Gretta Ray
Australian indie-pop singer-songwriter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gretta Louise Ray[1] (born 22 May 1998) is an Australian singer-songwriter from Melbourne, Victoria. In 2016, she was the winner of the national Triple J Unearthed radio competition for bands and songwriters, and the 2016 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, with her song "Drive".[2] To date, Ray has released two studio albums – Begin to Look Around (2021) and Positive Spin (2023) – as well as the EPs Elsewhere (2016) and Here and Now (2018).
Gretta Ray | |
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Gretta Ray at St Kilda Festival in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Gretta Louise Ray 22 May 1998 |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2016–present |
| Label | EMI Music Australia |
| Website | www |
Originally making music reflective of indie folk influences, Ray came to embrace pop music as her primary genre with Begin to Look Around. Her songwriting has been described by the Sydney Morning Herald as "conversational, unambiguous lyrics" that "[come] across simply and powerfully",[3] and by Australian music critic Bernard Zuel as "quietly grand pop".[4]
Early life and education
Gretta Ray grew up in Melbourne, Australia, attending Princes Hill Secondary College. She sang in choirs from the age of five, latterly singing and touring with Young Voices of Melbourne, and as the youngest member of If You See Her, Say Hello, a group of 21 Melbourne-based singer-songwriters.[5]
Career
2016–2020: Career beginnings, Elsewhere and Here and Now
In February 2016, Ray released her debut EP, Elsewhere. In August 2016, she won the national competition for emerging new artists called Triple J Unearthed High, for her song "Drive", which was produced by Nashville-based Australian music producer Josh Barber with Jonathan Dreyfus, recorded by Nick Edin and Fraser Montgomerey and mixed by US producer Ryan Hewit.[6] The song received high-rotation airplay on Triple J.[7] The announcement was made by Triple J presenters Matt Okine and Alex Dyson, who snuck into a school concert while she was performing to surprise her.[8] Unearthed music director, Dave Ruby Howe called her a "...bold and exciting new talent who seems to win over everyone that comes into orbit of her music".[9] Ray also a nomination for a J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year at the 2016 J Awards.[10]
On 27 October 2016, Ray won the 2016 edition of the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, which carries the largest first prize for any songwriting competition in the world.[11] In August 2018, Ray released her second EP titled Here and Now. The following year, Ray released two stand-alone singles: a cover of Bon Iver's "re: Stacks" with Dustin Tebbutt in September, and "Heal You in Time" in December.
2020–2023: Begin to Look Around
On 20 May 2021, Ray announced her debut album Begin to Look Around, which was released on 27 August 2021.[12] The album debuted at number 13 on the ARIA Charts. In April 2022, Ray announced the Begin To Look Around album tour, which occurred in June 2022.[13] Later in 2022, Ray joined Gang of Youths on their Australian arena tour in support of their album Angel in Realtime, serving as both their opener and a backing vocalist. The shows also saw Ray duet with lead singer David Le'aupepe on "The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows", which Ray had previously covered on triple j's Like a Version segment.[14]
2023–present: Positive Spin
On 3 May 2023, Ray released "Dear Seventeen", a song she described as a "focus track" intended to introduce fans to her upcoming release.
On 24 May 2023, Ray held an event in Melbourne's northern suburbs for fans on her official Discord server. The event was a scavenger hunt that led fans to letters which spelled out the name of her sophomore album, Positive Spin, and culminated in its announcement. The album was released on 18 August 2023, and will be followed by a national tour titled The Big Pop Show in September.[15] The album was preceded by the singles "Heartbreak Baby", which was later nominated for Song of the Year at the APRA Awards, "Don't Date the Teenager" and "America Forever", which features vocal contributions from British singer Maisie Peters and American singer Carol Ades.
A deluxe version of the album, titled Positive Spin +, was released on 15 March 2024. It includes reworked versions of the songs "Upgraded" and "Heartbreak Baby", as well as the tracks "Roses" and "Better", a collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper.[16]
In 2024, shortly after moving to London, Ray was diagnosed with infective endocarditis, forcing her to cancel all remaining tour dates for the year.[17][18][19]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [20] | ||
| Begin to Look Around |
|
13 |
| Positive Spin |
|
17 |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [20] | ||
| Elsewhere |
|
— |
| Here and Now |
|
46 |
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Unexpected Feeling"[26] | 2016 | Elsewhere | |
| "Drive"[27] | Here and Now | ||
| "Unwind"[29] | Non-album single | ||
| "Towers"[30] | 2017 | Here and Now | |
| "Time"[31] | 2018 | ||
| "Radio Silence"[32] |
| ||
| "Re: Stacks" (with Dustin Tebbutt)[34] |
2019 | Non-album singles | |
| "Heal You in Time"[35] | |||
| "Better" (with Japanese Wallpaper)[36] |
2020 | ||
| "Passion"[37] | Begin to Look Around | ||
| "Bigger Than Me"/"Readymade"[38] | 2021 | ||
| "Human"/"Passion"[12][39] | |||
| "Cherish"/"The Brink"[40] | |||
| "Love Me Right"[41] | |||
| "It's Almost Christmas in Philly"[42] | |||
| "Vienna"[43] | 2022 |
|
Non-album singles |
| "Sweet Disposition" (with Budjerah and Ngaiire)[45] |
|||
| "Dear Seventeen"[46] | 2023 | Positive Spin | |
| "Heartbreak Baby"[15] | |||
| "America Forever" (featuring Maisie Peters and Carol Ades)[47] |
|||
| "Don't Date the Teenager"[48] | |||
| "Roses"[49] | 2024 | Positive Spin + | |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Alone" (Noah Earp featuring Gretta Ray)[50] |
2016 | Disinheritor |
| "A Place That I Don't Know" (Odette featuring Gretta Ray)[51] |
2018 | To a Stranger |
| "Mid Sentence" (Xavier Dunn featuring Gretta Ray)[52] |
2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Tous mes copains" (So Frenchy So Chic featuring Gretta Ray)[53] |
2022 |
Awards and nominations
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Ray has been nominated for one award.[54][55]
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Begin to Look Around | Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | [57] |
Australian Music Prize
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. It exists to discover, reward and promote new Australian music of excellence.[58]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Positive Spin | Australian Music Prize | Nominated | [59] |
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition
The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by Albert Music and APRA AMCOS. It commenced in 2009.[68]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Drive" | Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition | 1st | [69] |