Since the release of her first album “Mirrored Images”, Amanda Ray continues to quench everyone’s thirst for substance and uniqueness. This album has been receiving great reviews, steady airplay, on college stations and Podcast shows.
This electronic and cinematic album has already attracted attention from movie production studios. One of the strongest songs on her album, appropriately named, “Stronger” will be in an upcoming movie called, “Juncture” set for release this fall. Serving as ...
Since the release of her first album “Mirrored Images”, Amanda Ray continues to quench everyone’s thirst for substance and uniqueness. This album has been receiving great reviews, steady airplay, on college stations and Podcast shows.
This electronic and cinematic album has already attracted attention from movie production studios. One of the strongest songs on her album, appropriately named, “Stronger” will be in an upcoming movie called, “Juncture” set for release this fall. Serving as co-producer on her first project, and producing her first album, Amanda Ray has created a truly unique sound that brings a mesmerizing experience.
She has the rare ability to equally sound optimistic and melancholy. And it’s this dichotomy of depth that makes this album so intoxicating.
With influences ranging from Sade to Massive Attack, Ray’s esoteric stirrings are no surprise. However, finding a singer/ songwriter of this genre smack dab in the middle of America’s dirty south is futureshock at its finest.
Born in New York City, Ray grew up listening to Prince, Phyllis Hyman and her moms Barry White albums. At the age of 15 she began writing and studying song writing styles of artists such as Prince, which she still models after today. She relocated to Atlanta, and began pursing a Music Industry degree at Georgia State University, which is where she developed an appreciation for groups like Bjork, Lamb and Massive Attack. She began collaborating with like minded local producers to help her create the sound she craved. In 1999 while still attending college, Ray embarked on a daring sojourn to London. She spent half the year soaking up the UK music scene and working with local producers.
After returning to Atlanta with a renewed sense of direction, she began working with another local producer. All of these collaborations gave birth to her first EP project, “What’s On Your Mind”, which included a song that was played on the NBC Today Show. With burgeoning keyboard and guitar skills, Ray served as co-producer on her first project which went on to sell hundreds of copies in and around Atlanta.
While learning her way around the recording studio, she gradually developed her own innovative means to express her true self. In 2004 Ray came full circle and returned to New York City to complete some already pre-produced songs as well as new ones with, Debbie Harry and Rufus Wainwright producers, Charlie Nieland and Barbara Morrison of Super Buddha Productions. This collaboration resulted in the more cinematic, “Mirrored Images.”
This is not an album littered with samples that run in a hamster wheel of infinite loops. “Mirrored Images” is a full bodied album fusing electronic sounds and alternative rock with jazzy vocals. It would be something of a disservice to neatly categorize this album. It’s an interesting mix revealing Ray’s obvious influences of Radiohead and Bjork. Playing out like a soundtrack to the movie Vanilla Sky, Ray’s sweet airy vocals and rich husky voice brings a fresh new sound to the genre. With the help of her producers, this album is not only Ray’s most well produced work, but her most diverse as well.
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