Married folk-rock duo Linen Ray is a critically-acclaimed Americana band gleaning inspiration from 1970s Laurel Canyon folk-rock, alt-country and traditional country, and gospel. The pair’s second studio album, On The Mend, out May 13, 2022, brims with earthy but elegant folk-rock.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Linen Ray about the forthcoming release, technology, surviving the pandemic and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
We’re originally from Michigan but now reside in Nashville, TN. Our music is considered Americana, Folk rock, alt-country.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
Rebekah: At a very young age I discovered my love for music. I was the youngest of three children and both of my siblings were always singing and playing instruments around the house. They were pretty big influences and they taught me so much about music. I began singing in the church my dad pastored around the age of nine and have been singing ever since. Music has always been a big part of my life and I could never imagine my life without it.
Gabriel: I became interested in music around the age of 14, specifically the drums. My parents owned a bakery and I was always playing along with songs on the radio with doughnut frying sticks. Soon after, my parents bought me a 1970s Ludwig drum set for Christmas. My older brother played guitar and I became his drummer. After several years of playing rock music, I met a bass player that introduced me to all genres of music and the art of rhythm.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
Our latest project features some earthy and folky sounds from the pedal steel and dobro. We went a bit more rootsy country rock, and all of the songs were recorded remotely. Our last album, Lean Toward the Sky, was a bit more indie and was recorded in Chicago with our friend and producer, Jesse Deyo.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
Probably the most challenging thing for us was managing our time. We stayed very busy with helping our kids with their schooling, recording, and work schedules. Sometimes we had to wait until the later hours of the evening to record. We often had to track vocals after the kids settled down and hit the sack. On the flip side, just before the Covid shutdown took place, we were grateful to have connected with British producer, Patrick Jordan. Together, we tossed ideas back and forth and ended up creating an entire album from various studio locations in Nashville, England, Detroit, and Canada. Working on music really helped us stay focused and gave us something to look forward to.
What was the last song you listened to?
Rebekah: The last song I listened to was “My Father’s Daughter” by Eddie Vedder’s daughter, Olivia. It’s such a great song and I love her voice!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Vinyl is our preferred choice. We’re looking forward to releasing our first vinyl record here sometime soon. We don’t have a release date yet, but we’re really excited.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
Please join our mailing list at www.linenray.com
You can also find us here: Facebook: www.facebook.com/LinenRayMusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/linenray
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Hey! Thanks so much for having us! We hope that everyone will go check out our new video https://youtu.be/QRozQgxX1Bw and look out for our sophomore studio album On The Mend available May 13th.
