On the heels of his fourth No. 1 single “Whiskey And Rain” reaching RIAA Platinum-certified status, hitmaker Michael Ray announces The Warehouse Sessions live EP via Warner Music Nashville, featuring four tracks from Higher Education and his second No. 1 single, RIAA Platinum-certified “Think A Little Less,” set for release tomorrow, Aug. 5.
“After two years of connecting solely via our screens and dreaming of being back on the road again, there's nothing like hearing fans sing these songs back to us live,” shares the Florida-native. “We’re keeping that energy going with The Warehouse Sessions.”
Along with tomorrow’s release, Ray is set to perform current chart-climbing single “Holy Water” and other fan favorites on the Fox & Friends All-American Summer Concert Series tomorrow, Aug. 5 at 8:50am ET.
“Holy Water,” the second single from Higher Education written by Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson and Michael Hardy, offers a prime example that Ray “undoubtedly knows his way around a country song,” showcasing his ability to sing mouthfuls of detail with the smooth, unhurried delivery of a veteran storyteller, while the chorus is “a high-powered anthemic section…encased in a singalong, descending melody,” shares Billboard.
Lead single “Whiskey And Rain,” written by Josh Thompson and Jesse Frasure, marked Ray’s first multi-week chart topper and quickly garnered attention from critics, with Rolling Stone dubbing the track as “equal parts Ronnie Milsap and Gary Allan” while Billboard called it “a throwback to brooding songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s” with “solid production by Ross Copperman highlighting Ray’s vulnerable delivery.”
On Higher Education, “Ray found a refuge in the mere act of making music that tells his imperfect story, a story that so many people in this world can certainly relate to during these crazy days,” PEOPLE observed, while American Songwriter emphasized “Higher Education is shaped by the muse of the man Ray hopes to be, and the lessons he’s learned along the way… inviting his listeners into his world, pulling back the curtain on who he is off the stage.”
Ray will join Lee Brice on the Label Me Proud Tour later this month, along with headlining and festival dates through the fall. For dates, tickets and additional information go to MichaelRayMusic.com.
Label Me Proud Tour Dates with Lee Brice
Aug. 11 Pensacola Bay Center Pensacola, Fla.
Aug. 12 St. Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, Fla.
Aug. 13 Mizner Park Amphitheater Boca Raton, Fla.
Aug. 25 Mountain Health Arena Huntington, W.V.
Aug. 26 Freedom Hall Civic Center Johnson City, Tenn.
Aug. 27 Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sept. 8 Ting Pavilion Charlottesville, Va.
Sept. 9 Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre Youngstown, Ohio
Sept. 10 Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, N.C.
Sept. 15 Show Me Center Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Sept. 16 PNC Pavilion Cincinnati, Ohio
Sept. 17 TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park Indianapolis, Ind.
Sept. 22 First National Bank Arena Jonesboro, Ark.
Sept. 23 Brookshire Grocery Arena Bossier City, La.
Sept. 24 Smart Financial Center Sugar Land, Texas
Michael Ray Upcoming Tour Dates
Aug. 20 Rockin’ Up North Fest 2022 East Grand Forks, Minn.
Sept. 7 The Bullpen Summer Concert Series Washington, D.C.
Oct. 16 Goldensky Festival 2022 Sacramento, Calif.
Nov. 4 The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon Fort Myers, Fla.
Nov. 5 Bartow Ford Bartow, Fla.
About Michael Ray
For Michael Ray, music is his grandfather singing and sweating on a rural Florida stage. It’s the childhood refuge he found during the pain of his parent's divorce. It’s family and stories, history and hope. Ray says music saved him, but it did even more: Music made him. In five short years, Ray has built an impressive foundation: four No. 1 songs – RIAA Platinum-certified “Think a Little Less,” RIAA Platinum-certified “Whiskey And Rain,” RIAA Gold-certified “Kiss You in the Morning,” RIAA Gold-certified “One That Got Away” – plus “Get to You” and “Her World or Mine,” brings his tally to four Gold-certified singles. Ray has garnered over 1 billion global streams, over 650,000 album equivalents, over 100 million YouTube views, and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry 65 times. Now, two hit albums into that all-too-rare blend of critically acclaimed and commercially successful career, Ray has released Higher Education, a seven-song collection produced by GRAMMY-nominated producer Ross Copperman. Proof that heartbroken wallowing can feel good if it swings, “Whiskey And Rain” marked his first multi-week No. 1, cementing Ray as the ideal bridge between vintage country cool and modern country’s best sounds. His latest single “Holy Water” is climbing the charts at Country radio now, and The Warehouse Sessions live EP is set for release Aug. 5. For more information, visit MichaelRayMusic.com or follow him on Instagram and Twitter@MichaelRayMusic and Facebook.com/MusicMichaelRay.