Avery Raquel – My Heart Away

By starrymag | March 18, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) My sound is like vintage Rhythm and Blues, with a modern approach. I’m greatly influenced by the early 70’s and Motown/Memphis soul. I’ve been describing my sound as “Contemporary Soul.” That term can lean towards RnB, Soul, Blues and Pop.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I have a wide variety of musical influences. I listen to a lot of jazz artists like Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, but I also listen to today’s artists. More on the modern side, I listen to Amy Winehouse, Allen Stone and Sammy Rae.

I listen to lots of 70s and 80s classics. I like to study the way songs were written in those decades.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Pieces.”

A) “Pieces” is one of the songs from my last album My Heart Away. That album describes a relationship from beginning to end. This song was written in response to a break-up. It is a song about heartbreak, but understanding that being better off without that person is alright.  It’s never okay to force a relationship that doesn’t feel natural. Sometimes you need to understand that self-respect is more important.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think the subject matter is relatable. A lot of people have been through a breakup or loss of sorts. People sometimes need that verification that they aren’t alone in their emotions that they’re feeling and that its okay to not feel okay. I also think people connect to this song because it is upbeat and has a catchy hook. Even some of my close friends have it stuck in their head sometimes.

Q) How did StoneBridge come to remix the track?

A) My producer, Greg Kavanagh, shopped the track around to producers and StoneBridge expressed interest. We knew it would be a perfect fit as StoneBridge has multiple Billboard hits with artists like P!nk, Ariana Grande and many others.  Charting on Billboard has been exciting!

Q) What is your song writing process? 

A) I co-wrote most of the songs on My Heart Away with my producer, Greg (Kavanagh). We have a nice process that works really well. Together we determine a chord progression and sometimes a rhythm track and then record that as a very rough demo. I then go home and write lyrics and melody and think of arrangement ideas.

Recently, I’ve been writing a lot more on my own. I will usually sit down at a piano if I feel inspired and decide a mood, that either I’m feeling or have felt or try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. Then, I just see where the music and the words takes me. I’ll either really like it or hate it, scrap it and start over.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) During the recording process I like to have some input. When it comes to the mixing of the tracks, I tend to leave that stuff to the pros, though I will give my opinion.  At the end of the day, it’s me and my voice, so I have to ensure the end product is what I envisioned along with the producer I’m working with. It’s a team effort.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Avery Raquel performance?

A) Performing live you get to express the true emotion in a song visually. I try to do that in my shows. Whether singing behind the piano or out front, I like to create emotion in every song and communicate with my audiences in that way. It’s important to me that I try my best to connect with everyone listening during a concert.

I perform the majority of my originals and try to let my band shine. I tend to perform with a standard 4-piece band (piano, drums, guitar and bass), though really enjoy performing with the additional horn section and backing vocalists. Because a lot of my original material involves horns, I get to translate those songs to the audience in the way they were meant to be performed.

As I started my career as a Jazz and Blues vocalist, then through songwriting moved towards Soul / RnB, I tend to include various genres in my live shows. I like to keep the audience entertained by offering something different that they may not have expected. Of course, most are original songs in their Contemporary Soul style, but when I throw in a little scatting or a blues tune or even the more recent pop mixes of “Pieces,” it keeps the audience engaged.

Q) Tell us about your latest album.

A) My Heart Away has ten original songs.  From “What You Are To Me” and “I Think I’m Falling” down to “Beauty in Goodbyes” and “Pieces,” the album really highlights my various emotions as it’s based off of personal experience.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) While still at school, working towards a degree in music, I manage to perform around fifty times a year. I’ve done shows in small clubs to larger theatres. There really isn’t any one venue that I prefer over another. It really comes down to the audience.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I would love to collaborate with either Allen Stone, John Mayer or Daniel Caesar. They all write music in a similar vein to mine. I also idolize all of them and think their musicianship and writing chops are more than incredible. I get a lot of my own songwriting inspiration from them.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) I have been listening to John Mayer’s live album Where the Light Is on repeat. His lyrics are so well crafted and the way he makes them work in these songs is quite satisfying. There’s also nothing like a life performance, so just imagine all of his regular recorded songs and how good they are times ten!

I also like to listen to relatively obscure independent artists like Daniel Caesar or Sammy Rae. I find it interesting to hear music that isn’t so mainstream. I find a lot of inspiration in that.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Interaction and engagement with people is very important. Letting them into not only who you are as an artist, but who you are as a person. It is a way for fans to see behind the music and I think that it’s ultimately necessary. I like posting little everyday things on my page or on my stories.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) A massive thank you, first of all. When you’re an artist putting yourself out there it’s a scary thing and having others embrace your art is super beautiful and very much appreciated. I want people who support me to always keep a positive head on their shoulders because I am a believer that everything happens for a reason!