Grammy award winning Grey DeLisle has so far had two critically acclaimed albums (‘The Graceful Ghost’, and ‘Iron Flowers’), and she’s currently preparing for the release of her next album, ‘Borrowed’, a set of cover songs, on the Regional Records label.
You’ll know Grey even if you don’t realise it; she’s done over 1500 voices, in big name shows such as Scooby-Doo, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Simpsons.
Grey is also a prominent voiceover actor. You might have heard one of her 1,500 voices without knowing it in Scooby-Doo, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or The Simpsons. Singing however, is her passion, and the first single from ‘Borrowed’, ‘Valentine’, includes strings recorded in a studio by the name of Valentine, and arranged and conducted by Eric Gorfain, known for his work with Radiohead, and Coldplay. The album is an international affair, with Martin Etzioni, who’s worked with Lone Justice, and Counting Crows, producing the track, while it was mixed in Nashville by Mike Poole (Robert Plant/Allison Kraus), and finally, it was mastered in London, by Grammy-winning mastering engineer Sean Magee, known for his work with The Beatles.
Grey explains the story behind ‘Valentine’,
“You know you’re a truly dear person when you can get your ex-wife to cover one of your love songs without even asking. That’s how wonderful Murry Hammond is as a songwriter and a human being.
“‘Valentine’ was released on the Old 97s record Fight Songs just before he and I began dating. I remember blasting that song on my car stereo and pulling up at a stoplight next to a car with an Old 97s sticker on it. Both of our widows were rolled down and the driver immediately noticed what I was playing. I called out to him smugly, “My boyfriend is the bass player!” and he responded, “Really? I’m their A&R guy!” I was mortified because we weren’t even really an official item yet! I was terrified it would get back to Murry… but he thought it was hilarious.
“The point of this story is that even though it’s been over 20 years, an engagement, marriage, child and a divorce later… I’m still just as proud of this song and it’s songwriter as I ever was. I guess that’s what love is all about.’”
The video for ‘Valentine’, directed by Etzioni, captures Grey in the studio, singing into a vintage microphone, accompanied by Murry Hammond on acoustic guitar, interspersed with footage of an overflowing river. Completely raw and totally unadorned, the clip gives you a real sense of the mood of the song. Watch the video below:
Find out more about Grey DeLisle and her music online on her official website.
