AZURE RAY
Although they became important figures Omaha scene in the early 2000’s, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor made their initial mark in Athens, GA, where they formed Azure Ray in 2001. The two musicians – both Birmingham, Alabama natives as well as childhood friends – relocated to Athens after school and combined elements of folk, pop, and light electronica into their 2001 debut self-titled album, which included the hits “Sleep” and “Rise”. Their sophomore effort Burn & Shiver followed in 2002 and exuded a more serene soundscape, as well as slick production work from Crooked Fingers frontman Eric Bachmann. After meeting the band in Athens, Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst invited the band on tour and introduced them to Saddle Creek. Fink and Taylor relocated to Omaha, Nebraska and joined the music scene there, releasing the New Resolution EP. Fink and Taylor also began lending their voices to other artists, including Moby's 18 and Bright Eyes' Lifted or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground and served as members of Andy Lemaster's project, Now It's Overhead.
A year later, Azure Ray continued their prolific pace, releasing Hold on Love. The album proved to be the duo's last release for seven years, with both musicians pursuing solo careers in the interim. Taylor and Fink returned their focus to Azure Ray in 2009, launching a brief tour before returning in 2010 with their fourth album, Drawing Down the Moon. In September of 2012, the band's fifth, more electronic-leaning offering As Above So Below was release, and included contributions from the Faint’s Todd Fink. Following another 6 year hiatus, the Waves EP saw the band reunite once again in October 2018. January 2021 saw the first-ever vinyl pressing of the band’s eponymous self-titled EP, accompanied by a 100-page photo book curated by the band. Later that year, Maria and Orenda released their first new full length in a decade, Remedy, in June on Flower Moon Records.
REMEDY
"Listening to ‘Azure Ray’ now, one can't help but think that both its subdued sound and introspective songwriting foreshadowed the music of today's artists like Phoebe Bridgers and folklore-era Taylor Swift.” – Forbes, 2021
Twenty years have passed since Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink released their self-titled debut record as Azure Ray. Those familiar with their work now know that it was the tragic death of Taylor’s then boyfriend which abruptly transformed the duo’s relationship to music – their alt-rock roots gave way to the now signature, dreamlike soundscapes that became known as “whisper core” with songs like “Sleep” & “Rise.” The influence of Taylor & Fink’s hushed & intimate, ASMR-like delivery combined with hypnotic atmospherics is unmistakably apparent in (and openly acknowledged by) today’s chart-topping songwriters. After 5 full length albums, 4 cities, 2 hiatuses, and one pandemic, their timeless, genre-defining sound returns with a bold new fortitude on June 11th with Remedy.
Produced by Brandon Walters (Lord Huron, Joshua Radin), the band worked individually through the COVID-19 pandemic across 3 separate recording locations in southern California to craft Azure Ray’s first full length album in 10 years. With Remedy, Taylor and Fink sought to explore new structural arrangements and sonic dynamics, providing Walters with both the creative direction and freedom to expand upon the bands long-established ambient sound. Thematically, reoccurring themes of tragedy, chaos and anxiety present from the very first Azure Ray record (as a result of immense personal loss) present themselves with new meaning set against a world – not just their own lives – in turmoil. However impartial it sounds, the result is the best version of Azure Ray ever captured to tape (or computer). It’s the same Maria and Orenda who have lulled us through devastating agony and lifted our hearts over the last two decades, unchanged in their ability to find beauty in darkness, hope in desolation.
Remedy will mark the 50th release on Taylor’s label, Flower Moon Records. The new 10 song LP, out June 18, 2021 will be available on digital platforms, CD, and vinyl in 3 color variants with a special illustrated lyric booklet, plus limited edition bundles featuring a custom-blended “Remedy” essential oil roller. Azure Ray’s recent releases include 2018’s Waves EP featuring 2 new songs, and the 20th Anniversary vinyl release of their eponymous debut record In January of 2021.
AZURE RAY 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Twenty years ago this coming January, Azure Ray released their eponymous debut record featuring the hit songs “Sleep” & “Rise”. To mark the anniversary, on January 16th 2021, Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink are releasing Azure Ray on vinyl for the first time; including a 20th Anniversary Flower Moon Records exclusive bundle. Limited to 100 copies, the exclusive FMR bundle includes a hand-numbered and signed 100 page photobook curated by band which recollects the last 20 years and features never-before-seen personal photos and stories detailing their pre-Azure Ray days, formation, recording and tours and with Bright Eyes, Moby and more. In addition to being mastered for vinyl, the band also uncovered an unreleased track from the original recording sessions which is offered as an exclusive digital download with the physical album.
