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Cari Ray

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Hometown	Fishers, IN
Genres	Americana / Alt Country, Singer/Songwriter (Female)
Band Members	Cari Ray; Jen Edds; Andrew Funke; Sue Lawhead
Achievements	» more
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:	Other Kayla Miller kmiller@pikevilleentertainment.com 317-524-1545
# Years Experience Performing Live:	4
# Live Perfomances Past Six-months:	50
Market Draw:	Home Market: 101-150; Chicago: 0-30; Austin, TX: 0-30; Ft. Worth, TX: 0-30; Terre Haute, IN: 31-50; Louisville, KY: 0-30; Muncie, IN: 0-30
Venue History:	Mo's Irish Pub - Noblesville, IN 8 seconds saloon - INdianapolis, IN Zanzabar - Louisville, KY Coffee Grounds - Terre Haute, IN The Vineyard at Florence - Florence, TX Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center - Schaumburg, IL Indiana State Fairgrounds - Indianapolis, IN THE MOONDOG TAVERN - Indianapolis, IN The Athenaeum/Rathskeller - Indianapolis, IN Doc's Music Hall - Muncie, IN Palmer Events Center - Austin, TX St. Mary-of-the-Woods College - Terre Haute, IN Elbo Room - Chicago, IL The Horseshoe - Chicago, IL Lamasco Bar & Grill - Evansville, IN Mulligan's Sports Bar - Terre Haute, IN Kehoe Park Ampitheater - Bluffton, IN The Corner Wine Bar - Indianapolis, IN Players Pub - Bloomington, IN
Opener Experience:	Terri Clark; Doug Stone; Jennie DeVoe
Similar Artists:	Bonnie Raitt; Lucinda Williams
Performing Rights Society:	ASCAP
Discography:	Always On LP—2009

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About the Artist

Whether performing solo or with her band, The Loaners, Cari Ray is a singer/songwriter and performer who stops audiences in their tracks and has critics sitting up to pay attention. Her lyrical conversations are raw, real and decidedly uncomplicated....

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Music

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Achievements

Folk Winner, August 2010

Reached 90th in Best of Country chart in 2011. In the top 100 for 1 week.

Folk Winner, January 2012

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Press Coverage

The Year in Local Music: Folk, etc. by Nora Spitznogle
Singer-songwriter Cari Ray seemingly came out of nowhere in October of this year with her debut album, always on, garnering well-deserved praise and filling seats wherever she played. Ray’s music can be compared to that of Carrie Newcomer, Bonnie Raitt or Sheryl Crow but her sound is uniquely her own. Whether you hear Ray with her band or solo and unplugged you’ll be hooked. Barfly’s Art Show, Locals Only Wayne Bertsch has drawn NUVO’s weekly Barfly comic for six years and has been making concert posters for even longer. His solo art show in March was a reminder of just how much he has done to expose readers to new music and to promote singer-songwriters over the years. Indiana State Fair The Indiana State Fair hosted hundreds of musical acts during its seventeen-day run. You could find free music scattered throughout the Fairgrounds, and on the back of flatbed wagons in the daily parade. The Pioneer Village strengthened their commitment to traditional folk music by adding a second music stage while dubbing a barn “Opry House” and staging a WLS National Barn Dance radio show tribute there. Broad Ripple Music Fest The annual Broad Ripple Music Fest really found its groove this year, featuring twenty-five venues and over 200 musical acts this October. You couldn’t swing a guitar case without bumping into a singer-songwriter or band. The event does a great job of bringing music and people together. Find your own listening room The oft-heard complaint is that Indianapolis lacks a dedicated folk and singer-songwriter room like Chicago’s Uncommon Ground, NYC’s Bitter End or Atlanta’s Eddie’s Attic. But there’s already plenty of great music to be heard locally, tucked into coffeehouses, collectives, hostels, house concerts and even traditional rock venues. There’s no need to wait for the music to be served up in a fancy package.

