Photo Credit: Ismael Quintanilla
A chat with singer-songwriter Arin Ray on his most recent EP release and finding cohesion in chaos.
It’s not easy to roll with the punches, nor is it easy to make something great out of what appears to be nothing.
But when you are truly passionate about something, there is no alternative, nor is there truly nothing to create from. For Arin Ray, a Cincinnati-born singer and songwriter, there existed no reality in which he would not keep going. LIMBO, his most recent EP release, embodies this exact sense of resilience– and it has a nice groove to it, too.
The project was quite literally put together in a period of limbo. “Cheap Champagne” was created during a writing session, and “Too Good” had been sitting in his arsenal for some time. The acclaimed singer didn’t necessarily intend to package all of these songs together, but when you are truly meant to do something, truly living in your purpose, all of the extra noise and apprehensions become a non-factor.
“These songs come from a time where there was no real process,” he told The Rhyme Suite. “These songs are from a time of true uncertainty. And I pride myself on making music that’s cohesive and well-thought-out. I think everything was all over the place, as far as just life at that point. But it was great, man.”
After he dropped the Phases III EP in 2023, he wasn’t sure what the future would look like. But over the years, he had some great sessions with talented people, and LIMBO was born.
The journey to get here had its ups and downs, but the singer is more than grateful for the ability to share his voice with the world and to have worked with such talented people – mostly friends, like Tane Runo – to do so.
“It was just all organic songs that I made with dope people, and it was fun making them,” he said. “God works in mysterious ways, and I’m just grateful to have a rolodex of people that are great.”
In coming out of limbo to release LIMBO, he learned that, more than anything, you have to see it through.
“Stay patient. Don’t get out of character. Change is the only constant, you know?” he said. “Listen to God and do the things that you can control. I was just trying to stay locked in as much as possible.”
As a now independent artist, Arin understands that you have to surround yourself with people who want to see you win, and at the same time, you have to wear a lot of hats. There’s still a lot he needs to learn and get better at, but he’s thankful for the opportunity to grow as a person, as an artist, and as a businessman.
“Sometimes, these moments are here to show you what you’re lacking, what you’re missing, what you need to do to get going,” he said. “So I’m excited. This is a year of rebuilding. I’m just really grateful to even be able to do this as a career.”
And with the awareness that this project is some of his best work from an artistic standpoint, he’s excited to keep diving in further, particularly on the production side.
“Creatively, I want to see myself and put myself in a position to be the artist I always thought I could be. I want to make the best music I could possibly make,” he said. “And I want to live a life that is worth living.”
With “The LIMBO Tour” kicking off in September, he wants fans to know that they can expect his absolute best.
“I wanted to make a point to perform songs that I don’t get to perform all the time, like for my real day ones and people who know my catalog,” he said. “Production-wise, I’m taking it up a notch this time. You’re going to get the best version of me onstage.”
LIMBO came out of a time that was not easy by any means, but Arin’s display of vulnerability is one of his greatest assets, along with his creativity and raw talent.
“It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t the happiest, but we pushed through it and we’re here, and something beautiful was made out of it,” he said. “I make music because I have to, because I love it. I’m just excited to get back out there.”
LIMBO is out on all platforms, and it’d be a true disservice to not give it a listen.
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