurors: QD (The Deli Philadelphia), Jordannah (The Deli San Francisco), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

1) Earth Spun Occupants - Sun Songs & Moon Rhythms

2) Toughies - What Are Hands For

3) Rachel Mallin + The Wild Type - Dropout - The Deli Magazine

t Crossroads KC, Rachel Mallin and he Wild Type delivered a brief but triumphant set. They’re a five-piece Kansas City band, and their music is a catchy blend of indie-rock and -pop.
Mallin, who recently turned 21, is an engaging and seasoned performer and a commanding lead singer. Her voice is agile and powerful and perfectly suited for the band’s melodic, radio-ready pop tunes, which are instantly winsome. Her between-song personae, which is bright and smart, adds another element to their live performances. This is a band with all the right components in place: clever songwriting, polished musicianship and a leader who can charm a crowd. Keep an eye on them; their star is rising. - Kansas City Star (Tim Finn)

Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type is a Kansas City based indie rock band. Rachel recently discussed her favorite songwriters, lyrical inspiration and the love she has for her band. Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type play CrossroadsKC May 6th as a part of Middle of the Map Fest 2016.

Did you come from a musical family? Were your parents musical?
Yes. My parents dabbled in music during their high-school and undergrad lives, but both ended up pursuing a post-grad education in law. However, both of my older brothers were devoted percussionists for a big part of our childhood, so at the age of 8 I picked up an instrument that would be just as loud and obnoxious to learn as the drums were: the electric guitar.

Who are some of your favorite songwriters and why?
Bob Dylan, James Mercer (The Shins), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab/The Postal Service), Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes), Win Butler (Arcade Fire), and Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend/Dirty Projectors). Each of these songwriters have a distinctive quality that I find when I’m tuning into the lyrics: the ability to match the arrangement and composition of the song to their written lyrics in a way that makes the emotions/meanings of the words sonically tangible. While that is a creative ability that I aspire to learn everyday, each of these songwriters have a poetic sort of honesty about them. You listen, and it doesn’t sound like they feel censored in their expression. I admire the bravery of songwriters who can be vulnerable knowing that such a large audience is listening.

What is your creative approach when writing songs?
Nowadays, every song is a collaborative process between the band and I. Typically, I’ll come into practice with some kind of guitar riff or idea for a hook, and the band begins to arrange their parts around it until we’ve laid out a blue print for the whole song. Sometimes, I’ve already got lyrics written for that particular riff or I start generating ideas for lyrics/melody of lyrics by adlibbing during practice or on my own.

What inspires you lyrically?
People. Interactions with people. Successful relationships. Failed relationships. My family. I usually just keep my ears perked up when I’m around a lot of people in public, because eavesdropping can be the best way to find a really witty quip of a lyric. Currently, my favorite song of ours lyrically would be “Dance Card” and the theme of that song was inspired by my binging of Mad Men for a month straight last summer. I like the old fashioned style of 1950’s-60’s dialect. It kind of reminds me of the way my mom talks, weirdly.

How did Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type first come together?
Well, Rachel Mallin was formed with the mentality of a solo-project when I wrote/recorded/produced the Persistence of Vision EP which leaned far more into the synthpop direction than I was ever used to. The Wild Type came into play when people started inviting me to play shows, and I never wanted to be the kind of musician who just thumbed around on stage with a laptop and a microphone. Justin Walker (bassist) and Austin Edmisten (drummer/back-up vocalist) were both in a band with myself and a few others in high-school, and being well-aware/comfortable with each other’s abilities and style, they were the first guys I invited in on the project. Over time, Jesse Bartmess (keys) and Matt Kosinski (lead guitar) were introduced in the band, and our style began finding a very cool middle ground between synthpop and also sort of a nostalgic 50’s-60’s doo-wop infused rock and roll. I am the luckiest girl in the world to be able to work with some of the most talented, intelligent, compassionate, and encouraging guys I’ve ever met. I owe absolutely everything we’ve achieved thus far to them.

How did the song “St. James” come together?
St. James was more of a production project I was fiddling with last fall, because I was in a season of watching David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” and the soundtrack is just SO COOL. So I kind of ripped off the guitar part in the show’s opening theme, and just began forming a kind of big band/neo-soul environment around it. It’s still in the works to be taken to the live stage, but at the time it was really more of an experiment.

