Gretta Ray returns with new sound and new single 'Passion'
Image: Shevin Dissanayake
Australia’s Gretta Ray returns today with the new single and music video ‘Passion’. Ray’s first single since her collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper ‘Better’ earlier this year, and her first solo release in over 12 months, ‘Passion’ is an intense, sophisticated pop song with almost martial drum beats and an off-kilter time signature that creates a song that is visceral in its delivery.
The song marks a new sonic direction for Ray, as she moves into a more pop orientated soundscape as opposed to the indie sound of her previous releases. "I think ‘Passion’ is a good way of indicating that there is a different sound around the corner," she says. "We've made a pop record, but in a way that's unique and authentic to me. It's been a really fun challenge for me as a writer. It's been a time of experimentation and new experiences. I think we've definitely gone deeper."
It is not only in the sound that Ray has moved in a new direction with her music, but also the lyrical content. "This is a different kind of song for me," she explains. "Conceptually it's not narrative-driven like a lot of my other songs. ‘Passion’ is essentially a love song, but people have heard romantic music from me before. I feel like this is definitely turned up a notch."
The music video for ‘Passion’ is also released today. Directed by Kyle Caulfield, it is a hypnotic vision of Ray performing in an abandoned mansion, shot in gorgeously muted colours. "It's everything I've wanted to do in a video since I was nine years old," Ray says of the shoot. " It was shot at the Labassa mansion in Melbourne; everything's antique and precious, a lot of the furniture is draped in sheets which makes the perfect look for the video. I'm really excited that this is the first thing people are going to see because it alludes to all that’s to come”
Gretta Ray first came to attention in 2016. aged just 18, when she won both Triple J Unearthed High and the prestigious Vanda & Young Songwriting Award for her hit, ‘Drive’. She has since released two EPs, Elsewhere (2016) and Here and Now (2018) and has performed as opening act for artists such as Mumford & Sons, Gang of Youths, Lianne La Havas and James Bay. With the release of ‘Passion’, and more music to come, Ray has opened a new chapter in her music career which looks sets to be her most exciting yet.
