Alabama chanteuse Adrienne Gray views the alt-classical sounds of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlin through the trip-hop prism. Sounding more like Gwen Stefani gone gothic than a one-woman Portishead, Gray has a sound that's unique yet commercial.
There's something in her smile that says she's got it all together, and then her eyes hesitate - and you know there's more to Adrienne Gray than she's letting on. "Music is the first thing that I ever connected with - and in a lot of ways, it's been my refuge. I think, when I was very young, it became my identity. People would look at this 3-year-old little girl playing the piano by ear and make a really big deal out of it. But as I matured, as people do, I kind of lost my way. I think it was so important to me that I put it aside as sort of an emotional savings account - terrified to put it all out there - but at the same time, knowing it was there whenever I was ready to put it to good use. "About 6 months ago, I hit that place. For the better part of ten years, I'd been working in music and video production, traveling the world - always surrounding myself by other people's creativity - somehow thinking that it would suffice. I finally came to realization that there were things that were inside of me that only I could say. So, I dusted off the piano, and began writing. "In a way, it's been my deep dark secret because it's such an emotional leap to put it out there. I'm saying ' This is me... everything that everyone's seen of me as an adult prior to this point has come from THIS place. Like it, love it, loathe it - meet Adrienne Gray.' It's a terrifying liberation." Now 26, Adrienne lives in Mobile with her huband Jonathan and their chocolate lab, Baylee.