What inspired the song “Dropout?”
I attended The University of Missouri, Columbia for 2 years and during my Sophomore year I was exhausting myself trying to facilitate the development of the band in Kansas City and manage my own academic/personal life 2 hours away in Columbia. I think the more that I was torn away from music to devote my time to studying material I wasn’t all that interested in, and being around the kind of superficial social groups, the more I began to resent the university. I left MU at the end of my sophomore year, because I imagined if there was a time for me to put all of my eggs in the music basket, it should be when I’m young and have a chance of going back to school in case music doesn’t work out. Essentially, the song is me being really petty about the privilege I had of attending a really nice school, because I wanted to go play rock ‘n roll.

What have been the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome in your career?
Money. It’s always money. I think I could say the same for everyone in the band. Every penny we make at this stage in the game is essentially going back into recording/developing merchandise/playing out of town shows/promotion/branding/etc. Bands at our level aren’t typically paid very much, because when there’s one band who wants to be paid more for a performance, there’s a hundred other bands who would play a free show just for the purpose of exposure.

What’s your favorite quote or motto? What advice would you give to musicians just starting out?
I think one of my favorite music quotes currently is kind of a lamely relevant one by Prince, “The key to longevity is to learn every aspect of music that you can.” That’s a very important piece of advice I would give to musicians starting out. One thing I would make a point of though is that I’ve struggled for a while with the insecurities of being a musician who’s relied on the validation of public opinion to know whether something I’ve created is up to par or not. And it destroys you. In order to be resilient through the inevitable experience of rejection, you have to channel your initial passion for music that was sparked before you had ever started playing for audiences. Find a way around that ego. And when you do, please give me a call and tell me how you did it. ‘Cause I’m still working on it too. - McClain Johnson

Kansas City native Rachel Mallin has either a) already written or b) about to write your next favorite song. Along with her band The Wild Type (Justin Walker, Austin Edmisten, Jesse Bartmess, Matt Kosinski), Mallin's music combines classic, hook-based songcraft with what she describes as "nostalgic modern-day interpretation of 50s-60s doowop/surfpop music." If the band's latest single, "Dropout," is any indication of the quality we can expect of the forthcoming Degenerate Matters EP, we are truly in for a treat. We are proud to share an interview with Mallin, along with her book, music and movie recommendations, ahead of her Middle of the Map 2016 showcase on May 6.

Please introduce yourself. Where do you live and work?
My name is Rachel Mallin! I currently live in Kansas City, MO. I work at The Bunker in Westport, intern at 825 Studios (also in Westport), and I consider the band a job as well. While it's not exactly a profitable career at this stage, I value getting to do what I'm passionate about more than I care about turning a profit from it.
Describe the musical journey from “The Persistence of Vision” EP to the recent “Dropout” single and the upcoming “Degenerate Matters” EP.

How close are you coming to creating “the most soulfully orchestrated indie pop masterpiece mankind has ever witnessed”?
TPOV was created with a solo project mentality. I wrote, recorded, and produced it in my basement with the help of a little production knowledge I acquired in the preceding year. Limited by my resources at the time, TPOV turned out leaning more in a synth pop direction than I usually prefer when I'm writing music. The live band made up of Justin Walker (bassist), Austin Edmisten (drums), Jesse Bartmess (synth), and Matt Kosinski (lead guitar) was introduced after I released TPOV with the purpose of playing shows. However, when we started writing songs together our distinctive styles as varying musicians evolved our initial genre into a sort of nostalgic modern-day interpretation of 50's-60's doowop/surfpop music. Degenerate Matters is kind of swimming between the worlds of organic and electronic sounds, but the lyrical theme contrasts the somberness of my solo writing in TPOV with a matured, sarcastic and somewhat playfully disdainful approach.

What have you learned from your recent recording experiences that you'll take to future ones?
Degenerate Matters has been recorded/mixed/mastered at Element Recording with Joel Nanos. Joel is a distinguished and highly regarded engineer/producer in the KC music scene, because his production work on records is not only unique, but memorable. While my brain overloads in an attempt to retain mental notes on his various production methods, I've benefitted most from observing how he organizes/anticipates the recording process so that it flows smoothly into the mixing/mastering stages. He goes by the principle of "It's the notes that you don't play", which is the idea of creating space and focus in an arrangement, so that when you enter the mixing stage, the end product can sound cool without needing to layer on/work around too many varying instrument parts in an attempt to sound complex.

