David Gray finds new well of creativity

Fairfax

David Gray's new album Draw The Line features duets with Annie Lennox and Jolie Holland.

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David Gray has mixed things up on his new album Draw The Line, in duets with Annie Lennox and Jolie Holland.

Gray became a global sensation with the release of his multi-platinum album White Ladder in 2001, which featured hit singles such as Babylon, This Year's Love and Sail Away.

Eight years later the UK singer feels as if his new album Draw The Line is the sound of an artist who has come to grips with his success, and is ready to start again.

"It's more than just my next record, it's definitely a new start," Gray told AAP in Sydney.

Gray changed his band and found a new well of creativity to draw upon.

"It was thrilling actually, when the new band came together, and the sense of freedom and release I found in the music," he said.

"As a writer, the word just came back to me in such a strong way – I've never enjoyed writing as much as I have done in the last couple of years. I'm still into it, and I can't stop, in fact.

"I hopped up this morning writing stuff, spools of bloody nonsense. Weird jetlag shit," he laughed.

Gray is in Australia for promotional concerts, ahead of a more extended tour in 2010.

He said he is excited by the different tone of this album.

"I'm not apologetic. I'm forthright and direct and it comes leaping out of the speakers or off the stage and goes straight to the target," he said.

Gray said injecting the voices of Lennox and Holland wasn't something he'd considered doing much before.

"Maybe I'm just a bit shy, but I wouldn't normally play the celeb card," he said.

"It's like, `oh yeah I'm part of celebrity village, I'll just ring one of my friends and see if they'll come and play'.

"But I had a need and there was a certain thing needed."

Holland sings back-up vocals on the track Kathleen – an experience Gray calls "a real treat".

The track that Lennox sings on, Full Steam, did not come easily, Gray said, and it took a while before to find the perfect voice to partner with him.

"People were throwing all kinds of names in the hat – especially when the record companies get involved," he said.

"They're looking for some sort of product. `This is a cozy tie-up, let's get Justin Timberlake on."'

With Lennox, the end result was something much greater than Gray ever imagined.

"The song was bit too leaden, and she sort of beat some egg whites into it, and it rose. The souffle was there.

"What a wonderful experience, what a woman."

Gray plays his first show in Sydney tonight, and will play in Melbourne on Thursday night. Draw The Line is in stores now.

- AAP