Raquel Martins

About

" Brazilian flavoured alt-soul "

“Is my light too bright?/For your fragile eyes/Does it shine too bright?” Raquel Martins asks in ‘Fragile Eyes’, setting the tone: intimate and honest. ‘Empty Flower’, her new release out in February 2023, showcases Raquel in a vulnerable light, inspired by her personal journey as an artist and as an individual, from her birth country Portugal to London in pursuit of her musical dream. Raquel crafts sonic and lyrical layers that avoid complexity. There’s a rich texture of sounds and concepts here, delicately woven together by an artist at the top of their game, even though she’s quite young – just 23 years old. 

Her new album is entirely produced in her bedroom. It’s a thought-provoking and utterly compelling collection of tracks, delivered with a captivating combination of sun kissed Brazilian jazz, neo-soul and indie-pop, exploring topics such as identity, growth, gender roles, and sexuality. 

Rachel Martins debuted in 2021 with the self-produced EP ‘The Way’, which caught the attention of the UK scene, with international support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum and Dan Digs (KRCW), to name a few. It’s interesting to see how long she’s travelled on her personal path, from her soulfully warm yet simpler debut EP to her more mature latest album, and in such a short time. Now, Rachel lets her audience into her mind still deeper than before, not only to liberate herself, but to encourage people to liberate themselves. It’s as if she is processing her varying thoughts and emotions through her songs and placing such changes in the DNA of these tracks. The result is just beautiful.