Sue Ray

Mon 8 Feb 2021

Wuigada is a dedicated space where First Nations musicians can share and celebrate music made by other First Nations musicians with PBS audiences.

Wuigada was named and developed by the highly acclaimed indigenous singer songwriter, Kutcha Edwards. Wuigada in Mutti Mutti means 'to sing'.

In this edition of Wuigada we hear from classic country and blues crossover artist, Sue Ray. Sue Ray released her debut album, Red Roses, in 2012 to critical acclaim. Since then Sue Ray as been building her career on the back of multiple awards and award nominations, extensive touring, and delivering stand out live performances. We took the opportunity to ask Sue Ray a few questions, including asking what she has been doing in recent times:

"During Covid, although it was such an incredibly difficult time for everyone, it gave me some much-needed time to be at home. Having time to sit in my thoughts, gave me a chance to do some writing. And it inspired me to start a new album. I’ve recently recorded two singles that I’m releasing this year, and at the end of this year I’ll be releasing a new full length album."

Can you tell us about a song by a First Nations musician that has had a big impact on you, and explain a bit about your connection to that song?

"A song called 'My Sister' by Tiddas. I saw them at Livid Festival in Brisbane around 1992. I had never seen such strong and amazing women singing with such power and passion. Their effortless harmonies blew me away, and the song 'My Sister' was so inspirational to me. Being a young woman struggling to find my feet as a young songwriter, and also struggling with fitting in at school, it was such a comforting song."

It is with great pleasure that we share Sue Ray's top picks for Wuigada.

Tiddas - 'By Your Side'