P&P Spotlight: Alex Ray

If Elle Woods were to dye her hair blue, adopt a punk rock aesthetic, and start a music career, she’d transform into something like Alex Ray. Like Elle, Alex served as valedictorian of her law school class and landed a job at a prestigious firm, but she recently pivoted to her true passion of music. After releasing two poignant singles - “BOY YOU AIN’T” and “DRIVER’S SIDE” - which both showcase different aspects to her artistry, this alt-pop powerhouse finally arrives with her highly-anticipated debut EP, MESSY.

A gritty yet intimate exploration of chaos, despair, rumination, self-destruction, and ultimately acceptance, MESSY brings life to experiences that are, for better or worse, universal. The title track organizes the chaos in Alex's mind when she metaphorically holds a mirror up to herself. It's uncomfortable at times, but it's unavoidable and transparent. 

Playlists & Polaroids attended her NextFest set back in May, and we’re so proud of how far she’s come since then. We also had the privilege of speaking to Alex Ray ahead of this EP release - keep reading for her full conversation with her! 

Image credit: Shantell Cruz, graphic created by Karly Ramnani

YOU’LL LOVE ALEX RAY IF YOU LISTEN TO: Charlotte Sands, PVRIS, girli, LØLØ, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, 5 Seconds of Summer

First of all, it’s no secret that you’re just as much of a “fangirl” as many of P&P’s readers. Who are your favorite artists, and what are some of your favorite concerts you’ve been to? 

I love all kinds of artists. 5SOS is definitely my favorite band, but also a huge Swiftie and BTS ARMY. 5SOS on the last tour was one of my all time faves, but it’s also hard to beat the overall experience of the Eras Tour. The BEST shows I’ve been to the last couple years have to be Bring Me the Horizon (insane visuals and performance) and three of the BTS guys - J-Hope, Suga, and Jin. They were all so different but so authentic to them and the whole experience was 10/10. 

On that note, you’ve posted a lot of covers on social media and even sang a few live. What are your favorite covers you’ve performed and why? 

I really love doing “Good Luck Babe." When I play live - it’s just so fun and everyone knows it and you feel real good about yourself when you sing the big note on the chorus (not as impressive when I do it, cause I’m an alto, but still fun). I love any Taylor Song although hers are deceivingly hard to sing. I’d love to do a full cover of “Yours” by Conan Gray, “Like Crazy” by Jimin, and “Ghost of You” by 5SOS. 

What is your favorite song on MESSY to perform live and why? 

The bridge - everything drops out and you’re just left with these gut wrenching lyrics. I think it gives the whole performance a second to breathe and it reminds you that even though we’re partying, they’re some pretty devastating experiences we’re actually singing about. 

Alex Ray performing at NextFest LA in May 2025. Image credit: Karly Ramnani

What was the first song you wrote for MESSY, and how did it determine the direction of the rest of the EP? 

The first song was actually “BOY YOU AIN’T.” I didn’t go into this project with the intention to do an EP but after doing “BOY YOU AIN’T,” I think we just felt more free to write about whatever we wanted, even the toxic experiences, which is what MESSY is all about - not hiding even the embarrassing emotions and experiences. 

MESSY’s tracklist seems to intentionally tell a story of self-destruction and rebuilding from start to finish. Was this always the goal from the moment you started working on this project? 

Not at all, but it was inevitable. I’ve always written about whatever I’ve wanted and I’ve always been really honest in my writing, so that all these times where my mental health kind of ruined my life were at top of mine. I just started picking times and experiences that I knew were me at my worst and that became the EP. 

You’ve described MESSY as a portrayal of yourself “facing the chaos” - tell us more about what that chaos looks like! 

I have Bipolar and BPD, so the huge emotions that I feel and the shifts in honestly who I am as a human from my lows to my highs shape all my experiences. It’s chaotic to be in my brain and body and it’s like whiplash for the people in my life. A lot of these songs are about times when I was feeling a super intense emotion and just acted only out of that emotion. I don’t “think” at all when I’m engulfed by an emotion and it’s hard to understand it myself, much less prepare other people for that. 

Alex Ray performing at NextFest LA in May 2025. Image credit: Karly Ramnani

In this EP’s creative process, did you find yourself dissecting and confronting specific emotions more than others? 

I’m pretty self-aware to a fault, but I think I dissected how my brain will create a facade to hide the soft emotions. In “BOY YOU AIN’T” I was hurting really, but the mask was anger and confidence. In DS I was falling in love and had no control over what happened next - I was so scared, but the mask was confidence and “I don’t care.” In “Yours to use,” we see the mask slip a bit and show us how much I actually cared, but still the acknowledgment that I screwed up a lot of that relationship was masked with the total desperation. 

If listeners could take away only one message from MESSY as a whole, what would you hope it is? 

Just because you’re messy, it does not mean you’re a bad person. We all do some f*cked up things - especially if you have a mental illness that pretty much takes your autonomy away. I’ve done some insane things in the depths of my mental illness, but the amount of sincere guilt I feel over the people I’ve hurt and things I’ve lost is the real me. The mess you’ve left behind isn’t always indicative of your true character. 

What inspired your passion for music, as well as the pivot from law school to music? 

I’ve just always loved to tell stories. I think even if the artist thing didn’t work, I’d want to write and pitch to people. I just love taking this situation or concept or feeling and crafting a song that people can relate to and interpret the story from. And I hated being a lawyer. 

Having been there not too long ago, what insight would you give to someone debating a more “realistic” career path vs. following their dreams? 

You can run from the dream all you want but it will haunt you till the day you die. And honestly then, it might haunt you in the next life. You can always have a day job holding you up, you can always go back to school, this is all just a capitalistic simulation and we’re gonna live until we die… so why not do what you want? If it doesn’t work, at least you had a great time and won’t wonder “what if.” 

Alex Ray performing at NextFest LA in May 2025. Image credit: Karly Ramnani

How has travelling back and forth between LA and Nashville impacted your artistry? 

I’ve grown in ways I never would have otherwise. I found my favorite collaborators in LA and just made so many friends. I think I struggled finding where I fit in Nashville, and finding that place in LA just gave me a lot of hope. 

And finally the P&P Classic! From any song on MESSY, what is a lyric that you feel especially drawn to? Walk us through the process of yourself writing it, and how you personally connect to it!

I have favorite lyrics for different reasons, which is such a BS songwriter thing to say. “With your hands in my jeans from the driver’s side” just goes so hard. It just popped into my head and we were like “that’s the hook.” I also love “hanging on like my life depends on you” from Yours to Use, just because I think it embodies the desperation in that song. But the BIG favorite is the chorus of “MESSY” - “tell me the potential I’ve wasted.” The biggest thing that I struggle with is regret. The weight of it just destroys me some days and I love that we didn’t overthink how to say that - the speaker telling anyone and everyone “just tell me that you know I screwed up and wasted everything I had going for me” is such a universal feeling for so many people who think they’ve shot themselves in the foot with strings of bad decisions. 

We can't think of a more authentic and compelling way to introduce yourself to the music scene than what Alex has done with MESSY. Hard-hitting and vulnerable, this EP contains a multitude of themes and truths that are bound to resonate with listeners across the board. Alex's personal story renders the triumph of this EP becomes even more significant - she's living proof that it’s never too late to redirect your life in order to follow your dreams. We have a feeling this is only the beginning for Alex, and encourage all of you to follow along on her musical journey as well! Here's a playlist we've curated to help you get started.