David Gray

David Gray is a British singer-songwriter from Sale, United Kingdom, born in 1968. He moves from a contemporary folk-rock and singer-songwriter style into fuller arrangements that include rock instrumentation and later computer-generated music alongside acoustic guitar and voice. His work is associated with alternative rock, contemporary folk, folk, folk rock, indie rock and rock.

Career

Gray releases his first studio album in 1993. His early recordings gain only limited success, but his profile rises sharply with White Ladder, released in 1999. That album becomes his breakthrough and brings him international attention, with songs including “This Years Love” and “Babylon” becoming his best-known tracks. In the United States, the album also gains a boost from Dave Matthews, whose involvement helps bring it out on ATO Records, a label he co-founds.

White Ladder later reaches No. 1 in the UK, after a long climb on the chart following its reissue. Gray’s follow-up album, A New Day at Midnight, also reaches No. 1. His seventh album, Life in Slow Motion, appears in 2005 and is made with producer Marius De Vries.

Style and recording

Gray’s early work is mainly based around acoustic guitar, with occasional piano, and sits within a contemporary folk-rock singer-songwriter framework. On Sell Sell Sell in 1996, he adds rock arrangements and electric instrumentation. From White Ladder onwards, he makes significant use of computer-generated music with his acoustic material. He also works with small-scale, often home-based recording methods and follows a do-it-yourself approach to production.

Collaborations and related work

Gray has family links to Paul and Phillip Hartnoll, formerly of Orbital. Because of that connection, he sings guest vocals on Orbital’s “Illuminate”, and Paul Hartnoll later produces a breakbeat remix of Gray’s “Please Forgive Me”. His song “January Rain” appears on the original soundtrack of Serendipity.

Labels and associations

His recordings are associated with iht Records, Green Scar Limited and ATO Records. He also has an Irish fan base that supports his career early on, and he studies at the University of Liverpool after moving back to north-west England.