How an artist positions themselves as a brand says a lot about wherethey’re headed. For Victor Ray, it’s simple: he’s a ‘storyteller’. Every piece he creates speaks to that—story first, everything else follows. “As you grow, you find new perspectives on everything,” he muses. “I don’t think people come up with new novel ideas in songs very often, but people do come up with new perspectives and ways to explain emotions. Everyone writes love songs but not everyone writes it in a way that makes you think and feel something, do you know what I mean?”
It’s late morning and we are sitting in an overtly French café in Hoxton, indulging in an all-too-delicious oat Mocha. The 25-year- old is on a tight schedule, with a writing session immediately following his Wonderland interview, having already completed his Wonderland shoot decked out in Karl Lagerfeld. A broad, warm presence, the singer-songwriter is a larger-than-life demeanour; his warm and self-effacing intonations are a small screen adaptation of the powerhouse vocal theatrics that his capacious and ever-burgeoning fan base have come to adore. It’s been a busy year for Victor—what with his extended run supporting both Teddy Swims and “really nice guy” Tom Grennan on their respective tours, as well as the release of his third EP “I TRIED.” in June to critical reception.
Before the year’s out we’ll have Victor’s fourth EP at our disposal, which will “be a bit more introspective and tell people about my story so my fans understand where I come from and where I’m trying to go.” He’ll also be heading out on a November-set European and UK headline tour, which is “definitely the biggest” to date, and includes a now sold-out stop-off at London pillar KOKO. The forthcoming stint of shows marks the first time that Victor will be touring with a band. “It is just so much fun,” he exclaims. “I didn’t understand the different level when you’re performing with a band. It used to be just me on the guitar for a show and, even though I’d have so much fun, it was like… ‘let me get these chords right, let me sing right.’ But now I’ve got this sick band behind me so I can just run around and have a good time.”
