Debuts entire 6-song EP at live show for fans
By Preshias Harris
What better place than a dive bar to launch a project titled Dive Bars & Broken Hearts? That’s exactly what Michael Ray and his Warner Music Nashville team did at The 5 Spot during the 50th CMA Fest in Nashville.
To be fair, The 5 Spot is more of a casual live music hangout than a true grungy dive bar, but it provided the ideal atmosphere to match the event. The venue was packed to capacity (and then some) with fans, some of whom had been lining up outside since before daybreak.
The six-song EP, Dive Bars & Broken Hearts, is available everywhere June 23 (pre-add / pre-save here) with the title track released June 9.
In the nearly two years since the release of his 2021 EP, titled Higher Education, Michael spent much of the time since then reflecting on the kind of music that he wants to make moving forward. He began talking with renowned producer Michael Knox, a CMA Album of the Year-winning producer. Knox best known for producing all of Jason Aldean’s albums as well as projects for Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins, among others.
“When you were raised on ‘80s and ‘90s country, and even older stuff, some things just are,” said Ray, as he talked about the inspiration for the new EP. Fans at The 5 Spot gave their loud and wholehearted approval of the result, including a surprise duet with Meghan Patrick on the song, “Spirits And Demons.”
After the show, I was able to catch up with Michael Ray and producer Michael Knox as they decompressed from the exhilaration and the roar of the thrilled fans crammed into the intimate setting of The 5 Spot. Michael and I have been friends since I met him in Eustis, Florida in 2009 before he came to Nashville on his road to country stardom. In fact, BMI’s Senior Director David Preston and I were Michael’s first cheerleaders and remain fans to this day.
- Read my entire report on the Dive Bars & Broken Hearts debut show at the Country Music News International (CMNI) website here.
More about Michael Ray at his official website, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and his YouTube channel. #MichaelRay
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com #PreshiasHarris