Features

The world of Parry Ray

The London based singer-songwriter and online influencer releases her new album KNOW THE WAY BACK featuring fresh alternative arrangements of hits from the decade 1978-8 encompassing pop, jazz and swing styles

Parry Ray is a singer-songwriter and interpreter with an incredibly varied musical palette. She also boasts a successful presence on social media, which among other things has sparked unexpected Twitter exchanges of admiration with well know artists such as Slipknot's Corey Taylor. Whilst music is at the forefront of Parry's life on and offline, she is also a fashion enthusiast and beauty expert: with her blog and vlog posts she reviews products and latest trend, and she shares advice on quick fixes she has discovered, first hand. However before all this, Parry is a woman, the mother of two grown up children, and someone who has always had an eclectic life from birth, being born and raised in London to an Indian family. Her experiences, including life from birth, being born and raised in London to an Indian family. Her experiences, including diverse interests beyond music, and the capacity to connect with her audience in many different ways all resonate throughout her artistic expressions

All this provides the background to Paryy Ray's new album, appropriately titles KNOW THE WAY BACK. It is a way back through Parry's own life: the work incldes new versions of ten songs bu artists ranging from Blondie to The Cure, Billy Idol, and Fine Young Cannibals from a decade which hugely influenced Parry in her life journey. Each track is connected to a personal memory of hers. It is also a way back through the singer's career: it is her fourth album, and a testament to her broad, musical tastes which have enabled her to re-interpret songs from many different genres into a personal style mixing pop, jazz and swing influences. Supported by a musical dream team including superstar producer Andy Wright (Simply Red, Eurythmics, Simple Minds among others), Sam Swallow (formerly part of the Hoosiers) on keys and backing vocals, Jamie mcCredie on guitar, banjo and mandolin, Roman Roth on drums and percussion, and Gareth Huw Davis on bass and cello. Ray has breathed new life into these well known songs. She has focused on particular aspects of each original track, enhancing certain moods and emotions and adding her trademark husky vocals as a unique finishing touch.

In her typical multi-faceted approach, Parry has not just released the songs: she has worked on recreating the artwork for each single to visually accompany the tracks as YouTube clips. She has also posted a series of vlogs explaining her take on each song, and will release a new track from the album every three weeks on Spotify. KNOW THE WAY BACK is a fully audiovisual project highlighting Parry's attention to modern self-marketing and connection with audiences both on and offline in the music entertainment business as a whole.

Despite a choice of repertoire celebrating a decade far gone, Parry Ray herself very much represents the future: a refreshingly mature and experienced woman of many words, experiences and talents, who is not afraid to take on the world sharing her musical and personal thoughts.

Producer Andy Wright says: 'Parry's initial pitch of repertoire for this album was both brave and unusual. Her approach however in bringing together these wonderful songs in such a stylish and convincing way is a tribute to her imagination and vision both as a singer and as an artist. It was my pleasure to help see this through.

KNOW THE WAY BACK is out now in Smokey Blues Label.

Click here to listen to the album sampler

Have you listedned to the album yet? What did you think to it? 

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