Seventeen year old Reuben Gray has already amassed over 30 million views across YouTube, a dedicated following on social media, well over a hundred gigs and all this without releasing any music. That is until now with his debut single ‘Till The Lights Go Out’. “ The song is my answer to our generations constant quest for acceptance and the need to be validated by our peers. I want to show that you don’t need the most expensive clothes, the latest mobile phone or even hundreds of likes on your profile picture to be happy. All you really need is to find that one person who likes you for who you really are.”
Taking his influences from Prince, John Coltrane, Post Malone and The 1975, Reuben is currently in the studio writing and recording new music, collaborating with award winning producer/mixer John Nathaniel (OneRepublic, Switchfoot) and songwriters who have crafted hits with the likes of Dua Lipa, Niall Horan.
Reuben started his apprenticeship in music at the age of five training as a classical pianist, by the time he was thirteen he was busking with a saxophone around his hometown of Guildford. He used the money he earned to buy his first guitar which he would carry around London venues regularly talking his way onto open mic night stages and hoping to avoid being asked for ID.
Reuben recently left school to concentrate on his music with the support of his parents, however that came with the condition that he continued to study for his A levels in between writing and recording. It’s not unusual to see him on a train heading towards a studio session with his head in a 500 page book on the history of Vietnam.
Reuben’s fans have been waiting patiently for him to share this next chapter in his journey, “I’m incredibly grateful to all my fans for waiting so patiently for this music. They have allowed me the space and time to create exactly what I want. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time because if this doesn’t go well then I may actually have to finish my A-levels” Reuben laughs.
Through his phenomenal talent and hard work, Reuben is certainly one-to-watch in the months ahead.
To stay up to date with Reuben, follow him on Instagram, Twitter and like his Facebook Page!