WELCOME TO ART ROCK
"Unique, yet hauntingly familiar. If Alanis Morissette and Kurt Cobain had a Janis Joplin love child."
Storming the Ontario music scene with a wide array of indie rock songs styles. Ray Syd Stern is the vocal powerhouse and creative mind behind the independent label RAY, and the band The Universe Featuring RAY, which came into being in 2016.
Since then, Ray has attracted attention from industry pros and music lovers across North America with her catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics that are derived from her interesting life and positive perspective.
“We knew it was going to be a hit when…”
Working with Canadian Rock legend, José Miguel Contreras
“I’m glad I didn't know as much about him as I do now” - Ray. This way she was able to work with one of the most influential producers in Toronto and not feel the heat. “I started playing a riff I was working on,” says Ray.
“We knew it was going to be a hit when Jose stopped the session and we just looked at each other with jaws dropped. The next thing I knew we had written, ‘Blanket’”.
Only after the recording session, did Ray realize she was in the company of Indie Rock royalty. Jose has recorded and influenced bands such as Hey Ocean!, Meligrove Band, The Bicycles, and Shotgun Jimmie as well as leading the band By Divine Right since 1989.
A love letter to addiction in the time of Covid.
Everybody needs a security Blanket
For a lot of people, isolation has become a security blanket and for those living with addiction, it’s become a barrier when seeking help.
The single “Blanket” is like a James Bond Theme wrapped in layers of hurt, childhood memories, and the fight against depression. It puts words and music to the feeling we’re all going through.
In the time of Covid, we could all use a theme song to let us know that we’re not struggling alone. Whether it’s you or a loved one, we’ve all had an addiction, and depression affect our lives. We all have our “Blankets”.
“Best Rock Voice in Canada” — Michael Hanson of Glass Tiger.
Born and bred: Women in Canadian Rock
It didn’t take long for Ray to stand out in the rock scene. Writing and recording by 18, Ray hit the Indie Rock scene and was immediately sharing stages with some of Canada’s biggest names and venues.
Having opened for The Arkells, Holy Fuck, Sloan, Trews, Finger 11, Thornley, Ill Scarlet, GOB, and Jeff Martin, and Jeff Burrows of Tea Party, Ray has shared her voice with audiences across Canada, as well as Stateside.
Now Ray is going to headline those same venues and lead the next wave of women of Canadian Rock to new corners of the globe.