Music City Beckons by Dave Lindquist
To go from being a little-known singer to a Country Music Association award nominee, Joey Martin made a logical move from Indiana to Nashville. She didn't have any contacts in "Music City, U.S.A." in 1998, but Martin wanted to do more than continue performing at Elliott's nightclub in Anderson. I reached a place in my early 20s when I wanted to venture out," Martin says. "It was the only thing I knew to do. In interviews, you heard artists say they made their trip to Nashville and that's when things started happening for them. Music is a $6.38 billion industry in Tennessee's capital, according to a Belmont University economic impact study published in 2006. More than 19,000 people work in music-related jobs in the city that's home to 80 record labels, more than 180 recording studios and 130 music publishers. Noblesville native Terry "TK" Kimbrell, who manages the multi-platinum career of Toby Keith, says Martin did the right thing. It's the first thing I tell anyone: If you're going to be in country music, there are very few people good enough to dial it in from outside Nashville," Kimbrell said. In genres other than country, there's more than one promised land. Hopeful rockers and rappers might make it in New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta. The question for country acts isn't where to seek fame and fortune. The question is "When? Among Indiana's current crop of country acts, Casey Jamerson is living in Nashville while recording an album. Corey Cox, KJ Testin & the Jester Kings and Cari Ray are in various stages of courting Music City. Martin's time in Nashville had a storybook start, as she attended a songwriters showcase at the famed Bluebird Cafe. Rory Feek, who went on to co-write No. 1 song "Some Beach" for Blake Shelton, performed that night and made a positive impression on Martin. I felt, 'That's the kind of man I'm going to marry someday, if not the man I'm going to marry someday,' " Martin says. After meeting in 2000, Martin and Feek did become husband and wife. They sang together as Joey & Rory while competing on cable TV talent search show "Can You Duet" in 2008, and their "Cheater, Cheater" single reached No. 30 on Billboard magazine's country chart this year. On Wednesday, Joey & Rory will learn how they fared against Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland in the CMA's vocal duo category. WRTV will televise the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Martin and Feek say their weekly schedule commonly includes one day off at their rural Tennessee home, two days of writing sessions and meetings in Nashville, and four days of radio station visits and performances from coast to coast. We've reached way above and beyond what we imagined in the short year we've been out doing this as a duo," Martin said. Feek credits television exposure on "Can You Duet" and appearances in Overstock.com ads. In the music business, a guy in overalls married to a girl with a belt buckle from Indiana singing traditional country music, they would just dismiss it: 'That doesn't happen,' " he said. "On TV, they don't care about that. They say: 'You're real, you're talented, we like you.' While Nashville was a no-brainer for Martin, it wasn't an easy decision for Jamerson. The 19-year-old accepted a scholarship to play softball at Indiana University before music producer Paul Worley phoned to express interest in Jamerson's singing talents. Worley's track record of working with the Dixie Chicks and Martina McBride persuaded Jamerson to relinquish her scholarship and pursue a life in Nashville. She takes guitar lessons, writes songs and works on recording eight tunes that she hopes will land her a major-label recording contract. I know what I gave up to be at this point," Jamerson said. "But I'm so blessed and fortunate to be working with the people I'm working with. I kind of have a step up on a lot of people in town. Before Worley's call, Jamerson's parents feared a move to Nashville with no leads would translate into their daughter waiting tables, she said. Talented musicians do indeed work in dry cleaning and do valet parking in Nashville, artist manager Kimbrell said. I get a CD from somebody everywhere I turn," he said. "You listen, and you know they're pretty good. Jamerson says everyone she's met in Nashville claims to be a "singer or a songwriter or both." She's friends with Lady Antebellum vocalist Hillary Scott, whose group sold more than 1 million copies of its 2008 debut album. They're totally normal people who have really cool jobs," Jamerson said. "That's how you have to look at it so you don't get starstruck around your peers. In Indiana, the multi-tasking teenager had a .400 batting average for the Pendleton Heights High School softball team, had a regional hit with the song "I Miss You Already," and performed as a supporting act for Jessica Simpson at the Indiana State Fair. In Nashville, she's able to make ends meet as an unsigned artist. I've been doing live performances for four years, and I've been very frugal with the money I make," she said. "I put it all in a business account, and I don't even look at it. While Jamerson says she invests in her own career, financial backers are a recent Nashville trend. A backer may pay for housing or finance recording sessions in hopes of recouping cash when an artist hits it big, said Joey Gonzalez, who works as tour manager for recent chart-topper Justin Moore. Gonzalez co-owns Atomic Relations, a company that booked Corey Cox, KJ Testin & the