Raquel Cole
{{short description|Canadian country singer-songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Raquel Cole
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|03|22}}{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/daily-discovery-raquel-cole-real-time/|title=Daily Discovery: Raquel Cole, "It's For Real This Time"|work=American Songwriter|date=2015|access-date=November 17, 2022}}
| birth_name = Raquel Warchol
| birth_place =
| alias =
| origin = Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, mandolin
| genre = {{hlist|Country|country pop}}
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| years_active = 2013-present
| label = {{hlist|Sakamoto|RHW}}
| associated_acts = Don Amero
| website = {{official website|https://www.raquelcole.com/}}
}}
Raquel Cole (born March 22, 1993) is a Canadian country singer and songwriter.{{cite web|url=https://sakamotoagency.com/raquel-cole-hate-that-i-need-you/|title=SAKAMOTO MUSIC SIGNS RAQUEL COLE, RELEASING NEW SINGLE "HATE THAT I NEED YOU"|date=October 6, 2022|access-date=October 26, 2022|work=Sakamoto Agency}} As an independent artist, she released two extended plays, Personal Truth and The Essence of Me.{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/5kuFd2kh3vtBP2Daa5MvwO?si=RMl41zXHTy-cdXe9eEjOHA|title=Personal Truth - Album by Raquel Cole|work=Spotify|date=June 1, 2018|access-date=October 26, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/3ld5yn7a5fLuaDDWpSp8ZG?si=Ukuj9tp4SqG4n2oPGQPOKA|title=The Essence of Me - EP by Raquel Cole|work=Spotify|date=August 14, 2020|access-date=October 26, 2022}} Outside of her solo career, she is also part of the Nashville-based independent music trio The Woods.{{cite magazine|url= https://www.billboard.com/music/country/makin-tracks-indie-trio-the-woods-on-fire-with-first-harmony-rich-single-1235063612/|title=Makin' Tracks: Indie Trio The Woods 'On Fire' With First Harmony-Rich Single|first=Tom|last=Roland|date=April 26, 2022|access-date=November 19, 2022|magazine=Billboard}}
Early life
Cole grew up in Vernon, British Columbia and began playing the guitar when she was nine years old.{{cite web|url=https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/faces-to-watch-raquel-cole/#sthash.QUQQyzwi.dpbs|title=FACES TO WATCH: RAQUEL COLE|first=Alex|last=Laurence|date=December 15, 2014|work=Words & Music|publisher=Socan|access-date=November 17, 2022}} Her parents purchased her the guitar as her father was a drummer and wanted someone to play music with.{{cite web|url=https://gonzookanagan.com/weeks-video-feature-raquel-cole/|title=This Week's Featured Video – Raquel Cole!|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=Gonzo Okanagan|date=December 12, 2016 }} Her father arranged for her to have her first experience in a recording studio at ten years old as he wanted her to have an understanding of the recording process.{{cite web|url=https://frontporchmusic.ca/music/raquel-cole-female-country-spotlight/|title=[SPOTLIGHT] Canadian Women Of Country: Raquel Cole|first=Jenna|last=Weishar|work=Front Porch Music|access-date=November 18, 2022|date=June 1, 2022}} At twelve years old, she won the "Best New Artist of the Year" at the B.C. Interior Music Awards. Cole credits the music scene in Vernon for inspiring her to be a songwriter and guitar player.{{cite web|url=https://canadianbeats.ca/2022/06/29/raquel-cole-countdown-to-cavendish-beach-music-festival/|title=Raquel Cole – Countdown to Cavendish Beach Music Festival|first=Jenna|last=Melanson|date=June 29, 2022|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=Canadian Beats Media}} She initially was more interested in the soft pop genre of music and was a large fan of Celine Dion growing up, but later became more interested in country music as she began to write songs, citing Keith Urban and Lady A as artists she listened to.
Career
In 2014, Cole was named one of SiriusXM's "Fresh Female Voices" on The Highway. She opened on nine tour dates that fall for Diamond Rio in the southern United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/raquel-cole-dubbed-fresh-female-voice-siriusxms-highway/|title=Raquel Cole Dubbed "Fresh Female Voice" on SiriusXM's "The Highway"|first=Dan|last=Harr|date=August 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012103706/http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/raquel-cole-dubbed-fresh-female-voice-siriusxms-highway/|archive-date=October 12, 2016|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=Music News Nashville}} In 2015, she was named the Discovery Artist by the Canadian Country Music Association.{{cite web|url=https://www.cheknews.ca/b-c-country-musician-raquel-cole-living-out-her-dream-in-nashville-1107992/|title=B.C. country musician Raquel Cole living out her dream in Nashville|date=October 24, 2022|first=Nicholas|last=Pescod|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=CHEK}} She released her debut extended play Personal Truth in 2018, having recorded the songs in Winnipeg, Manitoba.{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/daily-discovery-raquel-cole-personal-truth/|title=Daily Discovery: Raquel Cole, "Personal Truth"|date=2018|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=American Songwriter}} Her song "Imogene" finished in second place of the Unsigned Only category of the International Songwriting Competition.{{cite web|url=https://meadowlakenow.com/2022/10/27/coast-2-coast-closeup-raquel-cole-2/|title=Coast 2 Coast Closeup – Raquel Cole|first=Matt|last=Ryan|date=October 27, 2022|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=Meadow Lake Now}} She released a three-song extended play The Essence of Me in August 2020, after recording this project in Nashville, Tennessee.{{cite web|url=https://musicandtournews.com/raquel-cole-announces-new-ep-the-essence-of-me/|title=RAQUEL COLE ANNOUNCES NEW EP 'THE ESSENCE OF ME'|date=August 13, 2020|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=Music and Tour News}}{{cite web|url=https://bccountry.com/raquel-cole-september-artist-of-the-month/|title=Raquel Cole – September Artist of the Month|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=November 17, 2022|work=British Columbia Country Music Association}} She received a nomination for "Female Artist of the Year" at the 2020 British Columbia Country Music Awards.{{cite web|url= https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/raquel-cole-talks-about-the-canadian-country-scene-in-nashville/wcm/3da40f91-16ad-46f3-a726-363103168605/amp/|title=Raquel Cole talks about the Canadian country scene in Nashville|first=Stuart|last=Derdeyn|date=October 9, 2020|work=Vancouver Sun|access-date=November 19, 2022}}
