Other Voices: David Gray

Synopsis

In 2000 singer David Gray released his fourth album White Ladder, which saw him combine his vulnerable folk sound with skittering electronic rhythms. The album proved to be an unprecedented success and overnight Gray went from performing in small bars and clubs to headlining an Arena tour and even making an appearance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. He was subsequently nominated for a Grammy and White Ladder has since been hailed as a seminal influence by Ed Sheeran, James Blunt and George Ezra and has continued to sell in astonishing numbers; White Ladder stayed in the US charts for a year, the British charts for 172 weeks and it stands as the 10th best-selling album of the 21st century and the 25th bestselling album of all time with an estimated 7 million copies sold worldwide.Gray has since been nominated three times for the prestigious Ivor Novello award and his albums regularly appear in the top ten charts in the UK, America, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. While he regularly sells out concerts across the globe, Ireland remains a special place for Gray; he credits Ireland as being the first country to embrace his music and indeed White Ladder remains the bestselling album of all time in Ireland.He made a special trip to Dingle for the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, performing it in a unique and intimate setting like no other.