JUST LISTEN REWIND: DAVID GRAY

David Gray released his eighth album, Draw the Line, in September of this year. Recorded in his own studio, the album includes eleven new songs. Annie Lennox joins him in a duet, "Full Steam." "Kathleen" is the second duet on the album, featuring Jolie Holland. Gray wanted Dolly Parton for the song but she turned down the offer. The new CD is an extrospective portrait of an artist and his vision of the world. Adjectives like "warm," "fresh," and "organic" have been used to describe the album but Gray describes it as throwing away all the old formulas and striving more - more heart, soul and feeling.

"I'd been very introspective for whatever reason. Partly success, partly things that happened in my life around the time of White Ladder. I guess as a singer-songwriter you're gonna have a little bit of that anyway in your makeup. My previous records were inward most of the time. But suddenly with the song 'Draw The Line' I'd kicked the front door down and I was outside. The world was my oyster: that's what I felt as a writer.

I got to say things as a writer that I've obviously been dying to say for years. Songs like 'Nemesis', 'First Chance' and 'Draw The Line' were so liberating. Images and ideas just flowing out and a bit of humour as well, and a bit of caustic soda ground in there too. A bit of spice to the whole thing. The camera was suddenly panning everywhere. It was just a wonderful feeling. I just feel very, very alive. That's the feeling that's in 'Draw The Line'."

You can learn more about David Gray on his official website and purchase his music here.