Sure Feels Good Anyway: A Conversation with Amy Ray
A true mark of a timeless artist is how well they age. Not simply by the passing years on the calendar, for that's a privilege in itself to experience and behold. But, to age gracefully within your craft, always evolving, peeling back layer after layer, mining the depths of your soul — one filled with a never-ending curiosity, a childlike wonder that forever resides at the core of all things beautiful and true.
Co-founder of the enormously successful Indigo Girls, singer-songwriter Amy Ray has been a fixture in the music industry for the better part of the last 30 years. And whenever the duo wasn’t touring or recording, Ray launched a solo career, releasing several albums of much acclaim.
But, aside from the intricate talents of her voice, musicianship and stage presence, what remains is a single human being searching for deeper truths and meanings in daily life and interactions with others.
On the verge of turning 55, Ray’s latest album, “Holler,” is a culmination of all her influences and interests. The songs are soothing and embracing, at-times urgent, but also leave enough space to ponder and reflect on your own existence. The album runs the gamut of genres, where lines are blurred between Americana, indie rock, bluegrass and folk music. It’s a “kitchen sink” kind of thing, something that encompasses the wild and wondrous nature of Ray herself — one of those beautiful and true souls.
Want to go?
Singer-songwriter Amy Ray & Her Band will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at The Grey Eagle in Asheville. Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 day of show. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.thegreyeagle.com. H.C. McEntire opens the performance.