Avery Raquel Releases Heartfelt New Single “The Letter”
Canadian Billboard-charting artist Avery Raquel is set to release her deeply personal new single, “The Letter.”
Avery Raquel has been featured on CTV, Billboard, and numerous other media outlets and music charts. Avery returns in 2025 with two soulful new singles. “Hard to Stay” (April 24) blends soulful alternative influencers, telling the story of love that is hard to let go of. Co-produced by Alex Schindler and Christian Lohr (Joss Stone), it pairs smooth melodies with powerful lyrics. “Like The Rain” (July 31) follows with a warm, old-school soul sound. Using rainfall as a metaphor for love, it’s gentle, grounding, and timeless. Produced by Matt McCormack, the track is perfect for chill soul and easy listening playlists.
“The Letter” was written during Avery’s time in Valencia, Spain, while studying at Berklee College of Music. “The Letter” was inspired by a handwritten note Avery Raquel received from a close friend in her final week abroad. The ballad captures the tender moment when friendship begins to blur into love, exploring hidden emotions, fear of change, and the hope of something deeper.
With Avery’s emotive vocals and piano at the forefront, producer Matt McCormack weaves in subtle bass, Moog, and synth layers, creating an intimate yet atmospheric soundscape. The result is a soul-infused track that feels both personal and universally relatable.
Review
“The Letter” doesn’t waste any time, immediately hitting you with this tone of quiet devastation, putting us right into the aching perspective of the person who had to walk away. This isn’t your typical messy breakup song; it’s a wrenching portrait of heartbreak where the love just wasn’t mutual. The speaker is brutally self-aware, feeling burdened by a deep emotional deficit. Their repeated apologies aren’t for doing something wrong, but for a fundamental, tragic inability: “I’m sorry that I couldn’t love you… Its that I loved you just not in that way.”
This recurring confession—“What a shame that I couldn’t love you”—hits like a stone, reframing the departure not as selfish abandonment, but as a painful, unavoidable act of emotional triage. The powerful imagery of the speaker still clutching the letter, a tangible relic of the bond they severed, introduces a haunting layer of grief. It confirms that a profound, lasting affection endures, echoing and cycling “round in my head.”
Ultimately, the song is a profound and painful acknowledgment that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is accept that your affection exists, but tragically, just not in the right way.
Upcoming Shows:
Oct 11 – Prop House (Hamilton) – 9 PM Full Band
Nov 14 – Root Down Studio, 225 Geary Ave, Toronto – 8 PM
Nov 29 – Sofar Sounds, Toronto – 8 PM
March / April 2026 – BC Island Tour (5–8 shows)