VWMusic

All images courtesy of Ray West/Image credit: Denise Plantier

By Andrew Daly
andrew@vinylwriter.com

Veteran vocalist Ray West’s journey to redemption has been a long, and winding road, filled with just about every unforeseen circumstance that life could possibly throw at him.

From feelings of elation and thoughts of world-domination with Spread Eagle in the early 90s, all the way through trials and tribulations in the late 90s and early 2000s, one thing was certain, Ray West was never going to give in.

Some of us are built for the long haul, and as the old saying goes, “Life never throws anything at us that we aren’t equipped to handle,” and if there is any truth to that, then Ray West is a living, breathing example of such.

After years away from the limelight, West resurfaced with his flagship band, Spread Eagle, when the NYC-bred rockers released their long-awaited comeback affair, Subway to the Stars. Alas, once more, as the old saying goes, “Men make plans, but fate decides,” and in the case of West, fate laid him on the shelf once more, as the COVID-19 pandemic left Spread Eagle dormant for two additional years.

As the world begins to open up, it seems that West has once again dodged his creative winter, and instead, has garnered yet another nine-lives-like rebirth in the form of live shows with both Spread Eagle and George Lynch’s Electric Freedom.

Fans of Lynch know full well the volatile nature of his solo work. Lynch, being an ever-nomadic figure, who never fixates on any one style or project for long, has worked with a stable of rock music’s great musicians throughout his over forty-years-long career.

Still, in this instance, something feels different, and going into The Electric Freedom’s upcoming shows, one can sense a tangible contrast to recent Lynch-led lineups. A distinct harkening back to the past, and all of the things that made Lynch Mob, and now The Electric Freedom great, seem to be pendulously swinging in front of West, and his new cohorts for the taking.

As he prepares to take the stage with George Lynch for the first time, West caught up with me in regards to how he got the gig, his preparation, anticipation, and a whole lot more.

Andrew:
You’re working with George Lynch & The Electric Freedom now, right? How did you get hooked up with George?

Ray:
You know, I just think I was at the right place at the right time. George’s last singer went off to join Great White, and [Rob] DeLuca from Spread Eagle, he plays with George as well, and he recommended me. So, I think that my name was just thrown into the hat, and it was like, “Alright, let’s call him and see how it works out.” Also, George knew of my relationship with Oni [Logan} back in my heyday when I was a kid, so that helped too. Me and Oni, we came from the same pool, and I guess to George that also helped a bit in terms of it being a good fit.

Andrew:
It does feel like a logical fit given your history compared with Oni’s. In hindsight, I’m actually surprised this didn’t happen sooner.

Ray:
Yeah, man. So, George, and I had a conversation on the phone, and it was just all good, and it was all positive, man. As I was talking to him, I could tell that he was a good soul, and he just seemed really cool and laid back about things. And you know, that’s really perfect for someone like me. I guess, in a way, I’ve always thought, “Man, George plays with so many people, and he’s this great virtuoso guitar player. When can I get my shot to hang out with him?” [Laughs].

Andrew:
Given the breadth of George’s catalog, and the carousel of singers that he’s had, what are some of the greatest challenges you’re facing as you work to interpret these songs?

Ray:
So right away, I was sent a setlist. I think they played the same setlist in Vegas, and I think it’s about twelve songs. In the long run, there are a lot more other songs, but for now, I’m learning just one by one. I think for the first weekend, we’re just going to try to keep things light, and not too heavy on me. But the challenge is interpreting them in my own way. In the past, I’ve seen all these guys just doing the same licks, but that’s not me, you dig? I think the best way for me to approach this is to just be myself.

Andrew:
So, you’re not going to try and imitate past singers, you’re going to sing the songs in entirely your own style?

Ray:
Well, I have to because I’m not a cover guy. Like, I’m not a cover singer. I’m not the guy to hit every fucking single note as it is on the record, or as someone else did it. I just can’t do that. So I think the best way for me to go about it is to just have fun with it, and sing these songs the way I know I can. I think it’s about the depth of the song and the soul of the song. It’s my job to retain that, but I can only be me because I don’t know how to do it any other way. And I think that’s what’s being asked of me, you know, to go in and just have fun with it. Honestly, the only person putting pressure on the gig is me, of course, because I’m like, “I want to be on point. I want to kill it.” So, for me, it’s just more like a lot of muscle memory work. In recent years, I’ve done everything in my lower register, and I’ve been singing from my chest. But now, I’ve got to connect with my upper range again, and it’s been a while since I’ve done that. On that first Lynch Mob record, Oni was incredible, and he was hitting all these high notes, and that’s not an easy thing to do. So, I think the best way for me to do this is to just interpret things in my own way, and just have fun with it.

Andrew:
Which tracks are you most looking forward to playing?

Ray:
Well, right now, my favorite song is “Believers of the Day.” I love that song, and it’s crazy because up until now, I had never heard that song before. Aside from that, and I know this will sound cliche, I like them all, dude. I like them all. Of course, I love “Wicked Sensation” because it grooves just the way I like it. I think they do a lot of jams on stage too, which I dig. So, I’m just gonna take my shots where I can, step into the groove, and just try and have a good time, bro.

Andrew:
How about the rest of the band? Have you reached out to Jaron [Gulino], and Jimmy [D’Anda] yet?

