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When
most people think of English
music, the Beatles obviously
come to mind, along with the
punk of the Sex Pistols, the
glam rock of David Bowie, and
maybe the soft pop of Elton
John. Few would immediately
think of David Gray and his
acoustic guitar, but he's on a
mission to change all that. Born
in Manchester in 1970, Gray grew
up in Wales before attending the
University of Liverpool. While
in school, he dabbled in a few
punk bands, and then began
exploring new styles of writing,
eventually uncovering his own
poetic penmanship. Following a
move to London, Gray signed to
Hut Records in the United
Kingdom and Caroline Records in
the United States, releasing the
single Birds Without Wings in
1992. The next year saw his
debut album, A Century Ends.
Through his emotional tales of
anger and passion, love, and
solitude, Gray's trademark style
of fiery intensity countered
with tender poignancy started to
find an audience. However,
despite solo touring and an
opening slot for Shawn Colvin,
the wonderfully raw and powerful
Flesh was released in 1994 to an
underwhelming response. Although
he was dropped from his label,
EMI Records saw his potential
and talent and quickly signed
him to a new deal.
Meanwhile, a quiet buzz was
building in Ireland thanks to
support from No Disco, an
alternative music video program
that showcased Gray every chance
it got. Hanging on to that
thread, Sell, Sell, Sell came
out in 1996 in limited release.
Gray hitched up his touring
boots and hit the road again,
this time opening for such heavy
hitters as Radiohead and Dave
Matthews Band. That still didn't
do the trick, and he again
parted ways with his major
label. Recapturing and embracing
his independence, Gray
self-financed his fourth album,
White Ladder, and released it on
his own IHT Records in 1998.
Recorded in a London apartment
with an easy blend of samplers
and acoustic guitar, White
Ladder is a sublime leap forward
for the artist. Ireland
certainly recognized its
brilliance, as the record
immediately went into the Irish
Top 30.
Gray found other outlets, as
well, offering five tunes to the
soundtrack of This Year's Love.
To further move things along,
former road pal Dave Matthews,
who had taken a liking to Gray,
made White Ladder the debut
release on his own ATO Records
imprint in 2000. Celebrating his
mounting success with his fourth
multi-platinum album, The EPs
92-94 album followed in July
2001 and coincided the reissues
of A Century Ends and Flesh.
Gray became a moderate success
in the States due to Matthews'
promotional attempts, and A New
Day at Midnight followed up his
successful international
breakthoughs in the fall of
2002. ~ Kelly McCartney, All
Music Guide Written by Kelly
McCartney |
