A ‘hodgepodge of everything’ — Macon musician to debut album at Grant’s Lounge

Macon’s Rachel Forehand is releasing “Blackwater,” her latest single, on streaming services Friday.

Forehand has recorded and released a handful of singles in the past several years, most recently one called “RV.” But this weekend marks something special: She’s releasing her first-ever full-length album, also titled “Blackwater,” at a concert Saturday at the historic Grant’s Lounge in downtown Macon.

“I wrote most all the songs and recorded them at Capricorn Studios, which was like a dream come true,” Forehand said. “That’s like a sacred space. You just walk in the door and it’s awesome. To be in there recording is magical and I wanted to honor the music and people who’ve been there.”

Forehand said Capricorn regular Charlie Gilbert produced the album and helped fine-tune some of the songs. One Forehand didn’t write was a version of the Allman Brothers Band–Gregg Allman classic “Midnight Rider.”

Other musicians — Chris Hicks, Dustin McCook and Phil Palma, a family friend who played in a band with her uncle — contributed to Forehand’s album.

“Gosh, so many people helped out with the album and gave it real Macon roots,” she said. 

Growing up, Forehand’s father, Dwayne Forehand, played guitar in bands for decades, and her drummer uncle, Keith Forehand, played in an outfit called The Lifters. Between family and friends, music was always on the turntable when Forehand was little, with the Allman Brothers Band and similar groups on heavy rotation.

Even so, her dad’s attempts to get her to learn guitar as a youngster failed. It wasn’t until she went off to college that she picked up a guitar and started singing and writing songs. Though music had filled her young life, she said she never pictured herself as a musician.

Now it’s just part of her life.

Forehand said she loves making music and performing, but by day, she is a full-time first grade teacher. That cuts down somewhat on her ability to perform, but she’s hard at it on weekends. Odds are you’ve seen her playing at most of Macon’s top spots, such as Society Garden, The Hummingbird and Parish on Cherry Street, as well as Bragg Jam in past years. She’s also been a regular at local charitable functions and the odd First Friday gig out on the street in front of places like Fresh Produce Records.

Forehand also travels beyond the “City of Soul” to places such as Thomaston, Jasper, Woodstock and other communities.

As I’ve talked to Forehand through the years, her joy has always been the music and bringing it to people rather than climbing to the top of the charts and courting stratospheric success. She said she’s just doing what she loves and is satisfied with giving it all she’s got. 

If it gets any bigger, well, she says that’s in God’s hands.

“In my heart, I feel like God blessed me with music, I really believe that,” she said. “I was a terrible singer as a child — awful — and now I can sing. The opportunities and how they’ve come have been so amazing. You hear that if you don’t use something you lose it, and I know I’d be a fool not to use what God’s given me. 

“What I get out of it is I feel satisfied using my gift, and if it gives something to others, then I’m satisfied knowing I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Forehand maintains it would be a thrill to open for someone at the Atrium Health Amphitheater one day.

I asked her about influences other than the obvious Southern rock bands and country artists reflected in her voice. Her wide-ranging list includes Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, JJ Grey & Mofro and more.

“I like rock and roll,” she said. “I grew up listening to 106.3. It’s kind of hard to put an exact name on what I do. I think I’ll just let people classify it however they want. To me, it’s a hodgepodge of everything. 

“I guess you could call it Americana, but it doesn’t have much folk in it. I did just recently heard there’s a new genre called Outlaw Gospel; maybe there’s a little bit of that in there. Genres are a bit of a problem, really. I’d say Southern rock and rock and roll are the majority of what inspires me, but there’s a little bit of countryness to it.”

Forehand said being an artist is first and foremost in her mind as a songwriter and performer. After that, it’s a matter of the artistry leading her where it will. She said it’s her job to be prepared and then to take her audience with her on a musical journey.

Forehand painted the cover of the new album, which she said is reflective not only of Macon being home but of her upbringing in Lower Bibb County. She said growing up, it was a place where things might get scary but people “held their Bibles tight.” 

The other song on the album that she didn’t write is her own rendition of the classic gospel tune “I Saw the Light.” She called it not so much a cover but her take on the song.

Though Macon is “home,” Forehand said she and her husband – they’re newlyweds – now live in the country somewhere around Hawkinsville.

Saturday’s show at Grant’s will also feature Hannah Murphy opening for Forehand. The show starts at 9 p.m. at Grant’s on 576 Poplar St. 

Discover more about Forehand and her music at rachelforehand.com, where you can purchase tickets and find out where she will be performing this summer. 

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.