Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Michelle Ray gifts us with a chilling new single entitled “Dark”, set to be released on Friday, June 18th.
“poignant and electrifying” – PopDust
“hits the rawest and most vulnerable emotions of being human” – Digital Beat
“I started singing before I could talk,” Ray exclaims. The natural-born talent began classical training at age 10 after begging for vocal lessons and the rest was history. Growing up in an extremely musical home shaped her destined future. Her dad managed a rock band with whom she performed backing vocals on their national tours at age 17 and opened for their sold out-shows in Japan at age 26. “I grew up in the home my mom grew up in and we lived with my grandma who was a music manager and music connoisseur. She played classical music throughout the house while my parents taught my brother and I 80’s rock and roll. My grandma managed an Opera singer, Misha Raitzin, who I was named after. He was a Tenor at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC. There was no way I was not going to be in the music world,” she adds.
With her diverse musical genre upbringing, Michelle naturally gravitated towards soul/R&B pop music. Influenced by stars like Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars, Michelle found a way to incorporate soul and pop and hone in on her own sound.
Her outstanding vocals paired with a shining personality landed the talented Ray a spot on NBC’s The Voice, Team Blake, Season 4. Her voice has since been broadcasted on national commercials for Maybelline, Mastercard, JCPenny, Nickelodeon and numerous others and she’s also been featured in a number of shows including Garry Marshall’s “Mother’s Day,” Amazon Prime’s “The Expanse,” and Bravo’s “VanderPump Rules.”
Ray has spent the past year focusing on writing and recording but prior to quarantine she could often be found performing at Los Angeles venues like The Troubadour, Hotel Cafe, Peppermint Club, and more. She’s also lent her theatrical talents to roles such as The Witch in “Into the Woods,” Klepto in “Alanis Morissette – The Album Project: Jagged Little Pill” (touring in LA and Phoenix) as well as Alyshia in the Los Angeles production of Green Day’s American Idiot.
Produced by Michael Blum, Ray’s chilling new single “Dark” is a power ballad and a ball of raw emotions that will leave you bagging for more. It stings with a stunning string arrangement. The song touches upon the darkness that quickly overcomes us when anxiety starts to creep in when you least expect it.
Ray elaborates, “Dark is an anthem for those who suffer with anxiety. My two co-writers, Michael Blum, Sophie Ann and I were in one of our weekly writing sessions when we started talking about anxiety and how much it’s been magnified during the pandemic. We were sharing stories in the most therapeutic way when we realized how great it would be to turn it all into a song. I thought I was suffering from sleep apnea because sometimes when I would be on the cusp of falling asleep, I would gasp for air like I was being suffocated. It was really scary. We incorporated strings, one of my favorite musical elements, and an eerie creepy tone to match the emotions of the lyrics.”
Ray continues, “Anxiety has been a demon and friend of mine ever since I could remember. Dark touches upon the twisted relationship that I have with it. I have gotten so
comfortable in my “darkness” that it feels scarier to escape it than live with it next to me at all times. I hope this song helps break the stigma of mental health.”