Jester Kings and Cari Ray as entertainment at the recent FFA national convention in Indianapolis. While acknowledging the allure of Nashville, Gonzalez says musicians should work to build a fan base at home. If I want to play for the Dodgers, I won't make it if I don't give it a shot," he said. "But you can be based somewhere else and still go for a tryout. I know people who come to town from time to time to get meetings and get the ball rolling. If you make progress, then it might be time to make the move. Cox and his management team preach patience, even after his romantic yet rugged songs "The One That Got Away" and "Your Memory Finds Me" have been embraced by WLHK-FM (97.1) and New Castle-based station WMDH-FM (102.5). He's in the process of releasing a self-titled debut album, and he's a relentless networker on online sites MySpace.com and Face book.com. Cox says performing as a supporting act for established stars is the best way to win fans. You're guaranteed a built-in country crowd," said Cox, who graduated from Pendleton Heights High School a year before Jamerson. "They bought tickets for the show. It's not like you have to gamble on, 'Who's going to show up tonight? Are they just coming to drink, or are they coming to listen to music?' Dave McAfee, drummer in Toby Keith's band, produced three songs on the "Corey Cox" album, and Dane Clark, drummer in John Mellencamp's band, produced eight. Cox says he's not interested in being "another little fish in the big sea" of Nashville. I want to catch their attention rather than go down and say, 'Here I am,' " Cox said. "For a 21-year-old kid, it's been extremely hard to not say, 'Hey, let's go down and play Nashville.' But the time is coming soon. Testin recently visited Nashville for songwriting sessions with writers affiliated with Kobalt, a music publishing company that boasts Desmond Child ("Livin' On a Prayer" and "Livin' La Vida Loca") and Max Martin ("I Want It That Way" and "Oops . . . I Did It Again") on its roster. Before pooling her resources with the hard-traveling Jester Kings, Testin made a four-song solo recording in Nashville. Marveling at the facilities and musicians, she said, "I don't know how many weeks it would have taken up here (in Indiana), but it was maybe three hours in Nashville. As KJ & the Jester Kings, Testin's pop sensibilities mesh with the roadhouse aggression of guitarist Andy Leigh. To fully operate from Nashville would be cost-prohibitive, Leigh said. We wouldn't be able to pay our band, play a bunch of shows and have the fan base we have if we lived in Nashville," he said. "We can shine here a little easier, and go there every once in a while. Leigh's philosophy resonates with Ray, who intends to have a purpose of "creating momentum" when she hits Music City. I think it's real easy to be a whistle in a windstorm in Nashville," she said. "Everybody is down there wanting to be heard and make it or whatever. And the concept of "making it" is subjective, says Ray, who issued her debut album, "Always On," last month. The music industry has burst so wide open, and there are so many levels of success that you can achieve," she said. In contrast to the mainstream slickness of Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts, Ray's music can be filed in the subgenres of roots, alt-country or Americana. I jokingly refer to roots music as what country music used to sound like," said Ray, who counts Patsy Cline and Bonnie Raitt as influences. Nevertheless, WLHK-FM has played "Always On" selection "Wrestling with My Angel," and Ray says she's committed to taking her music to as many people as possible. If you're connecting with folks and you see heads bobbing and the toes tapping, you get up the next day and go do it again. _______________________ stars in their eyes: MORE ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Corey Cox www.coreycoxmusic.com Distance from Nashville has helped Cox develop as a musician, he says. It's not like I meet tons of songwriters every day of my life. I've tried to build myself as a writer. Cox co-wrote half of the songs on his self-titled debut album with Dane Clark, who plays drums in John Mellencamp's band. Casey Jamerson www.caseyjamerson.com Jamerson moved to Nashville on Jan. 12, her 19th birthday. She has a writing credit on five of the eight songs she's recording with producer Paul Worley. Everyone says, 'You haven't experienced life. How do you write about it?' " Jamerson said. "Yet, I have. Maybe not completely through me, but I've seen situations happen in front of my eyes. Joey Martin www.joeyandrory.com Martin's hometown of Alexandria is headquarters for the gospel music empire of Bill and Gloria Gaither. "Bill was my mom's high school English teacher," Martin said. After moving to Tennessee, Martin spent a year caring for horses on the ranch of Wilbur Rimes, father of fellow country singer LeAnn Rimes. Cari Ray www.cariray.com Growing up in Rockville -- billed as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World" -- Ray gravitated to music by the queens of country. When everybody else was listening to Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, I had Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette," she said. KJ Testin & the Jester Kings www.myspace.com/kjtestin music Testin, ex-vocalist for hard-rock band Xero Sum, is gaining exposure after MySpace Records added her to its Friends & Family Network in August. Getting on the road, meeting people and seeing the world all while singing country is my dream," she said.

