Dan Ray is a singer-songwriter based in Des Moines, IA. She is currently working on producing her debut album, Cancer Moon. Her style blends Taylor Swift's knack for engrossing storytelling with the danceability of Maggie Rogers and the grit behind early 2000's rock. Her debut single, "Water," drops February 9, 2024.
Dan wrote "Water" in December 2021 after going on a life-changing three-month road trip. She was homeless at the time and found solace in driving around the U.S. talking to loved ones. When she returned home, she missed the time she had to connect with the people in her life. The video for "Water," focuses on literal water, with shots of Dan in a bathtub and shots of her in a rainy field. But the lyric "it felt like water" has a dual meaning: Dan originally wrote the lyric referring to the water signs of the zodiac. The three people who helped her the most on her road trip were all water signs, and the song pays homage to both the buoyant feeling of letting people you love guide and support you and the sinking feeling you're left with when all the water drains.
P.S. Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately.
Photo by @jtpvisual