On Monday, August 26, Nathan Duvall, DJ of AFM’s show Lucid Pilot, interviewed the talented Raquel Valente, leader of the band 701. Nathan introduced the musician as “an accomplished bandleader, composer, producer, singer and lyricist from Lisbon, Portugal, who plays a unique, futuristic psych-pop.”

Raquel called in from Lisbon, where she lives and creates her music by the coast. She explained that the ocean is an inspiration for much of her music. Raquel talked about her process for creating music: she always begins with the lyrics, often starting on her phone and finishing on her laptop. When asked what instruments she primarily plays, Raquel said she did dabble for a bit with the keyboard, but bass and her voice are the two instruments she loves.

Raquel and Nathan talked a lot about the algorithm of services like Spotify and Tidal and how these apps help them discover music from around the world and across the ages. Raquel noted that Portuguese radio is often focused so much on foreign music that it’s hard for Portuguese artists to break through, so listeners often discover her through the algorithm. She said of being a musician in Portugal: “You just do it ’cause you love doing it and you can’t live without doing it.”

701’s new album is titled Se eu n​ã​o me divertir, quem é que me diverte?, or If I Don’t Have Fun, Who Will? You can find everywhere her music streams here, and you can listen to her full interview in Lucid Pilot’s archive.

Written By Kyle C.

Simona Rock visited the studio on Tuesday during Open Air’s “Life On Purpose” to share her experience with neurodiversity: its impact on her and the resources that have helped her understand the world. Simona is a holistic nurse focused on cardiac rehab and lifestyle medicine. In her work as a nurse – in addition to her role as educator, performer, and energy worker – Simona teaches mindfulness to help process this world around us. It was through this practice of mindfulness and meditation that she began thinking about the ways in her life she has always felt different.

Simona shared that her diagnosis of being on the Autism spectrum was a slow process that only resulted in a diagnosis about a year ago. She didn’t even consider her status on the spectrum until she began looking back on her childhood through the eyes of her nephews and TV personalities. She recalled her teachers showing concern for what she perceived as just being “quiet.” She remembered instances of feeling overwhelmed by the stimuli of her senses. Simona shared that her life story was one of discovery including through spirituality from Christianity to meditation always in an attempt to find identity. As she explored what in life can offer her comfort, Simona said that connection to the world was like “unlocking the puzzle of me.”

To hear Simona’s full interview and learn how to be an ally of the neurodivergent community or hear resources including Autism coaching click here.