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Sister Ray Shares New Single “Good News”

TORONTO, April 18, 2022 – Sister Ray, the project of Edmonton-born songwriter, Ella Coyes (they/she) is today sharing their new single, “Good News” which follows recent singles tipped at Paste Magazine, Exclaim and more. The new track comes as the final advance single to be lifted from Sister Ray’s forthcoming debut album, Communion which is set for release on May 13 via Royal Mountain Records (Alvvays, Wild Pink, U.S. Girls). They will support Communion with a full tour – TBC – but for now, have confirmed US dates opening for The Rural Alberta Advantage, these come off the back of recent slots opening for Hurray for the Riff Raff and dates as part of SXSW. Full run of dates below.

Communion is a raw, meticulously-crafted portrait of momentous, ordinary moments; experiences that define your past and instruct how you move through the world. It’s also a break-up album invested in exploring the motivations behind actions, rather than attempting moral judgment. It’s about “shitty shit” says Coyes. Backed by Ginla, the Brooklyn-based duo behind early Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker and Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of), Communion is anchored by guitar melodies that bear an undercurrent of turmoil and echoes with the wisdom of hard-won lessons.

“Good News” thematically marks the darkest song on Communion despite being the lightest in sound. Speaking about the track, Coyes explains: “This song is about my frustration watching me, members of my family and the people around me experiencing issues that have affected us intergenerationally – and continue to do so – and see many suffer in silence. It’s written like a series of vignettes about a few moments that have really stood out in my memory. At first, it didn’t click with me that this song sounded so light because it felt heavy to me, but I feel now that a big part of this song is the freedom that I feel in the actual act of airing out those things that I would have willfully ignored or hidden from.

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.

As their taste evolved, Coyes began to devour music across all genres, obsessing over the songwriting of Loudon Wainwright III, the eerie space of Do Make Say Think, the hard hitting hooks of mid-western emo like American Football, and the ascending vocals of Jeff Buckley. Walking on stage armed with only the shape of a song in hand, and an experience they wanted to memorialize, Coyes engineered a style of “conversational” music. Over months, sometimes years, songs were reworked on stage each night. Through improvised sets and repetition that relied on feedback from the audience to guide the direction of the show, Sister Ray invited their music to evolve — writing songs that touched on generational trauma and interpersonal violence, with lyrics that dissected guilt, obligations, and freedom as a way to heal from the inside out.

I feel like the music exists in its truest form when it’s being witnessed,” Coyes says. “The witnesses are participants in revealing what’s being communicated.”

Tour dates w/ Rural Alberta Advantage
05/23 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
05/24 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
05/25 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
05/27 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
05/28- Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN