Avery Raquel is a young singer-songwriter who will bring her distinct ‘Alternative Soul’ style of music to Fort Frances next Friday. Raquel’s new self-titled album is out this Thursday on streaming platforms.
Raquel’s style is different, not truly conforming to a single genre, she says.
“I think the lines between genres are starting to get blurred,” Raquel said. “That’s kind of a wonderful thing. Definitely alternative soul, but it’s very much influenced by old school R&B, blues, and jazz.”
Raquel’s tastes and inspirations are very much influenced by the greats of the past.
“I think for songwriting it’s Carole King,” Raquel says of her inspiration. “And I was very much inspired by the 70s so I love the Bee Gees, I love Stevie Wonder and many more.”
Some modern artists Raquel counts as influences include Amy Winehouse, Allen Stone and Bruno Major.
Raquel’s new album, No Fooling is all original music and three singles are already available for streaming. Helpless, Please and All Up To You are all available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
The album was written and recorded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All of it was recorded during COVID,” Raquel said. “So it was a weird kind of thing because no studio spaces were open. So all of the instrumentation was recorded separately, and all of the vocals were actually recorded in a closet. But I don’t think you know any different from listening to it. I’m really pleased with it. I’m looking forward to releasing it.”
Raquel said a record definitely wasn’t in the plans when the COVID lockdowns started, but she challenged herself to start writing songs in May of 2020.
“At first, when COVID started, a record was kind of not even a thought in my mind. But it was really a tough time I think for every kind of artist out there,” Raquel said. “There was nothing to do for everybody. So I spent most of the month of May doing a songwriting challenge for myself where I wrote three or four songs a week for the entire month of May. So most of the songs are on this record.”
When Raquel makes her way to Fort Frances for a show at the Townshend Theatre on Good Friday the show will be comprised of both original and cover songs.
The new album along with past releases are available to listen to on streaming platforms on Thursday and hard copy CDs are available through averyraquel.com.
“What we’ve been calling it is ‘Music that’s good for the soul.’ I think that’s probably the best way to describe it.”
The show is at 7:30 p.m and tickets are $25. They are available at Ski’s Variety and The Fort Frances Library Technology Centre. Tour de Fort has also announced that student admission for the show is free.
