Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ray Duncan returns with her most fully realized and sonically ambitious project yet, the five-track EP ‘Laundromat.’ A departure from her folk and theatrical roots, this latest release sees Duncan embracing a muscular indie-rock sound, blending elements of classic rock, Americana, and R&B into a collection that crackles with raw energy and emotional depth.
Recorded at Starbird Sound in Antioch, TN, with producer Mike Fahey, Laundromat is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the cathartic power of music. The EP was funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign, adding even more weight to its themes of perseverance, community, and working-class struggle.
The EP kicks off with “Waitress,” a no-holds-barred anthem about the realities of service industry life. With gritty lyricism and a driving rhythm section, Duncan captures the exhaustion and frustration of working paycheck to paycheck, delivering lines like: “You want a roof over your head .. you want to drink and go to bed .. you wish that you could just play music instead … you pay your dues until you wake up dead.”
Lead single “Used To It” takes on addiction and self-sabotage, wrapped in explosive rock instrumentation. Duncan’s raw, evocative vocals ride over crunchy guitars, a pounding backbeat, and the swirling textures of a B3 organ, channeling a tension that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.
The title track, “Laundromat,” brings a whimsical contrast, unfolding like a romantic comedy in song form. Inspired by a dream and written with Lake Street Dive’s Rachel Price in mind, the song spins a tale of young love and second chances, tied together with the infectious hook: “Cause babe, it all comes out in the wash.”
Duncan’s journey to this moment is anything but conventional. A freelance composer and songwriter, she’s spent years crafting music for prestigious Shakespeare productions, including Romeo and Juliet (HVSF Spring Tour, 2023) and Much Ado About Nothing (Opera House Arts, 2022). She’s also the co-host of the “Book of Jude” podcast alongside her mother, hit songwriter Jude Johnstone, giving her a unique perspective on the craft of songwriting.
Ray Duncan isn’t just telling stories—she’s lived them. Laundromat is a gritty, soulful, and electrifying body of work that cements her as one of the most compelling voices in indie rock today. Whether tackling addiction, financial struggles, or fleeting moments of romance, Duncan delivers with an authenticity that cuts deep—a reminder that sometimes, the best songs are the ones that come from real life’s hardest moments.