Can you point to one time in your life where you knew you wanted to be a songwriter? Who or what inspired you early on to create music?
I can't pinpoint one exact epiphany-like moment where I knew I wanted to be a songwriter, but I imagine it was probably somewhere around the time when 11-year-old Rachel with headphones and a disc-man sang and danced around her bedroom listening to her older brother's CDs. I got my first guitar at 8 years old, and while that's my main songwriting tool - I know that I probably wouldn't have ended up singing at all unless I felt a connection to the words that were in the songs I was singing along to. I never paid as much attention to the vocal quality of a singer, as much as I listened to and had an appreciation for the meaning/feeling they were conveying with their lyrics.

What excites you the most about the Kansas City-area music scene?
The people. I still consider myself kind of a rookie to the scene, and the musicians/bands/listeners/supporters have been some of the most gracious, kind, and encouraging people I've ever met. It's an honor getting to be a part of it, because I learn so much from other bands who have been prevalent in the scene for sometime, all while getting to learn and discover new music that makes its way on to the scene. While I can't predict if KC will be the next Austin, I know there's been a surge in the growth and recognition of our city's music scene in the last 5 years and I'm very excited to see how it develops in years to come.

Rachel's recommendations from the Johnson County Library catalog:
Books:
5 Very Good Reasons To Punch A Dolphin In The Mouth by Matthew Inman
The Mixing Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinki
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Films:
20 Feet From Stardom
Her
The Graduate
Albums:
Con Law by Generationals
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Wildewoman by Lucius
Seeds by TV on the Radio - Bryan Voell - Johnson County Library

Not too long ago, songwriter Rachel Mallin experienced a life-trajectory altering moment straight out of a scripted TV show/movie. Enrolled but perhaps not necessarily engaged at the University of Missouri at Columbia, Mallin got a call from fellow musician Justin Walker saying that a self-produced track of hers was spinning on a hometown radio station in Kansas City.
With that, Mallin left campus and formed Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type to bring her future works to their fullest realizations. The band’s live prowess quickly earned them acclaim in their home scene and opening slots for major acts like Metric and Cold War Kids.
Now, Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type share “White Girls,” the lead single off of their forthcoming debut EP, Degenerate Matters. The breezy indie-rock gem shows off the band’s individual strengths in packing a lot of harmonious ideas into a seemingly simplistic song. Mallin’s airy delivery ratchets up to a powerful closing holler evocative of great singer-songwriters turned bandleaders before her.
Stream Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type’s “White Girls” below and look for Degenerate Matters out 7/29. - Speak Into My Good Eye

There is a certain glimmer and sparkle of sunshine that makes this track a perfect bet for those warm summer nights. - "White Girls" by Rachel Mallin + The Wild Type - Milk Crater

Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type release their debut EP Degenerate Matters on Friday at the RecordBar.

After establishing a reputation as one of the region’s most significant small rock-oriented venues at its initial location in Westport, RecordBar has moved to a larger, two-tiered space downtown.

3 reasons we're listening to Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type this week:

1. Mallin left the University of Missouri to pursue a career in music. The new EP by the college-aged artist indicates her decision might not have been entirely foolhardy.

2. In spite of her tender age, Mallin sounds like an old soul. On Degenerate Matters, she often seems prematurely weary and cynical.

3. Tastemakers such as Brian Clifton of Mills Record Company and Tim Finn of the Kansas City Star have embraced Mallin's music, which evokes indie-pop stars including Florence+The Machine and Feist. - KCUR 89.3

“There’s no promise, there’s no tellin’ / If people’ll buy in what you’re sellin’.”

These lyrics ring through the first verse of Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type’s “Dropout,” the lead single from their debut EP “Degenerate Matters.” The album’s upcoming release signifies the transformation for a young woman who has deliberately forged her own path as a musician.

“I came to terms with the fact that I won’t be in my twenties forever, and may or may not ever have this spark of traction and recognition with music again,” said the 21-year-old songwriter. “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I bypassed this opportunity to finish school when it’s always something I can revisit.”

While she was a sophomore at the University of Missouri, Mallin’s friend (and future bassist in The Wild Type), Justin Walker, interrupted one of her finals to tell her that her song “Razorback” was being played on a radio station in Kansas City. At this point, Mallin was already an established musician, fronting the Columbia-based rock band Dangerfield. Influenced by her two percussionist brothers, she taught herself drums and piano at a young age. She started writing songs at age 12 and began consistently playing in bands in seventh grade. From the ages of 12 to 15, she took guitar lessons from Sue Corbett of Blue 88, to whom she credits for “catching the music bug.”

