ACCLAIMED MUSICIAN BRIAN RAY
(PAUL MCCARTNEY, ETTA JAMES)
RELEASES NEW SOLO ALBUM MY TOWN
OUT NOW VIA STEVIE VAN ZANDT’S WICKED COOL RECORDS – LISTEN HERE
‘BAD 4U’ MUSIC VIDEO OUT NOW – WATCH HERE
ALBUM FEATURES SPECIAL GUEST CONTRIBUTORS, INCLUDING SMOKEY ROBINSON, MICHAEL DES BARRES, WEEZER’S SCOTT SHRINER & MORE
Acclaimed musician Brian Ray today releases his highly anticipated solo album My Town, out now via Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. Listen here. The album is accompanied by a new music video for single ‘Bad 4U’, directed by Frits Jan Smit. Watch here.
Co-written with Van Zandt, Ray says of the track, “This song finds our protagonist yearning for the attention of a bad girl in town. Rather than looking for a nice girl who is more like himself, he decides he needs to be bad too, in order to win her love.”
Renowned for his role as guitarist and bassist in Paul McCartney’s band since 2002, and as the former guitarist and music director for Etta James, Brian Ray has established himself as a versatile and gifted musician. Beyond his impressive collaborations, Brian brings the same fervour and dedication to his solo endeavours.
Reflecting on his solo work, Brian shares, “As rich as my experiences have been playing and writing for others, there’s nothing quite like writing, producing, and playing for my own solo releases.”
My Town is a compilation of singles that Brian has released with Wicked Cool Records since 2017, including ‘Here For You’ and 2022’s ‘On My Way To You’, along with four brand new tracks. Covering several years of his creative journey, the album promises a diverse and captivating listening experience. In discussing his songwriting, Brian expresses his appreciation for the creative freedom provided by Wicked Cool Records, saying, “I get to indulge my wildest ideas, knowing I have the full support of Stevie Van Zandt and his label.”
My Town is a vibrant collection that showcases Brian Ray’s dynamic range as a solo artist. The album features special guest vocalists such as Smokey Robinson on ‘One Heartbeat’, a song Brian co-wrote for Robinson in 1987, Michael Des Barres (Power Station, Silverhead, Detective) on ‘Spell Breaker’, co-written with Des Barres in 2020, and Gia Ciambotti on a cover of Willie Dixon’s ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’. Additionally, select tracks on My Town include contributions from Brian’s Paul McCartney bandmate, Abe Laboriel Jr., on drums, as well as Scott Shriner (Weezer) and Davey Farragher (Elvis Costello) on bass and backing vocals.
Ultimately, My Town encapsulates Brian’s influences, songwriting, and signature style in a way that is uniquely him. “These songs have been a labour of love,” he explains, “I hope you dig listening as much as we enjoyed making them, and I can’t wait for you to hear the new unreleased tracks.”
My Town is out now via Wicked Cool Records and available to stream and purchase here.
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