Interview by Carol Wright | Photo Courtesy of Amelia Wray
We got to chat with actress and singer Amelia Wray about her single “disappear,” collaborating with co-writers, and her advice for aspiring singers.
Growing up, was singing as big of a passion of yours as acting?
Definitely…singing and acting have always taken up the same space in my heart. Growing up, my brother and I were always singing and dancing around my kitchen, and we spent all our free time acting in countless musicals and plays. Playing Sophia on Sydney to the Max was a very special experience, and I was so lucky to experience my actress dreams at such a young age. And music fills my soul; it’s the outlet I can always turn to no matter what. Songwriting allows me to express emotions and relive certain experiences.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
Artists like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter are huge inspirations to me. I love artists that take personal experiences and create relatable music because I find myself doing that when I write. I love the poetry in Rihanna’s lyrics. And Norah Jones has been on my playlists since 7th grade!
Tell our readers about your song “disappear.” What story are you telling through the song?
“disappear” is a fight song. It’s about fighting to be heard, letting them know that the relationship mattered and it will not be erased or forgotten. It’s about constantly having to face their social media, which let’s face it, is hard not to do these days! He might need to pretend you vanished into thin air so he can move on with someone else, but we all know that’s easier said than done. The truth is, there’s no wrong or right amount of time to cope with heartbreak. Things do get better with time, but even though they say ‘time heals everything’ – there’s always going to be questions that go unanswered. Those are the questions that are asked in ‘disappear.’ And even though sometimes we don’t get all the answers we want or need…eventually, that’s what makes us really get to know ourselves.
The song was co-written by Michael Orland, Bill Grainer, and Miklos Malek. What was that collaborative process like?
I have been working with Michael Orland, who was the voice coach and musical director on American Idol for 17 seasons, for years, and he is someone I trusted with this song idea of mine. So he brought in Bill Grainer, who writes with legends like Jennifer Hudson, and we started creating. The three of us instantly hit it off as a writing team. Michael and Bill are both so talented and unique in their own ways…they are my absolute dream team. Whenever I was feeling stuck, they knew exactly how to put my ideas into words (and music!) Time flies when I’m writing with them. I would literally hum a line, and all of a sudden, we’d have a whole verse written. We kept writing and writing, and eventually, “disappear” was born. When we felt it was time to get it produced, we brought in the brilliant Miklos Malek, who’s worked with people like Jennifer Lopez, and the song became perfect!
Do you often use your own life experiences as a source for lyrics?
Absolutely, “disappear” is a song that was born from a personal experience of mine. Journaling is my favorite way to de-stress when I’m in a fog, and this song happened to bloom from one of those moments. I knew this experience was something authentic and real, so I wanted to create something out of it.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
I would say make sure to surround yourself with the best teachers, collaborators, producers, and writers. It is so important to have a circle of people who support you endlessly and who you trust. Finding your team can be a hard and kind of long process, but once you find your ‘dream team,’ it is so rewarding and such a great feeling. I’m so lucky to have found mine…but it took time!