Mallin began recording and producing original songs as a high school senior, and composed soundtracks for independent films in college. In 2014, she wrote, recorded and produced “The Persistence of Vision” EP, a solo effort that spoke to her synthpop sensibilities and landed her on Kansas City radio. This tenacity and dedication led the undeclared student to leave her collegiate expectations behind, return to her native KC, and form her own band.

Just over a year since she left college, The Wild Type has secured opening slots for national touring acts including The Struts, Metric and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. Mallin’s vocal delivery and penchant for polished hooks makes the band’s music accessible, but thoughtful arrangements and clever rhetoric give it depth. The EP’s final track, “Dance Card,” begins with a shimmering ’60s-influenced pop groove that transitions into darker territory, accentuated by the shifting dissonance of Matt Kosinski’s lead guitar and drummer Austin Edmisten’s backing vocals.

Along with her evolving sense of artistic expression, Mallin attributes much of The Wild Type’s success to each band member’s individual contributions. “It’s strange how quickly we felt a camaraderie after establishing our lineup, and even stranger how our sound has grown and matured at the rate our emotional bond with one another has.” Mallin has collaborated with Walker and Edmisten since they were all teenagers, and found a natural chemistry with Kosinski and synth player/keyboardist Jesse Bartmess.

The release of “Degenerate Matters” presents a unified collective led by a seasoned young songwriter. And though Mallin can’t predict what the future holds, her discipline and conviction foretell great things for the band that bears her name.

“I’ve learned that a career in music is hopeless without a few main ingredients: love for the music you have the privilege of creating, love for the musicians you get to create it with, and love for the people and experiences in this world that give you a reason to create it.”

Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type are releasing “Degenerate Matters” at a special album release show at recordBar this Friday, with special guests Pink Royal and Spirit is the Spirit. More info can be found here and tickets are available here. - 909 News - 90.9 The Bridge

If you like indie pop, then there’s only one place to be this Friday: recordBar‘s new downtown location. Previewed at this past Middle of the Map Fest, recordBar’s revamped look is dark and slick with a stage that surpasses the previous location’s in terms of aesthetic and sound quality. Following this preview, the venue has been putting on pop up events–the most imminent being Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type‘s EP release. Supported by Lawrence friends Spirit is The Spirit and Pink Royal, Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type will tear it up with a full line up of lush indie pop.

Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type is the kind of band that gets better the more they’re played. This is a testament to the band’s ability to craft complex pop gems out of thin air. Each listen reveals something hidden in their hooks. If you caught the band last weekend at Mills Record Company’s Moving Celebration, then you know the five piece can command a stage. With enough energy to power a small city and enough skill to riff with the best, Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type is truly a force on stage. This band not only promises a fantastic future to Kansas City’s music scene but is also delivering that future now. Seriously, catch these cats before they’re playing arenas. - Mills Record Co.

I met with Rachel Mallin of Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type during the peak of one of the hottest days of the midwest summer yet. After hearing her band’s single “White Girls” multiple times on the radio, I was infatuated with her sound and eager to learn more about their new EP Degenerate Matters. I got a peak into the songs on the EP, and was floored. In congruence with her amazingly talented bandmates–Justin Walker (bass), Austin Edmisten (drums/back-up vocals), Jesse Bartmess (synth/keys), and Matt Kosinski (lead guitar)–, Rachel has created an indie pop masterpiece. I would be stunned if it didn’t help her skyrocket to household name status.

Rachel met me at Westport Coffeehouse, where she walked in in a flurry of excitement. She had just been at a show in Lawrence, KS the night before and admitted she was exhausted, but she certainly didn’t look it. Rocker chic in a black t-shirt and jeans, she delved in right away. You could sense the insane amount of pride she has in her work and in her band, and I can’t wait to share it with you all in this very unique–and fun!–interview with Rachel Mallin herself.

If you could introduce your band to our audience in any way, how would you do that?

I’m Rachel Mallin from Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type. If my band could have a giant, grand entranced, it would probably entail some kind of trampoline mechanism on the stage, where we would pop out of holes and there would be a foam pit–like the ones at gymnastic centers–and we would get launched into one of those. I think we are trying really hard to completely embody the “wild” stereotype that I suppose would come with our band name, but it also just sounds really fun. It would be really confusing and probably be a lot to work out, but I’m sure we could do it.

