Ray BLK Finds Hope After 'A Forest Fire' In New EP

Holding things together when things fall apart, isn’t easy. It’s uncomfortable, and during the process you confront difficult questions in offer to grow beyond the challenges you face.

Nigerian-born and Catford, South London raised singer, songwriter, actress Ray BLK has done just that in her new raw and vulnerable EP A Forest Fire, after a brief break.

The now independent artist Ray BLK finds herself rallying alongside Tiana Major9 on the opening track of the EP, 'Disaster'. Intimate, respective and revealing ‘Disaster’ starts with the measured sound of fresh rain falling accompanied faithfully by melodic synths before the soulful duo carefully air out their hopes and dreams in resistance to the trials and tribulations that they have overcome so far.

Transitioning into the deeply personal 'Courage', you are confronted with emotive rhythmic piano chords that are looped throughout the instrumental as Ray opens up about her mistreatment in an abusive relationship.

The acoustic guitar strummed ‘Yesterday’ allows Ray to open about her fears as she attempts to let go of the past and the trauma she has carried in to her present.

Singing with a raw aching deliverance on the relatable ‘Burning Bridges‘, Ray expresses heartfelt notions and examines what it means to outgrow friends and loved ones as the relationship gradually breaks.

When speaking on the project, Ray says: “I made this project during my lowest points in 2022 as catharsis, only to realise it isn’t for me. It’s for anyone else who’s been there, and knows how it feels to not want to go on any longer.

"I learned through the process of being burned down from every angle of my life, that just like a forest - it brings incredible new growth. I hope it inspires listeners to have hope for the future, and to let go of all the baggage they carry.”

She finds freedom born from the tough lived experiences on the Roy Ayers’ ‘Everyone Loves Sunshine’ sampled  ‘Sunshine’. Tonally it is bright and warm, a reflection of Ray’s newfound mood as we near the end of the project. Production wise, the string elements lift the track even higher empathising the atmospheric feel of it.

Continuing the upswing moment of the EP, Ray choses to conclude the project with the empowering 'Up'. With ‘Up’ Ray has officially moved  out of the dark times, and also has found comfort and familiarity of herself as she experiments with elements of Afro and R&B to create a warm and pleasant offering that edges into the spiritual. It, almost feels like going home.

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