LISTEN TO “HARD TO TELL” HERE
“‘Hard to Tell,’ is a fun, whimsical track that utilizes its steel guitar, organ,
and bluesy guitar licks to emphasize Winwood’s unique voice
and Ray’s signature eccentric style.” – Cowboys & Indians
Nashville artist Boo Ray is excited to announce the release of a new original duet with Lilly Winwood (Americana singer and daughter of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood) called “Hard to Tell.” This fun, original track is the A side in the latest vinyl collaboration series Ray is doing called “Boocoo Amigos.” The B side is the pair’s take on the classic “Islands in the Stream.”
Having worked on “Islands in the Stream” together first, Winwood and Ray just knew they had to collaborate on something original. “Lilly’s clever like a safe-cracker, cooler than a polar bear’s toenails, and has a wonderful uproarious laugh. She’s a world-class vocalist and smart soulful songwriter. We were hangin’ and talking ’70s music — Linda Ronstadt, Gerry Rafferty, Eddie Rabbitt, and the Bee Gees — and went down the rabbit hole of the Grease soundtrack, came out the other side, and landed on ‘Islands in the Stream.’ We knew we just had to record ‘Islands’ and write an A-side to accompany it.” Once the duo had their rendition of a classic locked in, “Hard to Tell” came naturally, written in 20 minutes.
Partnering with Kindercore Vinyl on “Boocoo Amigos,” Ray previously teamed up with Elizabeth Cook for an original holiday duet that was praised by Rolling Stone Country , No Depression, Wide Open Country and more.
Ray will be continuing the partnership with Kindercore Vinyl with more in the series of 7inch duets coming later this year including one with celebrity chef Sean Brock out this summer. The Kindercore research and development team have taken active steps toward renewable PVC replacements, seeking to be the first pressing plant to offer petroleum free phonograph records in the coming years. By Boo Ray being the first artist to work with Kindercore he is hoping to set an example, that taking steps towards preserving the planet can be as simple as working with forward thinking companies like Kindercore. If enough artists follow Ray’s lead, collectively, they can make a huge impact on making the industry more sustainable.
“Hard to Tell” and “Islands in the Stream” are now available on all music streaming platforms and you can purchase a vinyl copy on Ray’s website. They’ll also be having a single listening party at Vinyl Tap in East Nashville to celebrate the release on Wednesday, April 18th.