30th October 2026 saw London based singer songwriter, Lucy Gray, release her debut EP By The Water.
BUSKING & GIGGING : Lucy Gray
A native of Beckenham, South East London, Lucy spent a childhood split between there and Polzeath, North Cornwall, where her parents are from.
Although music was always her passion, it wasn't until her thirties that she took the leap, initially building her craft through the testing arena of busking. With her confidence gradually established this formed a springboard into regular gigging around London and the writing and release of music.
She’s not discarded the busking though, regularly performing at London’s South Bank as well as stations including Waterloo, London Bridge and Charing Cross (through the Mayor of London’s Busk In London scheme which hosts the world’s largest street performance programme) and volunteers her music at her local Living Well Foodbank.
Her attitude now is simple, “Do it for when you’re 80.” As she puts it, “I’d kick myself if I got old and didn’t do what I always wanted to do.”
COAST TO COAST: The New EP By The Water
Lucy’s debut EP “By The Water” consists of four new songs and draws on her coastal times around Cornwall together with her life experiences of heartbreak, mental health, ADHD and faith.
Golden Days
“Golden Days” represents an incredibly bright opening to the EP. ”Sun came out and my worries blew away…” sets the scene majestically for this upbeat song. A constant percussive motif beats the way to the song’s message of appreciating the beauty of life’s simple but good moments and an ending realisation that “I think I’ll be fine”.
It locks in the EP’s introspective but positive reflections on life and mental well being.
Good To Go
“Good To Go” the EP’s second track charts the freedom of travelling solo and championing the independence it brings, whilst still being able to embrace love and companionship, should the right person come along.
A gentle but firm beat infuses the track and Lucy’s delivery adds a sparkling sheen to match the confident stance of the song’s message. It is an uplifting statement from an artist who has clearly travelled the road, done the solo miles and remains in full control of her direction—which dovetails perfectly to the next song on the EP.
Different Road
An ADHD diagnosis forced Lucy to come to terms with a realisation that you can simply be on a different road to everyone else and still be heading in the right direction.
This is powerfully captured in the song itself, its story of emerging clarity underpinned by a vibrant acoustic textural backing that lets Lucy’s crystalline vocal have free rein to fully immerse itself as her faith pulls her out of the bad times.
“Lord, it was you, you pulled me through.”
By The Water
Inspired by a bench in Cornwall frequented by Lucy (and featured on the EP artwork), “By The Water” becomes the centrepiece of the collection.
Saluting a place where things slow down and are tranquil, Lucy embraces her spirituality (“It’s where I feel closest to God”) as the sonic liquidity of the atmospheric and cinematic track beautifully flows across its three and a half minutes.
It wraps up the EP in splendid fashion, the water imagery providing reflective qualities, not just in this song but over the entire project.
EP credits:
By The Water was brought to life with the help of producer and musician Aylwin Steele at The Tape Shed, while “Golden Days” and “Good To Go” were co-written with Jon Kensington at his home studio.
UNDILUTED: Finding Contentment
With its theme of coastal water, Lucy manages to capture the emotional complications of life without any dilution.
The purity of her vocals, the unfiltered songwriting stirred with some tastefully understated but pristine and fluid musical backing, positions an artist finding peace and contentment in her own way between the diverse worlds of the city and the sea.
Lucy Gray’s debut EP By The Water can be found on the usual streaming platforms. Listen to the song “By The Water” below:
