The captivating British performer Gemma Ray recently played some dates in the United States, and my wife and I had the great pleasure of attending a performance here in the Washington, DC area. She’s released over a half dozen records, brings a powerful sound and presentation to both her records and her live show, and makes music that’s unique and totally her own. Her songs are carefully constructed and arranged, while also very moving and soulful. Her guitar accentuates the passion of her vocals, yet it never overwhelms her powerful singing. Often borrowing from the torch singers of the past, her music has been described as “noir” like; to me, it’s a David Lynch soundtrack waiting to happen.
I spoke with Gemma about her music and her excellent new release, The Exodus Suite, and I also had a conversation with her long-time collaborator, Andy Zammit, about how he approaches his drums and keyboards to support Gemma Ray’s music. Gemma's website is worth checking out, as is her Facebook page; I also recommend a second website that is very informative and worth checking out.