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Mar 15, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

Melbourne-based singer/songwriter Gretta Ray has returned with her first release of 2021, a set of self-described “duologies,” or two thematically connected works. “The idea of paired songs is something I’ve already played with,” Gretta Ray says, referring to her 2018 EP Here and Now. “I used to refer to ‘Radio Silence’ and ‘Time’ on stage as ‘sister songs’: they’re about the same scenario from different angles.” Gretta has several more planned duologies on the way, beginning with “Bigger Than Me” and “Readymade.”

“Bigger Than Me,” true to the name, is a glossy sky-high indie pop single, building around a steady pop pulse and slick layers of dramatic vocals, until it hits its climactic pop high, now backed by a swelling string section. “Readymade” takes a contrasting approach, taking many of the same elements but bringing them into a simmering ballad. The instrumentation is more subdued but no less soulful, as glassy synths accompany a burning guitar solo and the warm passion of Gretta’s performance.

Yet, though the tracks diverge in sound they’re united in theme. Gretta says of the tracks, “When I write a song, I often find it’s in response to something that I’ve already written about, whether that be a week or a year ago. ‘Bigger Than Me’ and ‘Readymade’ are both songs about my relationship with creativity, which is something that I can become very obsessive about, especially since I’ve found myself on that path, completely immersed in it, collaborating with a lot of like-minded people.” Check out the songs below and watch for more duologies from Gretta in the coming months.