Abby Ray

Angel
Felony One
Time of Our Lives
David - Toledo City Paper

Angel
Felony One
Time of Our Lives
David - Toledo City Paper

Abby Ray
El WEPAwebTV Review
written by: Luis Chaluisan

Toledo singer Abby Ray has the wit, humility, talent and charm to go far in the indie music scene.

Be it acoustic or rocking out with her band, this is one "wise Latina" (yes, she has Mexican roots) who can transcend what another Toledo phenomenon, American Idol winner Crystal Bowersox, has accomplished.

And she does it with better dynamic clarity both in her lyrics and voice. A dynamo of original talent.

See and hear for yourself at a recent outing at the world famous Howard's Club H in BG, Ohio
http://blip.tv/wepawebtv/abby-ray-live-at-howards-club-h-5027433

Never far from her guitar or notebook, Ray has been quietly amassing a juggernaut of songs for several years. With each new song I've witnessed she moves rapaciously along crafting tunes that are like movements of a grand country rock opera. Can this be the face of the new American music? It certainly is as far as WEPAwebTV is concerned in light of the fact she is in the right place at the right time as Latinos in the US exert themselves as the second majority.

Her stories (and this is the mark of excellent songwriting) not only archive the stateside experience but more importantly expose a strong female awareness which invites the listener into a deep well of consciousness.

But don't take my word for it. Visit her website today! http://www.abbyraymusic.com/
- Luis Chaluisan

Click on URL to review interview text - Songwriters Market Place

he majority of MusicSchooled artists have testified that they can never sit still. Abby Ray takes that statement to a whole new level as she “never wears matching socks because [she] can’t sit still long enough to match them!” An Ohio native, Abby Ray’s country-folk music is a breath of fresh air as a Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, mature version of Taylor Swift type.

Abby Ray’s music is an introduction to her chaotic life. 90% of her songs were inspired by her best friend, and through her music Abby Ray has come to discover her own stories and loves sharing them with others. She becomes a new person when she performs, a persona she embodies that captures the fun-loving spirit of her music. - Music Schooled

Under the snarky moniker, "MISERABLE CITY, you're in good company" (a little slap toward Forbes Magazine's recent declaring of Toledo among the top on its Most Miserable Cities list), the show will be a combination of live music, poetry and spoken word readings, and later, artist profiles. - Ryan A. Bunch

The cover art of Abby Ray's new CD is a striking depiction of her intent - she's unclothed, legs straddling the body of her guitar, hands cuddling the neck.
"The Naked Truth" is the local woman's coming out as a singer-songwriter, unafraid to reflect on the emotional bruises she's sustained along the way.
Abby Ray - the stage name for Abby (Flores) Ball - has been seriously writing songs since 2003.
She'd been making up songs in her head though since she was a child.
Her husband, Random Ball, heard her singing something while she was doing housework, and he was surprised when she told him it was something she'd made up.
He ended up buying her a pink guitar. That brightly colored instrument lit a fire under her.
"I was tired of singing to myself," she said.
That first guitar is immortalized fittingly in a song "Pinky." Another song "Erase the Ugly" touches the motivation for her songs.
Ray, who now lives in Weston, said she had "a rough time at Bowling Green High School" and ended up dropping out. "I was tormented in high school."
But the music allows her to release those emotions and keep that torment from controlling her.
She's gone back and got her GED, and now taking online courses through Phoenix University in health care management.
The music "allows me to be honest with myself, honest with other people."
Now at 27 Ray can say "I'm pleased with myself."
And "Naked Truth" is packed with songs that show her "wild side" like "Wild Night" and the classic country "Felony One."
All her songs, fun or serious, she said, are rooted in her own experiences.
With songs in hand, she taken her words and music out of the house, seeking whatever opportunities available to share her songs.
Ray played at the Wednesday night Loud and Local sessions at Howard's Club H in Bowling Green, - "Howard's really opened their doors up to me," she said - and recently has taken her talents across the street to Wednesday's Hump Day Revue at Grumpy Dave's.
This summer she recorded the CD working with producer Brett Dennison, who helped polish up her songs.
That CD is now available on her website AbbyRaymusic.com and a variety of shops around town including Finder's and Happy Badger.
Ray competed in Maurice's national search for the best female fronted band, and has been interviewed on 92.5 KISS FM in Toledo. Recently she played at the station's Toy-a-thon at Westfield Mall.
Tim Concannon, who created and hosts the Hump Day Revue, has been impressed with her energy. "She's out there trying to make the right connections."
As a performer, he said: "She's got a great personality. She's highly energetic and does a great job of getting the crowd involved."
That's including the children in her daughter's pre-school. She brought in small instruments so the youngsters could join her.
Going to school and pursuing a music career is important to her children, a 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son as well. "You see your kids," she said, "and you want them to be strong, so you have to be strong." - Written by By DAVID DUPONT Sentinel Arts & Entertainment Editor