‘People seemed deeply insulted’: how cult 90s band Rachel’s took chamber music out of the classical world

<p>The graceful ensemble prefigured the neo-classical phenomenon and found surprising success in the post-Nirvana alt-rock boom. After the deaths of two members, reissuing their debut has proven bittersweet</p><p>If you were an American indie rock act in the mid-90s, life could be strange. After the breakthroughs of Nirvana and Green Day the music industry spent several frenzied years trying to refine the formula for rock success. Labels indiscriminately hoovered up guitar bands in the post-grunge glut.</p><p>But the newfound interest in alternative music also buoyed some unexpected acts. “There were a lot of people looking to independent labels for the next Nirvana,” says Christian Frederickson, violist with the Louisville chamber music act Rachel’s. “While that obviously <em>wasn’t </em>us, I do think we benefited.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/sep/29/how-cult-90s-band-rachels-took-chamber-music-out-of-the-classical-world">Continue reading...</a>