Rachel Loshak

Singing Songs to the Sun

"Songs to the Sun”, is eleven songs recorded at No Parking Studio in Rosendale, NY, produced by Dean Jones, in the summer of 2023, one year after the sudden death of my husband, Morgan Taylor (Radio Kingston's "Radio Cake" host for many years and creator of the animated children’s character Gustafer Yellowgold).

 
The process of recording these songs, all composed in the years before Morgan's passing but somehow reframed in the shadow of life without him, was a cathartic journey for me at the time. The songs now stand as an indelible expression of the depth of my grief and the light of my love, and I feel that it is the time now to share them.
 
xo, Rachel
JUNE 5TH 2026

I don't need to say that so much has happened in the world, but also in my home. I became a Waldorf Class Teacher, and have devoted the past 8 years to that and being a parent. My husband, the amazing Morgan Taylor, died suddenly and so sadly on August 11th, 2022. From that, some kind of rebirth perhaps? Still in progress, a journey unlike any I have ever taken before.

Last summer, I went into the studio with my dear friend and producer, Dean Jones, and he helped me record all the songs that I had written over the past 8 years (most of them in June each year after the school year ended, space opened up, and emotions and creativity would flow). They are songs that I had planned to record with Morgan, but if I had, they would not have been there for me to live into, to have as a pathway for my grief when I needed them.

Another school year came, and is moving along towards another summer. I hope to release these songs soon. In the meantime, I am planning some concerts, and hope to see you all out there sometime.

Announcing - The Moonlights!

Dear Friends,

I am very happy and excited to announce the upcoming February 10th release of a new album, from a new collaboration between myself and the wonderful and extraordinary Dean Jones! We worked together all through the winter and spring this year, writing songs, sharing them, then recording them right away.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work again with Dean, to be challenged with my songwriting and ideas, to be able to share in his songs and most of all to have been able to go every day that we did and sing with all my heart.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed creating!

With love,
Rachel
THEMOONLIGHTSMUSIC.COM

Special Holiday Pre-Order

- CD ON SALE from DEC. 5-20

   - TICKETS FOR FEB. 4TH RELEASE SHOWS ON SALE from DEC. 5-20

- PRE-ORDER HERE!

THE MOONLIGHTS

The Moonlights is an inspired collaboration between songwriters Rachel Loshak and Dean Jones. It all began in the winter of 2016 with just the flash of an idea taken up together in joyful spirit – and now, with their distinctive yet complimentary styles of music, the duo has created a stirring and deeply satisfying collection of beautiful, quirky songs for all ages.

The sophisticated and spare musical arrangements shine, beginning with the hypnotic opener That Light, the beautiful and rich harmony in Colour of Leaves, the haunting French horn pillows on the pastoral waltz Ah, The Moon and Jones’ homage to William Shakespeare, Peaseblossom. Rachel and Dean are joined by many special guests, including Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander of The Okee Dokee Brothers.

Whimsical, evocative lyrics convey the wonder and appreciation of our natural world, often with a little humor.

“My mother was a glacier. My father was a mountaintop. And when they got together, they made me. I’m a rock.”

The music is a sonic painting with many instruments/colors, including guitars, marimba, English horn, recorders, organ pipes, strings, mbira, trombone, French horn and bass. Layers of beautiful voicings bring close the messages of each of the songs.

“The geese, they fly in the morning. The geese they fly at night. A “V” that flies across the sky until it’s out of sight.”

Another summer of song

The summer ahead looks glorious!

I will be back at The Rail Trail Cafe in Rosendale NY for a couple of concerts - joined by a gaggle of wonderful people including but not limited to... Morgan Taylor, Jennifer Lewis Bennett, Dean Jones, Mark Bernstein, and The Rondout Girls Choir who I have been teaching over the past year.

I am also very excited to share that Dean Jones and I have been quietly and peacefully working away at an album together, of songs for children. Updates to follow!

Hot, hot, HOT!

Okay, it's been too long! I have been enjoying my time over the last eighteen months focusing on my Waldorf teacher training. My music is never far away. I have a concert coming up in Suffolk, England on August 7th, and will be so happy to be out of the hot and humid Northeastern USA! My whole body is not meant for it. Look out for some concerts coming up in the fall and winter, once the cooler air comes in, I'll be going out more!

Happy New Year - it's gonna be great!

I'm excited for 2014. I'm going to work with my husband, Morgan Taylor, on a brand new album of duets and co-writes. We have played and performed together on and off for years, and when we do, it always feels so great. So we've decided to make it official!

"An Evening of Music with Rachel Loshak and Morgan Taylor" - kicking off the new year with a performance to raise funds for our new record, as well as funds and awareness for Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley, on February 16th, here in Woodstock at the Klienart James Gallery.

SO BRIGHT - thank you

To everyone who has supported me on this journey, musicians who have worked with me, friends and fans who have contributed to make it all possible. Making this album has been a huge and transforming process for me, and I feel fulfilled and joyful now that it is out in the world.

