Wray is one of those rare bands that effortlessly blend smart sonic pluralities into a seamless whole without losing any of their DIY grit. Based out of Birmingham, Alabama, the trio– comprised of lead singer/bass player David Brown, guitarist David Swatzell, and drummer Blake Wimberly— have a shared history that reaches back over a decade in the Birmingham music scene. Expectations for this compelling act continue to grow with the groundswell of support and patronage they’ve received since they first made their debut in 2013. Having received accolades from everyone from The New York Times to MOJO– alongside appearances on MTVu and Daytrotter– their penchant for adventurous music-making will pay big dividends in the years to come.
Following 2014’s self-titled debut on Communicating Vessels, Wray has spent the better part of the past year developing the ideas and sonic palette that would become their sophomore LP Hypatia....
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Wray is one of those rare bands that effortlessly blend smart sonic pluralities into a seamless whole without losing any of their DIY grit. Based out of Birmingham, Alabama, the trio– comprised of lead singer/bass player David Brown, guitarist David Swatzell, and drummer Blake Wimberly— have a shared history that reaches back over a decade in the Birmingham music scene. Expectations for this compelling act continue to grow with the groundswell of support and patronage they’ve received since they first made their debut in 2013. Having received accolades from everyone from The New York Times to MOJO– alongside appearances on MTVu and Daytrotter– their penchant for adventurous music-making will pay big dividends in the years to come.
Following 2014’s self-titled debut on Communicating Vessels, Wray has spent the better part of the past year developing the ideas and sonic palette that would become their sophomore LP Hypatia. Through experimentation and a robust full length band, Wray has finally come into its own as a distinct entity.
“We were trying to make a more cohesive record this go around. We weren’t sure until the last week of mixing how well we’d gotten to that point! We did fall into a mood with this album.” — David Brown.
Co-produced by the band with Lynn Bridges (Jack Oblivian, Devendra Banhart, Dan Sartain) and mixed by Daniel Farris (Man or Astroman?, St. Vincent, Azure Ray), Hypatia takes its own path from swift energy to quiet contemplation while exploring a space of subtle contrasts and originality. Having released on January 15, 2016 – complete with brilliantly conceived album art by New Zealand-born/New York-based Tamaryn, and Shaun Durkan, from San Francisco’s Weekend — the album has already received substantial praise from Jim Fusilli of The Wall Street Journal & radio airplay including BBC6, KEXP, SoHo, AmazingRadio & KCRW.
Hypatia, and therefore WRAY, have set the bar exceedingly high for progressive music coming out of the Deep South. Be sure to check them out this SXSW at the Part Time Punks Official Showcase - March 15th!
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