Acclaimed musician Brian Ray will release “Bad 4 U,” the next single off his forthcoming solo album ‘My Town,’ on June 28.
The album will be released on August 2nd via Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records.
Co-written with Van Zandt, Ray says of the track, “This song finds our protagonist yearning for the attention of a bad girl in town. Rather than looking for a nice girl who is more like himself, he decides he needs to be bad too, in order to win her love.”
Renowned for his role as guitarist and bassist in Paul McCartney’s band since 2002, and as the former guitarist and music director for Etta James, Brian Ray has established himself as a versatile and gifted musician. Beyond his impressive collaborations, Brian brings the same fervor and dedication to his solo endeavors.
Reflecting on his solo work, Brian shares, “As rich as my experiences have been playing and writing for others, there’s nothing quite like writing, producing, and playing for my own solo releases.”
‘My Town’ is a compilation of singles Brian has released with Wicked Cool Records since 2017, including “Here For You” and 2022’s “On My Way To You,” along with four brand-new tracks. Covering several years of his creative journey, the album promises a diverse and captivating listening experience.
In discussing his songwriting, Brian expresses his appreciation for the creative freedom provided by Wicked Cool Records, saying, “I get to indulge my wildest ideas, knowing I have the full support of Stevie Van Zandt and his label.”
‘My Town’ is a vibrant collection that showcases Brian Ray’s dynamic range as a solo artist. The album features special guest vocalists such as Smokey Robinson on “One Heartbeat,” a song Brian co-wrote for Robinson in 1987, Michael Des Barres (Power Station, Silverhead, Detective) on “Spell Breaker,” co-written with Des Barres in 2020, and Gia Ciambotti on a cover of Willie Dixon’s “I Ain’t Superstitious.”
Additionally, select tracks on ‘My Town’ include contributions from Brian’s Paul McCartney bandmate, Abe Laboriel Jr., on drums, as well as Scott Shriner (Weezer) and Davey Farragher (Elvis Costello) on bass and backing vocals.
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Pre-save the new single “Bad 4 U” and pre-order the ‘My Town’ album HERE: https://orcd.co/bad4u
Ultimately, ‘My Town’ encapsulates Brian’s influences, songwriting, and signature style in a way that is uniquely him. “These songs have been a labor of love,” he explains, “I hope you dig listening as much as we enjoyed making them, and I can’t wait for you to hear the new unreleased tracks.”
‘My Town’ is set to be a must-hear album for rock enthusiasts and showcases Brian Ray’s immense talent and versatility.