Quality Americana

Dean Ray’s From Texas instantly takes you back in time to a front porch with Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen. The chorus in the opening track “Mountain Pass” makes us want to take a drive to Luckenbach.

To My Muse, A Dancer

“To My Muse a Dancer” is a joyful waltz where love is in the air. It puts the listener in a dreamy mood while you nod along. 

Ray described the song as someone struck with love as they watch a woman waltz across the dance floor. 

“It’s almost like a poem, like a love letter to this woman,” Ray said. “She’ll never read it. She’ll never know.”

North Texas

Ray grew up in North Texas and went to high school in New Braunfels. The time immersed in the Texas Hill Country stayed with Ray, and the traditional themes found in From Texas feel at home on the Guadalupe and the Trinity.

“I’m inspired by everything happening here in Texas,” Ray said. “We’ve got tons of great musicians. We are stacked on talent.”

Ray grew up performing in the church choir and his mother played piano for the service. He “begged his dad” for his first guitar at eight years old.

“I’ve been banging on the guitar, and singing and writing songs pretty much my whole life,” Ray said.

Night Shift

Ray works in manufacturing throughout the week, and heads out to writing groups at night for inspiration. 

“I’ve always liked networking and connecting to other musicians,” Ray said. “I always feel that other musicians know what it’s like to try something new. Other musicians get me inspired.” 

From Texas was released on Foozie Records and gives you a great example of the country music found in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It’s old school outlaw country with a bit of red dirt and Deep Ellum punk. It’s been Ray’s dream to release his first studio album after two decades of performing.

“This album was sort of like a labor of love for me,” Ray said.

Last year, Ray’s closest friend passed away, someone that would often push him to try and record some of his writings. His friend would always joke that he would be the manager of the band when they hit it big. 

“Something triggered inside of me that’s like ‘time is not guaranteed, and if you have all this music you’ve got to play it.’ So I just vowed to myself and my wife ‘I was like listen I just need to record it.’ I can’t let this music sit in a notebook somewhere, you know, get dusty and never try.”  

Ray played mandolin and guitar and his brother David played lead guitar. Ray’s wife sang harmonies, and they found a drummer that could record remotely from Florida.

“This is almost like a bird trying to open its wings for the first time,” Ray said. “I’m just trying to fly a little bit.”

Support the Artist

Ray is scheduled to perform at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival this month and the Wildflower Festival in May. His dream is to one day work with a Texas label.

More information about Dean Ray can be found here.

Support the artist by streaming and purchasing From Texas on Bandcamp.