Join us as Mall of America® presents an ongoing series featuring local musicians representing a wide variety of musical genres, showcasing the breadth of creativity and talent in our communities! Each Thursday in September, a Minnesota musician will perform for our guests live in the Huntington® Bank Rotunda from 5-6 p.m. This week, the artist is Jillian Rae.
Lauded as a “triple threat on vocals, fiddle and composition” (Star Tribune), Jillian Rae is a fiercely unique spirit who cares more about making authentic music than about conforming to expectations. The Minneapolis-based, classically trained violinist turned versatile fiddler has become a commanding international presence — writing powerful genre-bending songs, heading up her own critically acclaimed indie rock band + backing up Grammy-winning acts like The Okee Dokee Brothers. Although she got her start playing with folk and country bands, Rae’s most recent album "I Can’t Be the One You Want Me to Be" (2019) took a decided turn into pop and rock with unflinching, hard-hitting songs. It also showcased her orchestration abilities with layered violin tracks saturated in heavy grooves and moody arrangements. The album’s final track “Wayward One” was featured prominently in the blockbuster Chinese film "The White Storm 2" and has catapulted her into near stardom in China.
Rae’s most recent releases are a series of singles that showcase her genre-spanning writing style — "Doing My Best" (2022), "Stuck" (2022), "Barely Breathing" (2023) + "Silence" (2024), the last of which being the first single off her long-awaited forthcoming album. In addition to her work as a solo artist, Jillian Rae is an in-demand producer and session player, known for her soaring pop orchestrations, arrangements + fiddle parts.