Cari Ray CD Release Concert by Claire O'Brien
“This all started with me and an acoustic guitar and some stories I wanted to tell.” Singer/songwriter Cari Ray ended her show at the Indianapolis Arts Center on October 17th with an encore that showcased those strengths: her ability to tell a story that everybody in the audience can relate to—love and loss and longing—and to tell it with a powerful, honest, resonant voice. The show marked the release of her CD “Always On,” and Capture Media readers were lucky enough to be in the audience as part of the “Out on the Town” series. The show also marked the debut of Cari’s band, The Loaners: drummer Steve Brunner, bassist Scott Herider, lead guitarist Bryan Headrick, backing vocalist Rita Keith and Jen Edds, a “utility” player who pulls out everything from a mandolin to a dobro to a ukelele on stage. The extra string instruments underscore the roots feel of the music—a little country, a little bluegrass. In addition to her own songs, Cari played strong covers of songs by artists she admires, including “The First Cut is the Deepest” (with a nod to Sheryl Crow; “she did an incredible arrangement,” according to Cari) and Lucinda Williams. She paid tribute to local talent with a version of “When I Fight Authority, Authority Always Wins” by fellow Indiana native John Cougar Mellencamp. Cari, who hails from Rockville, Indiana, has been singing since she was 3. “When I was a kid I sang all the time,” she says. “I sang at school, I sang the national anthem at ball games. I was the little girl who sang—that was who I was in my town.” These days, the Fishers resident is poised to expand her audience and tour beyond the local shows that have established her fan base. She has basically been a one- woman show—playing acoustic shows (occasionally joined by another musician) and doing everything herself, from calling venues and booking shows to designing the CD. Of course, with a degree in graphic design and a marketing background, she is well suited to promote herself, but she looks forward to the day she can focus on the music and leave those details to someone else. “I’ve been working pretty hard for a few months now to get the record put together, get it out, promote the show, get press, make a splash,” Cari says. She plans to take the band on the road for a regional tour, and may do some solo dates as well. “I’m able to do the band thing, but I can also do the solo acoustic thing pretty powerfully, too,” she adds. “I don’t have to load up the whole band and take them everywhere to expose people to the music and get a response.” The response to her music, and to the Arts Center show, was overwhelmingly positive. “It was a great show,” says Patrick Goodnight, a Windermere resident who received tickets to the show after his house was featured in Capture Media’s “Who’s Home” contest. “She has a strong stage presence.” Ellen, his wife, added, “I knew nothing about her, but now I’m a fan. I would definitely see her again.” Word about Cari’s music is getting out. Ernie Mills from Indy’s Hank FM radio station, played “Wrestling With My Angel” from the “Always On” CD on his show. Recent newspaper articles have included a feature in the Terre Haute Tribune Star (Cari graduated from St. Mary-of- the-Woods College in Terre Haute and recently played an acoustic show at a local coffeehouse during homecoming), as well as a piece in Indy’s Metromix a few weeks ago that highlighted up-and-coming talent. Having more people hear her music is the whole point for Cari. “The more exposure we get, the more opportunity I have to make a connection with more people,” she says. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing—not just a job, but a vocation. I say this with a little trepidation sometimes, because I don’t want it to come out too trite, but I’ve been given these stories and I’ve been given the talent and skill to tell them musically. I feel like, who am I not to?” To hear tracks from Cari Ray’s “Always On” CD, and for more information about upcoming shows, log onto her website, www.cariray.com.

