if you're soloing its perfectly fine to be an archer so you can use cure/protect etc. during raids you'll have other classes which will be able to provide that kind of utility so it will be better to play as a bard for the bonus stats from your soul stone as well a the utility given to the raids by your songs, as well as rain of death. Either way, bard and archer share levels so you won't lose out on exp for one by playing as the other.