Crafting his debut EP, Austin, Texas artist Bryan Ray works under the Lonely Child handle and debuts his title song “Monday” from the 5-song extended player still in progress. An army of one, Ray programs beats that are ripped from the heart of a certain kind of solitude and soul that searches for a connection of understanding through life's convolutions. The effective nature of Bryant's artistry is the way the minimalist beatbox programming and synths that give a view to the struggles between the differences and examinations of where competition and conflict differ and relate-the parallel and perpendicular lines of their habitation.
Like the beginning of the week's working heartbeat, “Monday” brings the interpersonal battle to the frontlines. Compromises are contemplated, as decisions done in the name of another are underscored from tense guitar string jitters and electronic punctuated illustrations. Poetic dialogues are spelled out like 1-side exchanges expressed on 2-way streets, as the sampled rhythm spewed lines follow along the emotional arrangement. From hesitations to previous conflicts; power plays and decisive moves bring forth the song's present day confusions and a paralyzing petrification that can happen when discovering an individual autonomy. The lower and upper hand arm wrestling contest rolls over previous conflicts to bring choices without compromise combined with the ideas of limitless progressions without conscious, redirecting models of lovers saved and those in the quest of absurd but absolute dominion. The state of human relations has rarely been expressed in such terms of heart break and complicated honesty.
Lonely Child's Bryant Ray discussed the process of his Monday EP, workday inspirations, taking us behind the song constructions.
When and where did your Lonely Child musical project begin?
Lonely Child began in my home studio as a way to experiment. I'm the in-house producer at a studio in Austin and that work has to serve the artist. Lonely Child is me indulging myself a bit more than I normally get to.</p>
What made you choose the solitary leaning moniker, Lonely Child?
I wrote the first song which was called “Lonely Child” and realized that would be a really cool name for the project as well. Going by an alias has been really liberating as a writer.
Were you an only child growing up?
No. I have a sister. She's a total bad-ass!
The sparse electro-organics of “Monday” are great, what inspired you to take inspiration from one of the most dreaded days of the work/school week?
The song isn't about Monday exactly, but I wrote in on a Monday in one of those manic songwriting spurts where so the whole song comes out right away. I work all the time so Monday is just another day for me, but this particular Monday was different because I was flooded with a lot of dark emotion and that emotion became this song.
Lonely Child releases in the works you care to discuss?
'Monday' is the title track off my new subscription EP. Fans can subscribe to the EP and they'll get each of the 5 tracks as I finish them. All that is over at www.lonely-child.com. I'm producing and releasing this EP one track at a time but it is most definitely a cohesive EP. I also did an exclusive B side for my friends over at Sunset In The Rearview so look out for that next month. Some remixes and other albums I've been working on with other people will be coming out later this year and of course, the second track off my EP in a few months!
Lonely Child's Monday EP in progress is available from Bandcamp.
