Yamagata shows her lighter side

Rachael Yamagata’s new album is all her own.

Released last month, “Chesapeake” is Yamagata’s first release on her own Frankenfish Records label and it was made 100 percent on her terms.

The Virginia chanteuse invaded the Chesapeake Bay home of producer and musical cohort John Alagia and converted it into a studio, bringing in the various band members who played on the album and the tools necessary to record it.

Yamagata and company shipped gear and borrowed microphones, amps, guitars and a grand piano that was stationed in Alagia’s bedroom because of its fabulous acoustics.

Vocals were recorded in the shower for the natural reverb effect, and songs were hammered together in pre-production jams on the porch where makeshift drum kits were constructed from cardboard beer cases and recycling bins.

When she wasn’t working with the band, Yamagata secluded herself in what she calls her “diva tent” – an eight-person sleeper she stuffed with air mattresses, breakfast skillets and keyboards – not only to carve out some private time, but also to leave some space in the house for the musicians.

The roster on “Chesapeake” – which Yamagata refers to as her “dream team” – includes drummer Victor Indrizzo (Sheryl Crow); guitarists Mike Viola (Candy Butchers), Michael Chaves (John Mayer) and Kevin Salem (Dump Truck, Yo La Tengo); cellist Oli Kraus (Sia, Duffy); and upright bassist Tom Freund.

With that mix of talent and the comfortable environment to work and play in, Yamagata approached the album as an exercise in spontaneity with no plan in mind except to trust the players and the process.

The result is an eclectic collection of tracks that are indicative of the unbridled optimism driving Yamagata and her music.

Her previous efforts were typically dark, so the consistently happy mood of the album may seem out of character to familiar listeners. But Yamagata has said in news releases that she’s not a depressed person, but rather had been fascinated by downtrodden sounds in the past.

“I’ve never put out a happy song before,” she said, pointing out that her optimistic music is new, though not fabricated.

“I’ve tried it before and it sounds forced, like I was trying to write a happy song. That’s why I’ve never put any on record.”

Even songs that reference difficult times in relationships do so lightly and with a sense of hope and healing, as Yamagata sings on “You Won’t Let Me”: “Nothing heavy, nothing serious. … Just forget about all that.”

Both figuratively and literally, “Chesapeake” is about the irresistible joy of things falling into place. That, too, is reflected in the way the album was funded.

Yamagata teamed up with PledgeMusic (www.pledgemusic.com) to launch a campaign where fans made donations to support the recording costs. The overwhelming response helped her exceed her goal within the first three days.

From start to finish, she was bold enough to make a leap of faith and trust all of the pieces would somehow fall together. And they did.