Michael Ray has a lot to celebrate on his next record. The Florida native, whose Higher Education EP came out in 2021, is hard at work on his new set of tunes, which will combine his love of different styles and eras of music, on one cohesive project.

“We just cut six songs,” Ray reveals to Everything Nash. “We started cutting with Michael Knox. This whole process has been exactly how I’ve always wanted to cut a record, being able to really dive into some stuff that I feel like people have been waiting for me to put out for a few years. And, touch on some subjects I touched on, but also have some influences of what I grew up with.

“You’re gonna hear a lot of Allman Brothers, a lot of Skynyrd, and a lot of traditional country music mixed with ’90s country music,” he continues. “We just took a lot of different eras that I was influenced by and put them together. It’s by far the most excited I’ve been about putting a record out.”

Ray has already honored  ’90s country music, with his The Bootlegger Sessions EP, which featured his take on songs by Randy Travis, Tracy Lawrence, Trisha Yearwood and George Strait. The 34-year-old has spent his entire career honoring the artists that have come before him, and vows to continue doing that for years to come.

“I love being able to shine a light on the artists that paved the way. And a lot of these artists don’t get it, but they deserve it. Sadly, a lot of times it takes somebody passing away,” Ray said. “So being able to shine a light on those songs I grew up listening to, I love it. It was just a lot of fun. It felt like going back in the day, playing the bars again, trying to relearn all the old songs … It was a lot of fun. We’re gonna do another one. We have to. There are too many songs in that era.”

Ray hints there might be a guest artist on his new record as well, one that he vows will surprise everyone if it actually happens.

“We’re working on one right now,” Ray teases. “It would be a big one. No one’s expecting it, It’s 90 percent there. If it happens, no one’s gonna see it coming.”

Find music and tour dates at MichaelRayMusic.com.

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