Artist Interview 1-On-1 with Cari Ray by Ricky Lee Potts
I am hanging out today with a lady that deserves some much needed attention. Her voice radiates absolute talent and her guitar playing is right there with her. Bringing a true sense of the word musician to the stage, she puts 100% every night into every song. Having seen her at a local bar not too long ago, I knew she had something. Sounding like a country version of Sheryl Crow, her voice stays consistent from song to song. Throwing in a few covers that you would have no idea were covers except for her telling you so, you get to see a range in her voice show after show. I am happy to be sitting with Cari Ray. Is Cari Ray your real name? As a matter of fact it is. How long have you been playing? Well, I’ve been singing in public since I was three and picked up the guitar in college. I wrote my first song my senior year. What is your first memory of the guitar? My dad had a 1964 Gibson LG-O and I used to open the case and strum it when no one was around. Do you have any jobs outside of music? Yes. I am a marketing consultant. Do you travel outside of Indiana very often for shows? Not yet but I’m looking to set up some touring to promote the new record due out later this summer. I know it’s old-fashioned to call it a record but I like saying it better than CD. I heard you were putting a band together? When will we see that take form? Between work, solo shows and recording my plate is pretty full right now. So we decided to put the kabosh on rehearsals for now. I’ll likely roll out the full-band show once the CD is out. Tell me about the people in your band. All in good time… What is your favorite venue to play? So far, the Biergarten at the Rathskeller was pretty cool. I love outdoor shows. I like stinky old theaters with blood red carpet too. Do you write all your own lyrics? Every word. Have you ever co-written with anyone before? No, but I have interest in doing so and have kicked the idea around with a couple of folks. Who does all your graphic design work? For now, me. I do have a degree in graphic design and since I’m bootstrapping this thing right now I save up and get help when I have to (like getting professionals to work with me on the recording) and do what I can myself. When did you know you wanted to take a run at this thing called music? Which time? From a very early age I knew music was “my thing”…wasn’t sure what that meant, but just knew it. Then I got older, went to college and made up that I needed to do something responsible…like get a job. This time around I think it hit me about a year ago that this was what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like there are stories that need telling and I’m one of the people who’s meant to tell them. What is the biggest crowd that you have ever played for? About 3000. The smallest? At a pubic gig? 5. Let’s say that you are offered a $250,000 record deal but it was a rap album and someone else’s lyrics. Do you do it? Hell no. Let’s get a pizza. What toppings? Cheese. Mushrooms. Extra sauce. Do you have any thoughts on a nation wide tour this year? Not clear about that as yet. But yes, I’ve been thinking in that direction. Am certain that I’ll need to tour to promote the record but haven’t figured precisely what that will look like. How do you know Sheryl Hugill? We’re members of a secret society. I’d tell you about it but it’s…well…secret. Are you actively seeking a record deal? The ad reads something like this: SWS/S ISO record label sugar daddy to coordinate promotion and pay the bills. Know any of those? Seriously though…no, not actively. But this is an ever-evolving thing. I’m trying to stay focused on the music and getting it heard by as many potential fans as I can. If I continue to make this about connecting with people (and am willing to work my ass off, of course) I think I have the best chance of getting somewhere. If a label turns out to be a good conduit, then so be it. Who are some of your biggest influences? Patty Griffin. Lucinda Williams. Gillian Welch. EmmyLou Harris. Willie Nelson. Where do you get inspiration for a new song? It’s usually a concept before it’s a song…a single line or musical phrase…sometimes they come in response to something but more often than not they seem to appear out of the void…the nothingness. My more prolific periods as a writer have definitely been associated with times in my life when I was able to spend adequate time sitting still. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I don’t know how to be a songwriter, I just know I am one. What would you be doing if you were not performing? Creating something else. What are your thoughts on MySpace? Love it. Hate it. There’s no question that, as an artist, MySpace and the myriad of other social networking sites are great place to reach out to fans and promote your stuff. The internet in general has undoubtedly made it easier for folks like me to be seen and heard. On the other hand, as a solo artist trying to get off the ground, trying to keep up with cariray.com, blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Reverb Nation can be daunting. Not to mention YouTube which I have yet to do much with. Wow, I didn’t realize I had that much to say about it. But the work is just part of it…I guess that’s why they call it the music business and not the music vacation. Describe your genre in one word. Roots. Where do you see yourself in five years? On stage. What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done? Telling the kind of stories a person can plop themselves into and feel like they fit…comfortable or not. Life is awesome and awful. It’s worth telling the whole story. I always let the artist get the last word. Go. Wow, the last word, I knew I liked you. This whole journey is fraught with uncertainty. Maybe that’s what’s intoxicating about it. Potential fans are just lovers waiting to be wooed. I’ve always loved the chase.