In 2021, Cole was a finalist at the SiriusXM Top of the Country competition.{{cite web|title='Holy smokes!': B.C. musician reacts after winning $25K 'Top of the Country Contest'|url=https://www.abbynews.com/entertainment/holy-smokes-b-c-musician-reacts-after-winning-25k-top-of-the-country-contest/|first=Tom|last=Zillich|date=November 27, 2021|work=Abbotsford News|publisher=Black Press}}{{cite web|url=https://sakamotoagency.com/roster/raquel-cole/|title=Raquel Cole|work=Sakamoto Agency|access-date=November 17, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/337868/Okanagan-singer-Raquel-Cole-in-the-running-to-win-SiriusXM-Top-of-the-Country-contest|title=Okanagan singer Raquel Cole in the running to win SiriusXM Top of the Country contest|first=Darren|last=Handschuh|date=June 24, 2021|access-date=November 18, 2021|work=Castanet}} She released her first country radio single "Think About You" in July 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.realcountryreddeer.ca/2021/07/26/the-trending-track-raquel-cole/|title=The Trending Track - Raquel Cole, Think About You|date=July 26, 2021|work=Real Country 95.5|access-date=November 18, 2022}} The song would enter the Billboard Canada Country chart and peak at number 44. In March 2022, she featured on fellow Canadian country singer Don Amero's single "Let You", which reached the top 30 at Canadian country radio.{{cite web|url=https://canadianbeats.ca/2022/03/28/multi-juno-award-nominee-don-amero-delivers-his-latest-single-let-you-to-canadian-country-radio/|title=Multi-JUNO Award nominee Don Amero delivers his latest single "Let You" to Canadian country radio|first=Nanci|last=Dagg|work=Canadian Beats Media|date=March 28, 2022|access-date=November 18, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://canadianbeats.ca/2022/05/06/video-for-let-you-released-by-don-amero-ft-raquel-cole/|title=Video for "Let You" released by Don Amero ft. Raquel Cole|first=Nanci|last=Dagg|work=Canadian Beats Media|date=May 6, 2022|access-date=November 18, 2022}} In October 2022, Cole signed a record deal with Sakamoto Music and released her second country radio single, "Hate That I Need You". Later that month, she opened for The Washboard Union on several of their tour dates in British Columbia. In July 2023, Cole released the song "All to Yourself".{{cite web|url= https://canadianbeats.ca/2023/07/21/raquel-cole-releases-new-single-all-to-yourself/|title=Raquel Cole releases new single, "All To Yourself"|first=Jenna|last=Melanson|date=July 21, 2023|work=Canadian Beats Media|access-date=July 30, 2023}} At the 2023 BC Country Music Awards, she won the International Achievement Award.{{cite web|url=https://bccountrymusic.wildapricot.org/|title=2023 BC Award Winners|work=BC Country Music Association|archive-date=June 10, 2024|access-date=June 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610173747/https://bccountrymusic.wildapricot.org}}
Discography
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| style="width:6em;"| Title
! style="width:20em;"| Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Personal Truth
|
|
| scope="row"| The Essence of Me
|
|
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Single ! colspan="1"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:4em;"| CAN Country
|
| 2021
! scope="row"| "Think About You" | 44 | rowspan="2" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| 2022
! scope="row"| "Hate That I Need You" | — |
| colspan="5" style="font-size:85%"|"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
==Guest singles==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Single ! rowspan="2"| Artist ! Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="65"| CAN Country
|
| 2022
! scope="row"| "Let You" | 28 | align="left"| Nothing is Meaningless |
=Music videos=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| style="width:1em;"| Year
! style="width:16em;"| Video ! style="width:10em;"| Director |
|---|
| 2021
! scope="row"| "Think About You"{{cite web|title=Raquel Cole - Think About You (Official Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgeg5VpSDhg|website=YouTube|accessdate=October 26, 2022|format=video|date=June 29, 2021}} |Zack Knudson |
| rowspan="2"| 2022
! scope="row"| "Let You"{{cite web|title=Don Amero & Raquel Cole - Let You (Official Music Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD17qupmsTA|website=YouTube|accessdate=October 26, 2022|format=video|date=April 21, 2022}} |Ryan Nolan |
| scope="row"| "Hate That I Need You"{{cite web|title=Raquel Cole - Hate That I Need You (Official Music Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IARA2qGo8Z8|website=YouTube|accessdate=November 16, 2022|format=video|date=November 16, 2022}}
|Zack Knudson |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Raquel}}
Category:Canadian country singer-songwriters
Category:Canadian women singer-songwriters
Category:Singers from British Columbia
Category:People from Vernon, British Columbia