Taylor and Fink have been called “indie rock royalty” in more than one publication, and it’s not an undeserving title. After a brief stint with Geffen Records, barely out of their teens, the pair began touring and releasing independent records in 1998, a time when most indie rock clubs had never seen a girl walk into the door carrying her own guitar. While the pair started with a focus on rock, the untimely death of Taylor’s boyfriend quickly changed the duo’s relationship to music from release to catharsis, and Azure Ray rose from the ashes of grief.
The duo fearlessly followed their hearts and pioneered a genre, what some affectionately dubbed “whisper core.” But to Maria and Orenda, there was no easy way to describe what they did. Their work was about alchemizing pain into beauty, heartbreak into art, loss to transcendence, a way to walk with the angels — and a style that has left a lasting impact even on mainstream music. Their songs are included on playlists by Phoebe Bridgers and Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift is an admitted fan, and one search on social media shows the comparisons of Swift’s new record with Azure Ray twenty years after their first release. Bill Sullivan, former tour manager of The Replacements and co-owner of Minneapolis’s 400 Bar, said it best after watching the young duo calmly stare down a rowdy crowd until the last voice laid silent, then serenade a rapt crowd for hours with voices barely above a whisper. “That,” he said backstage, as he set out two shots of whiskey for the girls, “was the most punk rock thing I’ve ever seen.”
Always looking forward, this special 20th anniversary package has given them time to reflect on their past. “This is a very special anniversary for us, and we know it will be one for our long-time fans too. One thing is especially clear and that is how grateful we are to all of our collaborators, fans and supporters. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you will enjoy the book and hearing “Azure Ray” on vinyl for the first time!” – Maria and Orenda
RELEASES
FEATURED VIDEO
NEWS & REVIEWS
PITCHFORK: Azure Ray Announce First New Album in 11 Years, Share New Song
Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor return after a decade’s absence with the title track from Remedy. Azure Ray, the duo of Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor, haven’t released a full-length album since 2010’s Drawing Down the Moon. That’ll change on June 11 when Azure Ray release Remedy via Taylor’s Flower Moon Records. . Read more on Pitchfork.
BILLBOARD: AZURE RAY’S DEBUTS HEARTFELT VERSION OF 2003 TRACK “HOLD ON LOVE”
From Billboard: “They've already shared the cheeky "Palindrome" video, and today you can check out their reimagination of 2003's “Hold On Love”… “For the 15th anniversary of our record Hold on Love we re-imagined the title track with the help of Louis Schefano and Maria’s father and brother, Macey Sr and Jr,” the duo tells Billboard. “It reflects the live version that we came to love playing through the years.” Listen here.
BILLBOARD EXCLUSIVE: AZURE RAY PREMIERES FIRST NEW MUSIC IN SIX YEARS WITH CLEVER ‘PALINDROME’ VIDEO
“Azure Ray is back. The dream pop duo comprised of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink is set to release its first music since 2012 with its new Waves EP, due Oct. 26. Its lead track arrives below with a cheekily irreverent music video…” Watch at Billboard.
STEREOGUM PREMIERE: AZURE RAY ANNOUNCES NEW EP, WAVES. STREAM “PALINDROME”
Waves is Azure Ray’s 8th studio release, and first new recordings in 6 years. Stream the first single, “Palindrome” exclusively at Stereogum here, and pre-order now from Flower Moon Records here.
PITCHFORK: AZURE RAY ALBUM REVIEW
The meat of these songs-- if something as pretty as Fink and Taylor's singing can support such a metaphor-- is, of course, the duo's vocals. Their gentle trills manage a good balance between ethereal and corporeal, like an apparition you could touch. It's a great mix between a haunting, somnambulant femininity and understated strength.
TAYLOR SWIFT MADE THIS BREAK-UP PLAYLIST FOR A RECENTLY DUMPED FAN
Taylor Swift is known for dissecting past relationships in her music, but what does the queen of heartbreak listen to when she's heartbroken?... a themed playlist about moving on that includes Charli XCX and Azure Ray.
