We had the good fortune of connecting with Levi Ray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Levi, how do you think about risk?
I view risk with healthy skepticism combined with a go for it attitude. There’s financial risk and there’s personal/emotional risk. Do what you can and a little more financially and don’t not do something because of fear if you believe in yourself and the people around you. As a musician both these kinds of risk occur all the time from taking a gig at a new venue and traveling and possibly playing for less money than you might normally take and buying things like merch and printing cds, albums, cassettes, and posters and paying for artwork and sponsored posts and trying to do things the right way without overspending. As a business owner and partner in another business all of these things come into play as well as to what to invest and picking your spots and taking the time to actually see all of it through and not overcommitting so as not to disappoint yourself or anyone else. I am more open to risk now than I was when I was younger, but I think that has a lot to do with having more confidence in myself and the people I’m involved with. If you have good people around you a lot of things open up.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an Americana/roots/folk/country singer/songwriter. Choosing a genre is tricky because it can define you when really the particular song defines itself and once it’s out there I don’t get to control that. I think, if anything, what separates me most are two things: an honest and sincere writing and performing of the songs I play, whether they are originals or covers and the voice of the song that comes thru. If you don’t feel it then there’s little point in doing it. Music feeds the soul and all the hard work that goes into actually making it happen has to be for something besides money.
It’s been a bit of a winding road getting to where I am now. My father, Gerald Ray, is an extremely accomplished musician and growing up I thought I could never do what he did because his talent and ability were so far away from where I was. I’ve since learned to find my own way and niche in songwriting and performing and realizing I don’t have to be the kind of musician he is or take the exact path he did. I also get to play and record with him every week and that is a great joy and blessing in my life.
I tell young people just starting out who are hesitant and shy that they aren’t going to not play the show or do the thing so stop dwelling on the what ifs and just go for it the best way they can. Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters has his own home recording studio, but that studio probably has millions of dollars worth of gear in it. Their music videos and artwork and gear are so far removed from the average musician’s experience that people get stuck in a loop trying to emulate rich famous people instead of just doing your thing with whatever resources you can cobble together and finding something you are proud of. Stop thinking that what you do has to look and sound like your heroes. Find your own way and don’t give up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I love live music and having a drink or several so I would probably suggest going to places like Lola’s Saloon and Trailer Park and Main at South Side (MASS), and Magnolia Motor Lounge, and Twilite Lounge. Between those four bars and venues you might see anything from hip hop to reggae to hard rock to straight up country or jazz and all of it will probably be top notch and as good as anywhere you might go in the country. Fort Worth is ridiculously blessed with talented musicians. On any given night you might run into someone famous or in a band that’s famous just by going out and checking out some live music. As far as food goes I would first suggest people try the best barbecue in the world at Dayne’s Craft Barbecue at Lola’s Trailer Park. It will change the way you think about BBQ and run by some of the best people in Texas or anywhere.
I would probably also suggest ordering from Buffalo Bros and Zoli’s here in Fort Worth. You can’t go wrong with anything on their menus.
My home bar and favorite place to spend time when not with family is Lola’s. Owned and operated by wonderful people that have created a warm and comfortable environment to spend some time. Oh, and did I mention they have live music all the time?
I would also suggest checking out some of the museums we have here in Fort Worth. Every month you can check out an international art show from some of the most well known artists to ever put brush to canvas

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Being a musician and particularly a singer/songwriter having support is crucial because you are essentially going it alone until you get support behind you. I have wonderful family and friend support that have a ton of belief in me that I am forever and constantly grateful for. My good friend, Conor Dardis of Thirst & Co and Baby Boy Booking, is also a huge inspiration as he is the hardest working man I know and his help and support and belief in me has been vital for me to move forward musically and professionally.
A constant source of inspiration is the Fort Worth, TX music scene at large. There are so many people doing such great things that the fuel to keep going never runs out. Just keep going.

Website: https://leviraytx.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/leviray.ftw/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leviraytx/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeviRayTX/

Other: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3LMPZSM

Image Credits
Alexis Johnson Trista Morris Ed Rogers Conor Dardis Thirst & Co

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