Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Ray
Hi Amelia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been making music and writing songs since childhood, and I always wanted to be a rockstar. I started gigging in high school, and have had several bands throughout the decades. But I always treated my career as more of a hobby, neglecting to properly invest time or money into improving my craft.
In 2023, at the age of 46, I decided to finally pursue my dreams more seriously. I sold everything I owned, left my apartment, and have been traveling and performing solo shows since. I have also been attending music conferences, learning a lot about the business and making great contacts. In 2024, I was selected to appear at the National Women’s Music Festival in Madison, WI, and was chosen as an Art Omi: Music Fellow in Ghent, NY.
A large part of my decision to go out into the world was because I had had a hysterectomy in March 2023. After having to adjust to a new definition of womanhood, I realised that I could do whatever I wanted to do – that my life was my own to live. I felt I had done enough dawdling – or what I like to call “field research” – and that it was time to go out and get what I wanted.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been challenging not having a steady income and sometimes not knowing where I will be sleeping. As much as I like being footloose and fancy-free, there are times when I compare my life to those of my friends. Then I start to feel a bit too much like Peter Pan. I have to remind myself that everyone’s path is different. I have a wonderful network of friends and family who provide me with love, support and encouragement to keep going. I also have a few investors whose assistance ensures that I can take advantage of opportunities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer-songwriter. I write in many genres but soul-rock is the umbrella term I use to describe what I write most often. I am known for funny, acute lyrics and odd time signatures. I can also convey a lot of emotion in a few words and notes. I think what sets me apart is that I am at once familiar and unpredictable. I am a mashup expert – I can’t listen to a song without hearing two or three other songs with similar elements. My brain is constantly making aural connections. My songs are like soups full of ingredients that don’t seem complementary but that sound very good once they’re all mixed together.
How do you define success?
My dream is to be designated an EGOT (having been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, and Oscar and a Tony). However, the freedom I believe that distinction will afford me – being able to spend every day doing what I want to do and making the art I want to make – is, gratefully, already my reality. That’s a pretty awesome definition of success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ameliaray.net/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialameliaray
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAmeliaRay
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/AmeliaRay
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/ameliaray/about