I read that you started writing when you were 12. Was there a moment that you realized this could actually be a career for you?

It’s funny because I had always wanted a career in music. I think initially the reason I was going to school was to get the gen eds out of the way and go to MTSU, which is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It’s a really good school for audio engineering and commercial songwriting. They have a really great percentage of graduates that get jobs out of the program, but it’s not cheap. So I was going to take the school path of learning. That’s a big debate, whether it works better to do that.

I always knew I wanted music to be a part of my career, but ever since I started performing it’s just been something I have been very passionate about. It was probably my sophomore year of college that I was debating whether I wanted to move forward with the schooling path or not. That year was clouded with uncertainty as to whether I wanted to spend money and then perhaps not have a job in such an oversaturated industry, or perhaps if I’d take my more preferred path that would be a lot of risk, but that wouldn’t leave me in the same kind of financial debt. It involved performance and working with musicians, making arrangements of songs. That’s something I’ve always been very passionate about, as opposed to recording someone else’s songs.

I saw your sound described as surf pop, indie pop, and beyond. How would you describe your sound?

I think the songwriting mentality of it is definitely pop-ish. It’s got hooks that are directed towards pop, but as far as what the band and I listen to and what we’re trying to create together, it probably falls more into the vague term of “indie”. The guitar tones of it kind of give it the color of a surf rock, especially when I got really into Motown and soul music. I couldn’t stop doing these weird chords that sounded like it. I think that kind of integrated with the songwriting process in a way that gave it that surfy, beachy, flowy vibe.

You are very well received in the KC music scene. Do you think that there are outlying disadvantages to being located here?

The only thing is I can’t really tell yet. Republic Tigers got out of here because they were signed to Atlantic or Chop Shop Records, and they played very marketable music. Then there’s like Radkey and Madisen Ward & The Mama bear who have band dynamics and stories that are so good that A&R people just eat it up. I know as far as Kansas City, being here is inhibiting in a sense that we don’t have a lot of record labels here. We’ve got some amazing people at The Record Machine who are super supportive of the work and they have helped so many bands here.

But I would say we might have more fans here of the music than music industry components who are in the Kansas City area. People say that the music scene here has developed so much in the last ten years, and it has. I’m not sure if I’ve noticed it because I have been introduced to it on a more personal basis, but it’s definitely growing and our arts and culture scene is more supportive, which is definitely a step in the right direction. Maybe it’s the next Austin?

You guys have opened for a ton of bands. Who has been your favorite to open for, or do you have any personal anecdotes you’d like to share?

I usually get way too scared to talk to people. I need to stop doing that. They’re just people too. I think a lot of people who are successful in bands are surrounded by “yes” people and they probably get tired of “yes” people, so when they see someone like me who is a really big fan, it’s not a big deal to them.

That said, Metric was a cool show. Easily the most people we have played for. It was at a time when our live performance was still very much developing and we were still trying to find our roles within the band. I was straddling keyboard, guitar, and a laptop. Eventually we got rid of the laptop, but my first record was full of synth. When we did that show, I felt like we weren’t ready for that kind of recognition yet.

Opening for Kitten was fun because she is the one artist, out of everyone we’ve opened for, who stuck around for our show and talked to us about it afterward. That was so cool. I think she’s a good person and a good musician and a good entertainer.

The Get Down Stay Down was packed and we had a really good response, which were two components that worked really well for us.

Where do you draw inspiration for your music?

Inspiration can be drawn in several different ways. There are artists, which lately would be the Courtney Barnett department. Father John Misty, Bob Dylan. It’s a really mixed bag of that. I’m a big Ben Gibbard fan. I’ve liked him since I was an itty bitty child and he’s just a really beautiful writer.

I don’t know what I primarily write about. Recently, I’d like to think that I’m more of a developed, mature songwriter than I used to be. When you’re younger, it’s easy to be melodramatic about things and it’s hard to get out of that phase. I write about experiences with people. Loving people, hating people. I write based on my identity in relation to the rest of the world.

I’ve gone through phases of liking different popular culture too. Like “Dance Card”. I used to watch Mad Men all the time and there is a lot of that older dialect in there. Working with different musicians always inspires you differently as well, and the dynamic is always a little different. I’m very fond of my band. They’re pretty cool. It took a while to get here, but we have a solid lineup and we’re really close and it’s a good thing.

