On the eve of her tour kickoff, Rachel Platten is getting ready to board a plane from Los Angeles to Dallas, the launching pad of her six-week musical journey.
She’s audibly electrified, partially because, well, she’ll get to showcase the songs from her new album, “Wildfire,” but also because she’s now the headliner who can take a deeper dive into her catalog.
Platten’s music seeped into millions of ears last year with the explosion of her inspirational pop anthem, “Fight Song” and its equally bubbly and uplifting follow-up, “Stand By You.” It was, for most listeners, the first time they had ever heard of this pretty thirtysomething from New York.
But Platten is one of those “overnight sensations” a decade in the making, having released her debut album, “Trust in Me,” in 2003 and a second album, “Be Here,” in 2011, which spawned the single, “1,000 Ships,” a middling hit on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 chart.
Now, the sweet-natured singer-songwriter-musician is ready to take the spotlight with her three-piece band – their Wednesday show has been moved to Center Stage from the smaller Loft to satisfy ticket demand – and is actually looking forward to life on a tour bus.
Q: How are you feeling about the upcoming tour?
A: I am SO excited. I feel really prepared, we've rehearsed, so I feel ready. This time it felt like we got the proper time and energy to really create something special.
Q: How about spending the next six weeks on a bus?
A: I cannot wait. I've been in a van for 14 years - I own my van. I was on a bus once as an opener, but that's not the same. This is gonna be pretty incredible. And shoot, I just realized I forgot all of the concert DVDs I was going to bring to watch!
Q: What do we have to look forward to at the concert?
A: First of all, I love Atlanta. I've played there like 10 times. It's one of the cities I actually go out in after the show. It's great. But the show is going to be so exciting. We have a lot of surprises. We're doing covers, some old stuff. I worked with a choreographer a little so I've got my dance moves on. It's a "show."
Q: Does a day go by when someone doesn’t come up to you to say how much "Fight Song" has inspired them?
A: It's a beautiful thing. I get inundated with these incredible stories. I don't know what I did to feel so privileged. It reminds me how connected we are all and how universal those feelings are.
Q: You’ve gotten to do a lot of cool stuff this past year, but what has been one of those "Wow, is this really happening?" moments for you?
A: Believe it or not, I think the Macy's (Thanksgiving) Day parade was the biggest crazy moment. It's incredible to be there next to these celebrities. I've lived in New York City for 12 years, so to literally float down a street in New York with people screaming my name in a city where I played clubs for so long when no one cared… it was amazing.
Q: What’s next for you after this tour?
A: I'm going to dive back into writing right when I get home. I always have melodies in my head. We might be going to Asia for a little while, and are doing a lot of private shows and radio shows.
Q: Do you have a wish list of people you’d like to work with next time?
A: I'd love to work with Greg Kurstin (Adele, Pink, Kelly Clarkson) and Mark Ronson and Sia. Those three would be great!
CONCERT PREVIEW
Rachel Platten
With Eric Hutchinson and Christina Grimmie. 8 p.m. March 2. $20 (advance) and $25 (day of the show). Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta. 1-877-725-8849, ticketalternative.com.
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