Thank you so much everyone.
love,
Rachel

SO BRIGHT - shining now

I am very proud and excited to annouce the official release of my sixth studio album, SO BRIGHT.

Thank you to all of you who supported my journey in getting the album made (there is still time to contribute if you'd like to, as I still haven't paid for all the studio time!) For those of you who bought a signed copy of the album in advance, I will be signing and mailing out your copies over the next week. Thank you thank you thank you.

For Woodstock and close by friends, please join me on Saturday November 16th at Moutainview Studio in Woodstock at 8pm for an evening of SO BRIGHT, hosted by my friend and fellow artist, Robert Burke Warren, joined onstage by many amazing local musicians to be announced.

SO BRIGHT - Golden Touches

Dean has been working very hard to finish mixing SO BRIGHT, preparing to master hopefully this coming week. Gene Paul is on standby ready to master it as soon as it comes. I keep listening, to finalize mixes and to consider the order, and keep hearing all the special touches of gold that have been brought to the songs by the incredible musicians and singers who ventured into the straw bales with Dean and I.

Here are two very special people who have connected especially deeply to my songs and whom I am so happy to have them be a part of this album...

Jennifer Lewis Bennett lives in Saugerties. We met during the first year that Morgan and I lived in Kerhonkson, and have gradually become good friends over the last four years. Jen has a pure heart and a glowing spirit that she has shared with me so openly during our friendship so far. Jen has sung with me live, and now in the studio, on two songs on this record - Apple Tree and So Bright. I am thrilled to have Jen's golden energy on this record. Thank you Jen.

Chris Brown drove down from Canada on his way to NYC, stopping in to stay the night before going to Dean's first thing the next morning. He spent the evening transfixing me with his clarity of thought, spiritual awareness and immense creativity and insight, down to the intensity of my emotion of a single word in the song Apple Tree, allowing me to discover a whole new meaning of the entire SONG!! Goodness. Then as if that wasn't enough, the next day he proceeded to pour gold all over the songs we had him play piano on. He then took a few more tracks back to Canada with him and added Hammond organ. Wow. Thank you Chris!

As of now, I have raised almost of third of what I need to go towards the cost of making this album - thank you from my heart to all of you who have bought the record in advance, or made donations, and even booked house concerts! There is still plenty of time to contribute if you'd like to.

CONTRIBUTE HERE TO THE MAKING OF "SO BRIGHT"

SAVE THE DATE
NYC release show TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, at THE LIVING ROOM.
More info to follow.

STAY TUNED
Brand new website coming soon, by way of Chloe Art and Design.

SO BRIGHT - Magic dust from Rob Jost

Dear Friends and Fans,

I want to thank you all for all the generous contributions I've received so far towards the making of SO BRIGHT. It's been so wonderful to get your messages of enthusiasm and encouragement, and for so many of you to have shown your support by purchasing a copy ahead of time!

There's still a long way to go on the fundraising front...

CONTRIBUTE HERE TO THE MAKING OF "SO BRIGHT"

SAVE THE DATE
NYC release show announce for TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, at THE LIVING ROOM. More info to follow.

---

Dean and I have entered into the final mixing process, with most of the songs finished tracking. At this point, I wanted to share with you some stories of how the musicians who have visited us at No Parking Studio have added their magic to the album, starting with the one-and-only Rob Jost...

Rob is an old friend and musical collaborator of mine. He has recorded french horn on my last two albums, Peach Pony and Colors, as well as performing with me live on several occasions. He also played while Morgan and I walked down the aisle and had our first married dance. In my mind, he is a musical genius and a very very special guy. I am honored to know him and to have him share his music with me and mine. He came and spent the day with Dean and I as we worked on three of the twelve songs from the album...

Forever, which while driving up to Rosendale from Brooklyn, Rob listened and heard a horn part for the song akin to a Schubert song, "Auf Dem Strom". He came in and described it so beautifully - I was blown away by the thought he had put into it. With his parts, the song has become a duet between my voice and his french horn, with my bass supporting us both. It's perfect for the song. Perfect for me.

For You is a tougher song, about loss and the pain of moving forward in a direction that you never wanted to have to take. It's a song for a friend who has suffered, whom I've travelled with on their painful journey, a journey that I'm so sad they've had to take. Rob came in with an idea... he just laid down note after note, going for something that I had no idea the song was calling for. Now I can't imagine the song without it - I know that he hears EVERYTHING in music, and his parts on this song reflect the stabbing pain of my friends journey in a way that I hadn't recognized. Perfect again.

Up She Leapt is about a dream I had where my Grandmother, who I'd seen in her casket in real life, sat up in the casket and opened her eyes at me. It woke me up, but it didn't frighten me, just shocked me, in a fun way somehow! Rob channelled the fun side of my Grandma in his parts on this song. Dean had more fun harmonizing and doubling Rob's horn parts with his trombone. Morgan said yesterday that it sounds like a circus - we both agreed that it was perfect for the song. Perfect for my Grandmother.

Three for three! Thank you Rob.

love, Rachel