Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: Hey! First of all thank you for for having me. I’m GRAY, and I am from, and still currently live, in Aberdeen, Scotland. I was born and lived in Spain for years despite my family being Scottish, and I have also lived in Oman in the Middle East. Looking back I have loved music from a very young age. I have found pictures of myself with toy musical instruments from as young as age 4. I started playing guitar around age 10/11 and never stopped really! I’ve always had such a connection with music, both listening to and playing, and it’s an escape for me and brings me joy. I just love that music really brings people together, it’s beautiful.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I had vocal lessons for around a year, and I am currently a music student where I am learning about the industry and recording/mixing music etc. I’m completely self-taught on guitar and bass guitar.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘GRAY’?
A: Ed Sheeran was my first major musical influence. I remember watching his performance of ‘Bloodstream’ at the BRIT Awards in 2015 and that’s really what kickstarted my desire to play music and write music. All I would listen to was his music, and I was completely obsessed with the way he played live using the loop station, so much so that I got gifted a loop station of my own a few years later.
‘GRAY’ is actually my middle name! I wanted something simple yet still personal, and I thought it was perfect.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Depths of a Sunken Mind’. Is there a story behind it?
A: The song was inspired by the isolation that surrounds you when keeping a secret, and the thoughts and feelings attached when that unspoken secret could then be known. The verse’s explore the isolation, and the chorus “don’t tear me down, don’t tear me back” are the thoughts of what may happen should that secret get out.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Absolutely! I’m always working on new songs and I hope to release an EP by the end of the year/start of next year. I’m super excited to share more of my music!
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I think a massive key element in my music are the lyrics. I always write personal lyrics, and in the hope that someone will relate and find a connection. ‘Deep thoughts and good vibes’ is written in my Spotify bio, and that’s exactly what I aim to portray. Meaningful powerful songs that still have an element of good vibes to them.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: Great question! Naturally, I do have big dreams for my music career but I know that for every second I’m doing this I will be loving it. I used to think about this a lot when I was considering going on to study music and persue a career. As I said earlier, music has always been a love of mine in some way throughout my life so I decided that if I were to persue a career within the industry no matter the outcome, I was doing something I absolutely love. As a kid it was my dream to have just even one person listen to an original song of mine and connect to it, so from that point of view I’ve already accomplished a main dream of mine.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: The creative process for ‘Depths of a Sunken Mind’ was a little different from what I usually do actually! The guitar fingerpicking riff and bass line was written first, followed by the drum part. The lyrics were last to be written once the full instrumental was done. Usually, I would either have a melody in my head and bring it to life with some guitar chords, or more commonly I would start with guitar first and then lyrics after that. As a bassist as well, hilariously the bass line always comes last in my writing! However, it’s always an important part in the mixing of my songs as I love to hear the bass in music.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Musically, I think probably getting my songs recorded and mixed. As an independent artists and also a student on a budget it can be difficult! Luckily, as I am a music student I get to use the facilities at my campus, and that is a massive help at the moment.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: ‘Depths of a Sunken Mind’ has recently been played on BBC Radio Introducing in Scotland which is definitely my proudest moment musically. I was absolutely speechless when I found out, a real dream come true!
