Sister Ray shares new single ‘All Dogs Go To Heaven’. Their highly anticipated EP ‘Teeth’ out 12 May
Sister Ray (Credit: Sam Tudor)
Praise for Sister Ray:
“this boundary-breaking artist is carving out a unique place in contemporary indie-folk” NME
"be grateful for having met this voice" The Line Of Best Fit
"a celebration of emotional survival” Pitchfork
“a musically spare and lyrically arresting exploration of attraction, manipulation and legerdemain” Sunday Times Culture
"earthy yet steely songwriting" The Guardian
“Blending beautiful melodies and layers of guitars that grow heavier as the song progresses, the track might be about walking away, but makes you feel like you’re leaving with something better, letting severed ties begin to heal” Paste
"As riveting as it is poignant” Exclaim
"these songs and stories feel undoubtedly like no one else other than Coyes." Beats Per Minute
"intimate folk portraits" Under The Radar
Today, Canadian storyteller Sister Ray, has shared the second track to come from their new EP ''Teeth'', which is due out 12th May via Royal Mountain Records. The poignant new single “All Dogs Go To Heaven” follows their critically acclaimed single “Teeth”, which received high praise from the likes of The Guardian, Sunday Times Culture, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, DIY, and more.
Sister Ray - the project of Edmonton-born songwriter Ella Coyes - was conceived out of necessity; a self-designed vehicle built to examine trauma with unflinching honesty. Armed with a voice that soars and scrapes in equal measure, Coyes converts first-person recollections of big, complicated love into universally potent allegories.
Having signed to Royal Mountain Records (Alvvays, US Girls, Orville Peck), Sister Ray released their debut album “Communion” last year to widespread critical acclaim – the album was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Prize, with Pitchfork describing it as "a complex study of webs of interpersonal hurt and a celebration of emotional survival." Backed by Ginla, the Brooklyn based duo behind early Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief) and Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of), the album catapulted Coyes into a breakout year. The album's success led to coverage across the likes of Audiotree, Paste, and NPR, as well as appearances at Pitchfork Festival in Paris and London, Primavera Weekender, and headline and support dates across North America and Europe.
The forthcoming EP ''Teeth'' captures Coye’s introspective musings on nostalgia, intimacy, and avoidance in their signature style of thoughtful lyricism and unyielding and spacious indie rock rooted in folk tradition. Combining dark outsider folk tinted guitar lines with vocals that are at once commanding and frangible, the new single “All Dogs Go To Heaven” is made up of a series vignettes on power and potency, or lack thereof, with Coyes saying it’s about “the temptation to find the line and cross it.”
Coyes continues to say, “this song happened through small notes that kept coming back, pulling a bunch of little phrases that I was obsessed with but couldn’t find a place for. I wanted it to sound like it was tumbling.”
Hear / share “All Dogs Go To Heaven” here
Alongside the new single, Sister Ray has also shared a new live of them performing the single in a stripped back and intimate performance that truly captures Ella’s captivating live presence. The video follows their recent live video for “Teeth”
Watch the live video for “All Dogs Go To Heaven” here
Born and raised on the expansive prairies of Sturgeon County, Sister Ray’s music is steeped in a wide range of cultural influences. With gospel bluegrass and 90’s country playing in the background of their youth, it was the traditional Métis music played at home that not only brought them closer to their heritage but taught them a form of storytelling rooted in collective value, resilience, and safety. Through the existential questions that came with examining contradictory identities, Coyes came to understand music’s ability to archive personal histories while also unpacking overwhelming emotions with the support of a community.
Their new EP “Teeth” came from a need for space and the repercussions conditional to this desire. “I was thinking often about intimacy and avoidance—crawling around to find where my place would be,” Coyes says. The songs were written quickly and vigorously, mimicked through the recording process, crafted by Coyes over five days, and once again recruiting Ginla as collaborators and producers.
Thematically, tracks such as "Pressing Down" explore the nuances of vulnerability and avoidance, while the title track “Teeth” is a bittersweet reflection on the loss of cherished memories and the subsequent disillusionment that comes with that trauma. Meanwhile, the spectral "I Never Will Marry" showcases Sister Ray's musical range with a soulful tribute to one of her musical idols, Linda Ronstadt. The result is a collection of four highly poignant tracks that see Sister Ray discerning between big and small epiphanies. Their yearning tone and staggering honesty trickles throughout and the erosion leads to an opening—vacant, unfamiliar, and with room to breathe.
“Teeth” is out 12th May via Royal Mountain Records – Pre-order here
Tracklisting:
1. Teeth
2. Pressing Down
3. All Dogs Go To Heaven
4. I Never Will Marry
Live:
JUL 7, 2023 FRI - Mariposa Folk Festival 2023 - Orillia, ON, Canada
Find Sister Ray on:
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