Ray’s Writing Shines on Debut CD by Ernie Mills
Every once in a while, I’ll get a CD in the mail that I can listen to, start to finish, without pausing or stopping. Just the songs rolling one after the other. Jamie Johnson’s “That Lonesome Song” was the last one, until I got a hold of local singer/songwriter Cari Ray’s debut CD “Always On.” Its sound falls somewhere between Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow, and Ray’s writing shines through on each song. Ray grew up in Rockville, where her family get-togethers were full of instruments and song. “If you didn’t play and instrument, you sang. If you didn’t sing, you played,” she said. There was a lot of bluegrass and gospel at these gatherings, and it’s when her passion for writing began. In junior high, “I wrote really bad poetry,” Ray says. The storytelling eventually became songwriting, and in college at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ray began penning songs. One even found its way onto her new CD (you’ll have to ask her which one). Join Ray at her CD release party October 17 at the Indianapolis Art Center’s Frank M. Basile Auditorium, 820 E. 67th St. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the concert at 8. Tickets are $15, with part of the proceeds going to the Project School of Indianapolis. For more information on Ray, visit www.cariray.com.

Always On...Her Mind by Mark Bennett
Music, a lifelong passion, clearly on horizon for Rockville native Cari Ray TERRE HAUTE — Same place. Different time. Same heart. New outlook. Guitar in hand, Cari Ray stood singing beneath the soft lights of a coffeehouse on Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute last month. More than a decade earlier, she was a nervous college senior, playing her first public gig at the same venue — Coffee Grounds. In both moments, Ray was fulfilling her passion — music. Back in the mid-1990s, though, she guarded that love. Ray considered majoring in music at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, and participated in vocal and theatrical groups at the school. It came naturally. She’s been singing since her first church solo as a 3-year-old growing up in Rockville. But instead of pursuing a music major, she earned a degree in graphic design and marketing, because “I just never wanted [music] to be like work.” The kid gloves are off now. Ray, an Indianapolis marketing consultant by day, is working hard at being a singer-songwriter-recording artist by night. Two and a half years ago, she started performing and writing again, for the first time since her 20s. A year ago, Ray made a plan to eventually earn a living in music. “I just love it,” she said. “I really do feel like it’s what I’m supposed to be doing.” This weekend marks a significant step toward that destiny. A CD release party for her new album, “Always On,” was scheduled for Saturday night in Basile Auditorium at the Indianapolis Art Center. Ray wrote every track, and one of the catchiest — “Wrestling With My Angel” — got favorable reviews from listeners on WLHK-FM 97.1 (better known as Hank FM) in Indianapolis. She’s assembled a band for a tour of Indiana and the region this fall. “The clouds have opened,” Ray said of her second career. She played in bright, cool October sunshine on the courthouse lawn in Rockville last Sunday. The town square overflowed with visitors to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival that afternoon. Hometown family and friends recognized Ray, who now lives in Fishers. Many more enjoyed the sound of her pitch-perfect, Gibraltar-solid, alto-soprano voice and guitar work. Some may have heard her sing as a young girl, but Ray’s polished performance impressed the crowd. She sold several “Always On” CDs that day. “She has more there than a hobby. She has a talent,” said Cathy Harkrider, executive secretary of Parke County Inc., and the mother-in-law of Ray’s sister. “And when people hear her, they want to hear more.” Ray hears similar comments from people who’ve heard her live, or can’t quit playing her album on their car CD player. What they’re hearing is a mix of country songwriting, with an alt-country or pop Americana feel. The genre-crossing doesn’t worry Ray as much as it does some inside music circles. “It will land where it lands,” she said of the album. Ernie Mills, a radio personality at Hank FM in Indy, called “Always On” a “big winner” at that country station. Still, the disc notably lacks some staples of country recordings; there are no fiddles or steel guitars. But listeners will hear mandolin, dobro, ukulele and upright bass mixed with electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, electric bass and drums. Ray jokes that she “stole” popular Indianapolis singer Jennie Devoe’s rhythm section for the album. It was produced by Greg McGuirk, Devoe’s keyboardist and music director at Bennett Innovations, an Indianapolis firm that typically creates jingles and commercials for corporate clients. Ray asked McGuirk to produce her debut disc. Instead of taking it on as a side project, McGuirk got permission at Bennett Innovations to craft the album in its studios — a rare project for the company. She quickly impressed the veteran producer and songwriter. “As I got working with her, I just fell in love with her music,” McGuirk said. “She’s just a wonderful singer and songwriter, and just a fun person to be around.” Ray had the same effect on the studio musicians. “Each one of them, their eyes just lit up as we got into the teeth of this project,” McGuirk said. The material held their attention. “She’s a great storyteller,” he said. Those stories are what drew Ray back into music, feet first this time. “I had these stories that are pretty human stories, and the feedback I got from people … it’s like it made a connection with me.” The tales, told simply, include a Hoosier feel. On “Red Line,” Ray opens with the line, “Grew up in Indiana, my daddy raised me right; church on Sunday morning and again on Sunday night.” It ends with the pathos of a jilted, broken-hearted lover leaving town. Along similar lines, the album includes one song written during Ray’s St. Mary-of-the-Woods days, “Greyhound,” in which she departs by bus after coming home to a note instead of her boyfriend. Back then, Ray enjoyed singing and performing in The Woods’ theatrical groups. But she didn’t learn guitar until her senior year. That year, a popular Indiana band heard Ray playing a handful of freshly written songs at a campus homecoming event. The band invited her to open for them at, of course, Coffee Grounds. So she learned three cover songs to go with her three originals, “and got up there with my knees knocking.” She developed an affection for that eclectic coffeehouse. Ray even put her design skills to use by creating the Coffee Grounds’ first logo for its original owner, George Shumay. A little more than a decade later, she contacted new proprietor Pete Wilson and booked a return performance during, fittingly, The Woods’ homecoming weekend. This time, she was calmer and more focused. More of her music-making lies ahead, according to her plan. “I think she’s going to have lots of songs coming out for a long time,” McGuirk predicted. Finding Cari Ray Information about Parke County native Cari Ray and her new album, “Always On,” can be found online in various locations: Web: www.cariray.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Cari-Ray/5147761091 Myspace: www.myspacemusic.com/cariraymusic Reverb Nation: www.reverbnation.com/cariray

