Biography
Ms Ray is a London-based vocalist and songwriter who maintains a deliberately elusive public presence. Known by the stage name Ms Ray (real first name Mabel), she began releasing music in 2020 with her debut EP Wow Is Now (Not On Label), a self-released project co-written and produced with her long-running collaborator Ali Raybould (aka Pal). The record's 80s and 90s-inspired production drew immediate comparisons to British soul acts like Loose Ends, and its vinyl edition sold out through Mr Bongo. Her approach is vocal-led and production-restrained — soft synth textures, drum machines, and minimal keys frame lyrical writing rather than compete with it — earning descriptors like "twisted borderline street soul" and "geometric pop."
Ms Ray's discography has grown deliberately and slowly over the following years: the single "Cornerstone" (2021), a double A-side 7" vinyl "Broken Heart Still Beats" on ECHOES iN tiME (2023), and contributions to the Scenic Route Records compilation Road Less Travelled Vol. 2 (2024). In 2023 she also hosted a show on NTS Radio — "Last Resort w/ Ms Ray" — spinning techno, post-punk, minimal synth, dub, and new wave, revealing a far wider listening palette than her own output suggests. Her sound sits at the intersection of soul, R&B, dream pop, and trip-hop, with press comparisons to Sade and Cate Le Bon.
Her most recent release, the Melt EP (March 2026, Scenic Route Records), is her first full project through an established label and features a collaboration with Baltimore artist Nourished By Time (Marcus Moore). Ms Ray has described the EP as "an ode to devotion and all it requires of us." It earned coverage in Stereogum and The Line of Best Fit, notable for an independent artist operating at her deliberately intimate scale. With approximately 261,000 monthly Spotify listeners, she remains one of the more critically regarded figures in the UK independent soul-pop space, valued precisely for her restrained, unhurried approach to craft.
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Fun Facts
- Despite releasing exclusively in a soul/R&B/dream-pop style, her 2023 NTS Radio show 'Last Resort w/ Ms Ray' featured techno, post-punk, minimal synth, dub, and new wave — genres entirely outside her own recorded output.
- The title Wow Is Now is a direct reference to the 80s production aesthetic deliberately embedded throughout the debut EP.
- Her debut EP vinyl sold out on Mr Bongo, and her 2023 release 'Broken Heart Still Beats' was pressed as a double A-side 7" — a format choice that signals strong commitment to the physical music experience.
- She described writing the single 'Miss You' as 'really cathartic — an antidote to the pain that accompanies loss,' and the mastering of her releases has been handled by queer-owned mastering studios including Queer Ear Mastering.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Sade - Frequently cited press comparison and stylistic reference point for Ms Ray's minimalist, emotionally direct soul-pop approach
- Loose Ends - Influential 80s British street soul group; debut EP Wow Is Now drew immediate fan and press comparisons to their sound
Key Collaborators
- Ali Raybould (Pal) - Long-term production partner across all releases, co-wrote and produced the Wow Is Now EP and subsequent singles
- Nourished By Time - Featured on 2026 single 'Miss You' from the Melt EP; Ms Ray specifically requested him, noting he 'lyrically, melodically and harmonically elevated the track'
- Mali-I - Ms Ray appears as featured vocalist on Mali-I's track 'Heaven Sent'
- Nat Home - Ms Ray features on 'Witching Hour (feat. Ms Ray)'
- System Olympia - Ms Ray appears on 'Coexistence'
Connection Network
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Ms Ray has been played 2 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.