Australian singer/songwriter Rachel Koster, has a writing ability that has been compared in the music industry to that of Carole King.
A keen collaborator, she has penned numbers with/for musicians including Chris Haigh, Steve Romig, Stuart Fraser (Noiseworks), Gary Pinto (CDB), Tamworth Starmaker winner Luke Austen, Kylie Moss, Tarni (Aust Idol), Kelly Budgen, Moodie (Aust Idol), rapper RVL8, Nashville's Karin Papperelli, Stephen Cummings, Limmel, blues artist Lil'Fi and more. Grabbing the plentiful attention of industry peers over recent years, some of this country's best have considered Rachel's work including Vanessa Amorosi, and Vika & Linda among others. Creating is where she sits best.
Rachel's original Nobody Don't stars as the title track of an EP by Australian country artist Kylie Moss, the co-written tune Uneasy appears on the 3rd solo album Magic Door by Lil'Fi. You will also find songs featured on Sounds Like Café Volume 16, Sifted Sunshine, Icons of Tomorrow, and even ABC's Best Christmas Song Never Written listing for the ballad What Is Christmas To You.
Rachel composed songs for the musical comedy stage production The Bear Facts in 2001, was commissioned to pen the 2007 BCCA environmental theme song Better Bush, and in 2005 wrote promotional track The Country Way, sung by Darren Coggan and herself. She has shared the billing onstage with artists including Troy Cassar-Daley, Gina Jeffries, The Flood, Lloyd Speigel, Dan Bull & Steve Romig.
The follow up to her independently released pop single December, was the heartfelt 2007 debut solo album Deciduous. Produced by ARIA award winning engineer, Robin Mai (John Butler Trio 'Sunrise Over Sea') and mixed by Chris Dickie (Wet Wet Wet/The Eurythmics), the LP had it's birth at Woodstock studios, Melbourne, with players from the Renee Geyer Band, plus Stuart Fraser (Noiseworks), vocal icon Susie Ahern, plus Jak Housden (The Badloves/Whitlams). This chilled jazz album was summed up as 'a smooth and cosy offering, canvassing the seasons of the heart'. Her itunes single in 2011, a quirky track entitled The Mess, romped it up the Triple J Unearthed pop charts gaining new followers, and in January 2017 Rachel released the dreamy acoustic duet ballad Carnival with co-writer and newcomer Blake Gannon also generating national interest, featuring the summery B-side I Got You.
From 2008 to today Rachel has been consistently penning material with regular co-writer Stuart Fraser (Noiseworks) and over that time has also undertaken recording collaborations with Bruce Haymes (Professor Ratbaggy), The Leigh Brothers (Pseudo Echo), Sony writer Barbara Griffin and pop/EDM producer Bastian (Ministry of Sound). She loves writing for other acts and seeing the songs take on new life.
Her mission is to write music that embraces the adage 'be the change', through intentional project choices, lyrical messages and story. 'Music for me is about uplifting or empowering the listener, offering new ways to frame things, or allowing them to feel understood and not alone throughout life's experience', that is what I get most out of the music of others and also what I want to give. As writers and artists we have the responsibility and privilege to make a difference in the world, so why not take it. That is my aim.'