Ray:
Yeah, I’ve been corresponding with Jaron because I see that George’s bass players usually do a lot of background singing, so I need to get in tune with him. I called him yesterday, like, “Hey, let’s work out some vocal stuff,” and he’s like, “Yeah, man. Since we’ve got the room, let’s run through it.” You know, I discussed with him things like verses, pre-choruses, and courses, so we can kind of get an idea of where my head’s at. And with Jimmy, he kind of knows the lay of the land way more than I do, so honestly, I just touched base with him via Instagram. I’m just gonna learn my tunes and just pop in with the guys. It’s that simple. There are no fufu rehearsals, you know? Like, this isn’t like kiddy time. This is rock ‘n’ roll, man.

Andrew:
I know George is on the record as saying that this lineup has a future beyond this run of shows. What’s your mindset as you enter this first run of gigs?

Ray:
I take it as I go, man. I would love to work with George for these shows and beyond, and I think he knows that too. think if I go in, I’m myself, and I do a good job, I think that should be okay. You know, it’s all up to George, really. But I get the vibe that he just wants me to come in, take the role, and have fun with it. As far as what will come of it all, I try not to get ahead of myself. I know there’s an album planned, but I’ve got to focus on these shows first. Like, I just want to go in, and fucking nail the first weekend. That’s where my head’s at.

Andrew:
After being a part of Spread Eagle for so long, working with the same band, and singing your own songs, what sort of challenges does handling songs that aren’t yours present?

Ray:
Well, the thing about this particular catalog is I feel like I’m comfortable with it. I feel like this catalog grooves the way I like. The reason I was willing to say, “Yes,” was that I said to myself, “Oh, I like this music.” That’s where it starts for me. If I didn’t like the music, it would have been hard for me to say, “Yes.” I mean, the only trick is I’m not a cover guy, and I know lots of guys that are in cover bands, their modus operandi is to do the inflections to try to mimic, but like I said, I can’t do that. So, I think the trick is adapting things to my style. Now, that’s a little tricky because I don’t know how many people out there will be sticklers about things. So, I think the best way to go about it is to apply a lot of lyric memory, and that’s done by just repeatedly listening to the tracks. I’ve been trying to do like two tracks a day, just listening to them over, and over, and over again. The way I do it, is I start singing small with a light voice with a falsetto, and then I sort of start jogging around the block, put my headphones on, and start using a soft voice on everything, and as I start building, I get a little louder. But it’s really weird because I always saw myself as somebody that wasn’t a cover guy, but with this, it doesn’t feel like it’s a cover gig at all. This feels like I’m going into this already established band, and being able to do it in my own way.

Using Wicked Sensation as an example again, it’s got a lot of very high-register vocal stuff, but I think I can adapt to it. I think if I come in just underneath, I’ll be okay. Once again, it’s all a confidence game. If I can just be confident, and understand the material, then I think I’ll be okay. The trick is putting that material into my DNA because, you know, Spread Eagle is in my DNA. If this was a situation where we had a gig were I had a Spread Eagle dropped on me, and it was like a week away, I wouldn’t have to prepare much, you know? I’ve gone through a whole thing where I don’t try to sing like I used to, so it’s about remembering what it was that I brought to the table at the beginning of my career. I need to go back and sing as I did back then now. So, I just need to go in, hit my points, and just have fun with it. It sounds so simple and logical in my head when I say it, but I know it’s a lot of work. This is where the big boys play, so you can have fun, but you gotta go get it, you know what I mean?

Andrew:
Having never played with George, Jimmy, or Jaron, are there any nerves, or does xperience kick in once you’re on stage?

Ray:
I think it’s a mix of both. In a sense it’s nervousness, but it’s about good energy. Like, I have this sense of excitement. That said, when I get excited, I can get very tight, so if I need to control my excitement, and just relax. I do think I’ll be able to meet them on stage and be like, “Alright, let’s knock this shit out.” It’s a mix of everything, bro. It’s everything, and I’m just taking it all in.

Andrew:
Using Oni Logan as an example, he was more of a soft-spoken, reclusive type, but you’re more an in-your-face, east coast type. Do you plan to bring that energy into these first gigs, or will you lay back a bit to start?

Ray:
I think to start, I’m just gonna try and mesh in. I don’t want to be obnoxious in any way. I just want to come and be myself. I don’t want to be too much, too soon, you know? So I’m just gonna feel my way around because I am who I am. I am that guy. I am very east coast, where I’m like, “Yo! What the fuck is going on everybody? What’s up motherfuckers?” [Laughs]. Of course, they haven’t seen any of that, so I gotta know where the line is, and I’ll have to feel it out. Eventually, I’m gonna go up to that line, and I’m just gonna put my toe right over it. [Laughs].

Andrew:
What are you most looking forward to with these gigs, Ray?

Ray:
Oh, wow, man. For me, it’s about connecting to the Ray West that I know loves to sing and have a good time. I want to connect with that guy, and I just want to connect with an audience. I want to be in on the frequency, and the energy, and I just want to groove. I’m looking forward to getting into the groove and managing my excitement. I think that just getting back into the game, and getting into the game where the big boys play, you know, it’s an incredible thing. I just want to go in, hold it down, and connect with people in my own way. It’s cool, and I know they’re gonna expect something. People have expectations, right? They’re gonna be there thinking, “Well, what’s he going to do? What’s he like?” So hopefully, when I get through that gauntlet, it’ll be great. But I have to enjoy going through the gauntlet, and I think that I will. It’s a new adventure, man. It’s a new adventure. I’m getting on the train, and I’m just gonna ride it and see where it fucking takes me.

– Andrew Daly (@vwmusicrocks) is the Editor-in-Chief for www.vwmusicrocks.com and may be reached at andrew@vinylwriter.com