BY BRE CURA
PHOTO BY JON MEGNA
A couple months ago Unclear Mag was able to talk to gray about his newest single ‘Swoon’, so we figured we better follow up now that it’s almost time for his debut album to drop! H(our)s is set to come out October 29th, and we cannot wait to hear what gray has created. With influences like Coldplay, John Mayer, The Band CAMINO and Ben Rector, gray’s songwriting skills have been on display since his first Spotify release back in 2017.
We asked gray what he could tell us about H(our)s, to which he responded, “It’s exciting! It’s really honest. Songwriting for me is a way to process through my thoughts and feelings, so this album is a piece of me, in many ways. This album will have twelve songs — very intentionally. It tells the story of my life growing up — the things I’ve experienced so far. Falling in love with my best friend. It’s out October 29th, and I can’t wait for you all to hear it!” gray also mentioned to us that time was the central theme for all of these songs. He says, “This album, in some ways, is a series of the things I’ve experienced in life so far that have shaped me the most.” Crediting time itself as the most challenging aspect of putting the album together, gray told us that having the right people on this project was very important to him.
While some people might be nervous about releasing a debut album, gray is simply excited for people to experience so much of what he has been through! We asked if he had any favorite tracks on the album, and he told us, “It changes. Probably ‘Grown,’ right now. The imagery in that song speaks so much to the pain of growth. The idea of leaving a paper castle to storm one made of stone hits me hard. I’ve had to go through that pain a lot lately. The pain of leaving something that is less than you believed it was to fight for something you don’t think you can win… been there. This song has the reminder that we do not have to go through these things alone, nor are we meant to.” gray’s vulnerability and versatility as a songwriter has created this ability to put the human experience into poetically crafted three minute escapes back into reality. As his early song ‘October’ states, “it’s in joy when it needs no disguise” — simply meaning that some of the best parts of life can be found in the simplest truths.
Listeners will be able to access H(our)s on all music streaming platforms, and can stay updated on gray’s release by heading over to his website (www.musicofgray.com) or by following him on social media (@musicofgray).