Cari Ray Releases Her Debut Album Titled Always On by Ricky Lee Potts
I have been listening to this album for a few weeks now trying to find the right words to say. I have been looking for something to challenge my typical album review thought process but I simply cannot find it. I have been looking for something negative as no one wants to read a review that is full of positive remarks but I cannot find that either. Quite frankly this album might just be the best thing I have heard in months, maybe even years. For the record, I am not a huge fan of female voices. I never have been. But when this album starts playing I put all that to the side and listen with an open mind. The first thing that grabs me is the lyrics. CariRay writes all of her own lyrics and you can tell that she has lived through them too. Her lyrics are deep, vested in the soul of a woman who has lived, loved, laughed, and shared just about every other human emotion with her pen and paper. You cannot make up lyrics like this and having had the chance to sit and speak with her in an interview not too long ago she made it very well clear that she is writing what she feels and how she reacts to lyrics rather than sitting down to just create something everyone else could experience. This creates lyrics that are not only more genuine but it allows for her to show that emotion in her voice while on stage as well. So when you are listening to this album you should consider trying to see her live as well. She brings the same red boots mentality to every single set whether she is playing for five or five hundred. She has been hitting the Indianapolis music scene quite heavy recently with the official album release on the 17th of October and can actually be seen on stages you would not think a rookie like this should be playing. She has a show coming up at the Indianapolis country music Mecca at 8 Seconds Saloon and has shared the stage at Birdy’s, Mo’s Irish Pub, and a slew of others. I have seen her play to no one but the bartender and the juke box and it still blows my mind how she can sound perfect from track to track. You can hear more of her songs, in preview form, on her MySpace. You can also purchase the album by clicking here. But do yourself a favor and go see her perform live. She takes requests, plays a handful of covers, and has a bucket full of stories to entertain you between songs. She even has a cup holder on her microphone stand so you know she means business. She not only plays for but rather to her audience, listens to their concerns as they sip their beers, and truly means what she says when she steps to the microphone. She is a great person to call a friend, an even better voice to call a musician, and pure role model for anyone trying to make it in this industry the hard way. If you have not heard of her yet you will so sit tight. This debut album will be the excuse for her to explode onto the music scene. There is nothing stopping this spotless talent from reaching the top.

