Raquel Vidal
singer/songwriter
“darkly cinematic...voicing a bittersweet optimism
”
Raquel Vidal is an indie singer-songwriter who performs as a solo artist and also fleshes out her songs in Diamond Hotel, an original band hailing from the musically-fertile Hudson Valley. New York Music Daily describes her songs as “darkly cinematic…voicing a bittersweet optimism”. Her lyrics explore the dark corridors of the human experience, ultimately revealing the light seeping through the cracks. Piano ballad confessionals and thought-provoking lyrics punctuated by rhythmic guitar are equally at home in her sets and are delivered like smooth bourbon that hints at bygone eras while being firmly planted in the present.
Raquel is the product of a romantic college year abroad that resulted in her father, a Spanish journalist/poet, being imported to the U.S. by her school teacher mom. They settled in suburban Long Island, where she absorbed the harmonies of her mother’s Peter, Paul & Mary records and the gritty wisdom of Kris Kristofferson’s story-telling lyrics. She formed a girl band at 11 in an attempt to process and connect with others after her parents’ split. She found increasing comfort digging into music, art and poetry and left Long Island for Rhode Island School of Design to pursue a degree in art. Her words and music effortlessly merged into songs after a head-on collision left her with many broken bones that would take a year to heal. She turned to her guitar, piano and pen and the songs flowed freely and never stopped. Because of her journey, she can write about the darkness but can also point to the light. This is what she wants to share with others through her songs.
Aside from her own work, Raquel has had the pleasure of providing harmonies in the studio and on stage for others. She has played various festivals, venues, radio stations, podcasts and notably, has been featured in concert on John Platt’s “On Your Radar” for WFUV. In 2013, she helped Dar Williams form Writing a Song That Matters songwriting retreats and mentors songwriters several times annually in her workshops there. She is proud of the thriving songwriting community of over 350 songwriters and its commitment to explore the the nuances of the craft of songwriting.
Raquel is currently in the studio putting finishing touches on a solo EP full of pandemic-infused wisdom and is wrapping a second full length Diamond Hotel album, “Imagining The Sun” , which offers up layers of electrified energy and rich harmonies. Stay tuned!