What venues have you played, and which ones would you like to play?

I’ve played the Beaumont Club that’s not the Beaumont Club anymore. Played old Record Bar, played new Record Bar. We’ll be the first band to play three times at the Record Bar, actually. No other band has done that, which I feel real fancy about. Played Czar Bar before when that was around. Played Tank Room a few times, played Riot Room. Played some weird, random venues as well.

My favorite venue in terms of sound is Davey’s Uptown. Byron–who runs it–kills it at the running sound game. I could hear everything I wanted to hear and apparently the sound was really good on the audience. It’s a little out of the way, so it’s kind of hard to get people there but it was so fun. I’ve played The Uptown Theatre and the Granada in high school before this band too.

You’ve had some music play–pretty well, might I add–on the radio in town. What’s your relationship like with them now?

96.5 is probably the reason that I have gotten really lucky chances in Kansas City. It was luck that the relationship formed in the first place. I originally connected with Lazlo because they were in a fight with a local pop/punk band at the time and, to be fair, 96.5 doesn’t really play pop/punk besides maybe Blink 182. So in the midst of that, I shot them my stuff. They started spinning it on Homegrown, which was really cool.

I sent the EP to Lazlo (of The Buzz) because he has such a great ear for music and for singles, etc. with all of the submissions he gets. It’s hard to distinguish a good hit when you’ve been listening to the same songs for the past few months. I sent it to him for that purpose and that piece of advice, and he’s helped me a lot. He’s been playing it on the radio, which is insane to me. So weird to turn on the radio and hear your guitar solo. They’re really supportive of the locals, which is incredible and they’re killing it.

The Bridge is just as much a part of it. Without them I wouldn’t have played Middle of The Map Fest. Mark Manning on KKFI is a huge support of the local scene. We have a few really good radio stations here, and I feel like that could be why the local music scene is growing larger and getting more of a following. I feel like a big part of it is a lot of dumb luck too.

If you could perform with anyone, who would you perform with?

Automatically I’m going to say David Bowie and Prince. But David Bowie was one of my first concerts, and I blame him for infecting me with the music bug. To be the most logical, I think a really good fit would be to open for Courtney Barnett. That would be a really dope live show. As far as live performances go, there are certain artists that you can rationalize playing with them and while this is not one I can really justify based on genre, but I would choose Florence & The Machine. Good ol’ Flo.

You’ve played the showcase at SXSW and you’ve played MOTM. What do you love about the festival experience?

I think Middle of The Map is well on its way if we get a little more marketing behind it. I think it could be the next SXSW. Kansas City is getting better, but it’s no Austin yet. In Austin, there’s music everywhere. This year, there was so much more hip hop and rap than before. Most of the places you could walk into for free had that genre, which was so different than usual but really great. But my girlfriend and I just walked into a random bar to this band called Yoko & The Oh Nos, and they’re so good. We got the vinyl.

That’s the beauty of going to festivals, you can stumble in on any amazing band you may have never heard of. I’d love to play with that band.



What advice do you have for up and coming bands?

I would tell you not to be a pay-to-play band. Don’t hand out flyers and try to get a minimum number of people at the show just for the venue to make the money. There are better ways to book shows. I would love to teach the young’ns of the world how to book their own shows.

What are you most excited about at your release party?

I’m excited to play with the people who are in the band now. We’ve really got a great group now. I’m excited for the bands that we’re playing with. They’re both Lawrence bands, and they’re so great. Pink Royal is super good, aren’t they? We hung out with them at South by, we were all doing the Mid Coast thing. They kick so much butt. And Spirit is The Spirit is amazing. They do all this technical stuff that I could never bring on stage and successfully know how to operate.

I’m nervous though too. Excited but nervous, like when you throw a party in high school. I’m so proud of the record, so I want it to go well. We’ve spent so much time on this record and have poured everything we have into it. I love my band. They’re my best friends.

We’re also really excited because we got these dope t-shirts. We’re done screen printing our own t-shirts in my basement like a sweat shop. Those were cool, but we have actual merch right now.

Anything else you’d like to add, darling?