CARi RAY, A Life-Altering Experience by Amanda Parker
There’s music you love to dance to, music you love to work out with, music you just love to love and then, there’s Cari Ray...music that moves your soul. Music is an individual thing, a personal thing, something that can define your mood and sometimes even your personality. It’s more than just some words and a melody. It needs a creator, someone that can embrace the life of a piece, nurture it and deliver it to the world with it’s best face forward. Cari Ray is delivering just that, October 17th! Cari Ray, has a raw subtleness that reinvents emotion. For those of us that embrace our emotions, we often need ways to express them. Finding a musician that can speak your “language” or communicate the way you’re feeling (even when you can’t), can be lifealtering. Cari Ray, a local Indiana girl, knows how to communicate those feelings. Taking pride in her ability to transform emotions into songs people can relate to, Cari Ray says, “I write personal songs...but my goal is to take my experiences and distill them down so that the basic elements of that emotion can be related to.” If you take the time to dissect a song, what is it about it you really like? Is it the beat? Is it the singer’s vocal abilities? Is it the story? Why do you like it? Bottom line, there’s something in it you can relate to, you can connect with. For Cari Ray, it’s all about connecting. You’ll never hear her refer to herself as a singer. “Instead,” she says, “I’m a performer.” Cari Ray believes performing includes everything and everyone around you. “I think performing is a team sport.—I’m co-creating an experience with everyone else there—the band—the audience—the bartender in the back—we’re all contributing something. I feel really connected when I perform.” Cari Ray continues, “I believe that we all have a lot more in common than not. It’s not even about connecting, it’s about shedding light on existing connections.” Cari Ray first started performing in church, at the age of 3. She’s grown up with music. Her family has all played music. In seventh grade, she started writing poetry. She says, “...it was horrible poetry, but great song lyrics.” She continued to write lyrics while in college, studying graphic design at St. Mary of the Woods. After graduation, Cari Ray believed her best course was the “responsible” thing... finding a real job with a steady paycheck. With that decision, she continued her career in marketing until just two years ago when she began performing. Sacrificing time, money and fear, she’s stepped out to follow her dream. Cari’s eclectic style pulls from Roots & Alt Country (AKA what country used to sound like), blues, bluegrass, indie rock (as long as it doesn’t rock too hard), some current country but not much. And her guilty pleasure is listening to obnoxious, synth-laden bubblegum pop from the 80s. Madonna, Wham, Prince, Run DMC, The Bangles, Eurythmics, Tears For Fears, The Human League, etc. “Don’t judge me,” she laughs. Her style, is something yet to be defined. In her usual flavor, she stands alone. Perhaps Americana Folk, with a bit of blues. Her voice has a rugged, sultry vibe that lends truth and conviction to her lyrics. It’s hard to listen and not feel what she’s singing about. Lending to the experience, she loves to perform outside and, “...dark old theaters with musty red carpet, squeaky upholstered seats with popcorn hulls wedged in the crevices and worn-down, beer-stained hardwood floors.” Her personal songs and intimate performances give way for her to connect to her audiences. “I’m certainly not the archetypal female pop or country star...I just want to be able to connect with real people, with real emotions.” Her authentic outlook and objective values, stressing the reality and significance of human freedom and experience, make her music relatable and ...life-altering. For more info on Cari Ray, visit: www.cariray.com

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