Out now, the Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter delivers a fearless blend of heartache, humor and hard-won hope.
PITTSBURGH, PA (March 28, 2025) — Singer-songwriter Rachel Whitcomb returns with Wildest Dreams, a genre-spanning collection of original songs that channels the raw storytelling and vibrant instrumentation of '90s country with a personal edge.
Featuring some of Nashville’s most revered instrumentalists, the album showcases Whitcomb’s ability to write from experience while tapping into something universal: love, loss, desire, and the strength to keep going.
The 10-track album ranges from the electric twang of the Brent Mason-backed “Walk of Shame” to the gut-punch ballad “You’ll Want Me,” and the unflinchingly honest anthem “Live in the Lonely,” which has moved live audiences to tears. Across the record, Whitcomb expertly blends traditional country textures including fiddle, steel guitar and stacked harmonies, with genre turns into adult contemporary, western swing and even ’80s-inspired rock.
The songs on Wildest Dreams are based on my own personal experiences that I think many people have. When audience members talk to me about these songs, they often tell me stories that relate to the emotions expressed, and then it's like we've known each other for years! As humans, we have a lot in common, and music can reveal those shared experiences."
- Singer-songwriter Rachel Whitcomb
Highlights include:
- “Walk of Shame,” a neon-lit, fiddle-fueled romp that nods to Pam Tillis while capturing the messy, funny aftermath of a night gone sideways.
- “You’ll Want Me,” a haunting ballad reminiscent of Faith Hill or Patty Loveless that imagines a woman forever lingering in a former lover’s mind.
- “Live in the Lonely,” which confronts the modern loneliness epidemic with tenderness and grace.
- “Flirt With Me,” a bold appeal for intimacy inside a marriage, written as a lyrical response to the Bruce Robison-penned Tim McGraw hit, “Angry All the Time.”
- “Control,” a guitar-driven power track that brings in echoes of Heart and 80s rock attitude.
Whitcomb, a breast cancer survivor as well as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Music Education at Duquesne University, is no stranger to resilience. But Wildest Dreams doesn’t lean on biography to earn its emotional weight. Shaped by a clear, confident voice, these songs are clever, sexy, vulnerable, and tough.
With production by Jacob Zang and John Nicholson across multiple studios in Nashville, Pittsburgh and beyond, the album features contributions from revered players including Brent Mason, Pat McGrath, Ryan Joseph, Scotty Sanders, Johnny Brown and more.
Images by Music City Content Kings
Whitcomb’s experience as a higher education leader and country artist adds depth to her writing and performances. Her academic work in music education and songwriting complements the personal storytelling that defines her music. “My songwriting informs my teaching, and my work with students fuels the stories I tell in song,” she says. “Everything informs everything else.”
Wildest Dreams is available now on all major streaming platforms.
About Rachel Whitcomb
Rachel Whitcomb is a Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter whose music blends the emotional clarity of '90s country with the melodic force of Americana. A seasoned performer and storyteller, she’s known for songs that carry grit and grace. Whether she’s delivering a fiddle-fueled barnburner or a piano ballad about loneliness, her work is as emotionally grounded as it is musically polished.
A breast cancer survivor and “One to Watch” (Nashville Songwriters Association International), Whitcomb has performed for Tennessee Songwriters Week and advanced to its showcase at the Franklin Theatre. She's worked with top Nashville players including Brent Mason, Ryan Joseph, and Pat McGrath. Her latest album, Wildest Dreams, is a bold, emotionally rich collection of original songs exploring heartbreak, intimacy, survival, and strength.
Whitcomb serves as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Music Education at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music, specializing in early childhood music education, music teacher education, fostering creativity and incorporating popular music styles in music classrooms, and bringing songwriting into music instruction. Her work in education and songwriting are inextricably linked and rooted in the belief that music, when shared honestly, has the power to heal, connect and reveal what we have in common.
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