I want to note Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studio produced and engineered the EP, and he’s one of the reasons it sounds so cool. We’re very lucky to have recorded with him. And I’d like to thank my mom for letting me come back from school and live in her house and practice in her basement. My entire family has been so incredibly supportive of me and of music. They’ve been so nurturing. They’re good peoples.

Degenerate Matters is out now. - Impose Magazine

We love finding new bands. Or more accurately, we love it when they find us and share their music, especially when they share a brilliant track like Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type have with “Dropout”. The harmonies on the track are lush even lustful, which provide the perfect balance to the band’s unique combination of pop, indie-folk, Americana, and alt-pop. The song’s second half is some of the best moments in music this year, as it is simultaneously euphoric and stirring. The songwriting, as well, is superb, as Mallin reflects back on those who chose paths that came to a sudden end. The single is a brilliant one, and easily among our biggest surprises of the year.

“Dropout” is from the band’s debut EP, Degenerate Matters. Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type are comprised of Rachel Mallin (lead vocals/guitar), Justin Walker (bass), Austin Edmisten (drums/back-up vocals), Jesse Bartmess (synth/keys), and Matt Kosinski (lead guitar). - The Revue

KC-based Mallin doesn’t trifle with the basics on her recent latest single. “There is a special place in hell for girls like you” is crooned over a fifties shuffle and strum, reminding all of us that there are more important concerns than wallowing in stereotypes. - Another Dying Artform

Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type is a young band with an indie-pop vibe that can easily cross over to mainstream radio. The band recently released their debut EP, Degenerate Matters, which is four songs perfect for dancing, parties, or chilling at home. I get a hint of Sheryl Crow’s early, playful pop, with a dash of Florence and The Machine, but with a more current sound of the youthful indie movement. All four songs have insightful lyrics with great hooks, and melodies that have me bopping around in my chair as I type this. - Soundwaves Review

Straight outta KC, the same city that brought you The Get Up Kids and Puddle of Mudd, comes something absolutely unlike either of those bands in every way imaginable! That is a good thing by the way. Does that mean Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type is a good band though? Well yeah, they actually are, and so is their smooth and easy debut EP, if you’re into that kind of thing. You might be hearing that phrase a lot in this review.

There is no disputing Rachel Mallin’s knack for song writing. She made that perfectly clear with her solo project The Persistence of Vision in 2014. The new project, Degenerate Matters, is a continuation of the Vision, this time
featuring more instrumentation (enter The Wild Type) and fewer digital exchanges. Twinkly guitars and friendly rhythms give this a bouncy indie feel that harkens back to a 60’s pop influence, but Mallin’s dusty vocals and brash lyrics keep this from sounding too fluffy. Think Metric, but with less pummeling and more gentle patting on the head.
The general vibe on this release is very chill. The sounds are mellow and breezy. This would be good for a relaxing evening, sitting on a cat-hair-covered couch while drinking wine with your super hip friends in a quirky downtown apartment with mood lighting, if you’re into that kind of thing.

The first track is called “White Girls” and right away I’m interested because I know it’s going to be derisive. I mean if this was a song about why white girls are the best, we’d have an entirely different type of review on our hands here. No, this is a song about morals, or a lack there of, and the comment is executed perfectly with a line like “There’s a special place in hell for girls like you, who go out on the weekends, prey upon weak men who have a girl to come home to”. Now that’s how you start a record!

The lyrics are obviously pointed, which there is further evidence of on tracks 2 and 3, “Dropout” and “Cash4Gold”. They’re clever and well written, but the overall content isn’t moving. If Mallin wants to really have an emotional impact on her audience, she needs to dig deeper, a lot deeper than a song about dropping out of college. It’s just not visceral enough. It’s scrappy but trivial. It’s pop though, so I guess that’s kind of the point. Call me crazy but it just doesn’t feel like it wants to be pop.

Like it or not, this is what’s ‘in’ right now, so the release of Degenerate Matters comes at a very opportune time for these guys. Don’t be surprised if you hear more about them in the coming months and years. They seem determined, and they are perfectly poised to hang ten on what’s left of the folkie-indiepop wave, that’s been steamrollin’ the music industry as of late.

This is a solid debut effort from a budding group of artists who are clearly on to something. It’s not going to haunt you with heavy subject matter, but it will make you bob your head from side to side on your way to the coffee shop, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Seriously though, if you are into that kind of thing, you’re probably going to love this EP, and you should make your way over to the Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type bandcamp page immediately and check it out. - Steve Szary - qJukebox