September 04
Cathedral Square..
Interview: David Gray
While David Gray is an incredibly prolific songwriter with a mammoth European following and eight records to his credit, he is still remembered best in the U.S. for “Babylon,” the ubiquitous-in-1999 single that broke him to a larger audience internationally. “Babylon” was AAA-radio pabulum, but Gray has a catalog of album tracks that are proof of his songwriting pedigree.
Sure, Gray favors soft, likable melodies. But he also has a wonderful way with words that mixes the fantastical and the poetic.
“I’m the bottom line of the joke/I am ecstasy spilling like bright egg yolk,” he sings in “Nemesis,” one of Gray’s trademark ballads on the 2009 release “Draw the Line.”
We caught up with Gray in advance of his Sunday show at the Paramount Theatre to talk about his consistency as a songwriter and his accomplished guests on “Draw the Line,” Annie Lennox and Jolie Holland.
Q: You seem like the kind of artist who loves spending time in the studio, but how does touring work for you?
A: The touring part is more comfortable than the promotional bit. When you’re touring you have all your people and your tour bus and you’re playing by your own rules a lot of the time. When you have a lttle bit of money to afford some of the nice things and you’re playing nice venues, it’s great.
I live for shows, whether its 200 people, 2,000 people or 20,000, I don’t care. If I have an audience to sing for, I’ll sing. It means you’re not living your other life.
With “Draw the Line,” you worked with two great female vocalists, Annie Lennox and Jolie Holland. Tell me about that.
I knew Jolie. I’ve been a big fan, and she toured with me on “Life in Slow Motion,” and that was a real privilege, going across the States with her. She was playing in London, and I went for a drink with her. I asked her about singing on this track, and we made some space. I’ve never done that kind of thing.
With Jolie, she’s got such a great voice. And it worked great, and once she got her head around the track, and once I got my head around how she was going to fit it, she was a treat….MORE
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