Ray Dalton

When DJ and record producer Ryan Lewis contacted him on Facebook for a possible collaboration in 2011, Ray Dalton was in the midst of pursuing his goal to work with every big hip-hop artist in Seattle. The multi-talented singer/songwriter was hoping that any of the powerhouse hooks he was creating would help him get discovered as an artist. The one that finally caught on - his infectious chorus for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ hip-hop anthem “Can’t Hold Us” - helped spur the track from the duo’s Grammy winning album, THE HEIST, into an ongoing global phenomenon. It also laid the groundwork for the 27 year old Dalton’s emergence this year as an artist in his own right, with the release of his deeply grooving debut pop-soul single, “If You Fall.” “I feel like the song is reflective of who I am, happy and upbeat, so it’s the perfect introduction to me as a solo artist,” says Dalton of the track, which he co-wrote with Scott Effman (Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Mike Posner) and was produced by Rufus Dipper. “I love combining a soulful vocal with elements that get you jumping and buzzing. ‘If You Fall’ is me talking about how I feel about love, whether it’s in a romantic relationship, or family and friends, or my incredible fans. I’m saying, I want to show you how much I love you.” Dalton is excited about sharing his deeper, ever-evolving artistry as a songwriter and vocalist with the fans who know him best from “Can’t Hold Us.” Certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA, the track was a #1 hit on four Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, and a chart-topper everywhere from Australia to Sweden, the UK and Poland. Named “The Most Streamed Song of 2013” by Spotify, it currently has over 520 million views, and its massively popular, Grammy® nominated video – featuring scenes Dalton shot while on tour in New Zealand in 2013 – has more than 520 million views. The clip also earned the singer two MTV Video Music Awards. In addition to touring the world, the Grammy® nominated singer performed the song with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on all the top late night talk shows (Colbert, Letterman, Fallon, Conan), the VMA’s, MTV Movie Awards, “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” the American Music Awards and at Clive Davis’ annual Grammy® party. Its success led Dalton to other prominent opportunities as a featured artist, including co-writing and performing on another worldwide smash “Don’t Worry,” with Norwegian urban duo Madcon (#1 in over 21 countries), as well as “Stronger” with Russian trance producer and DJ Arty (nearly 3 million streams on Spotify). “Collaborating with such great artists was amazing, but once that cooled a bit, I had to get myself in the right mindset so that I could turn my attention to beginning my solo career. That involved finding the right collaborators, and getting the right management team behind me. I’m very competitive, even with myself, and so everything I do has to really excite me and meet my own expectations. I now have the freedom to develop my own vision about how I want people to connect with my music. That includes creating a fantasy element with music videos, photo shoots and cover art. In the end, though, it’s all about writing and recording great songs, and the game plan is to always put out the best material to reach as many people as possible.” The son of an African American father (a professional dirt biker) and Mexican American mother, Dalton grew up absorbing a wide range of music – from classic rock, R&B and gospel to Latin music and 70’s pop. A classically trained vocalist, he began singing at the age of six, and the beauty of his voice prompted his music teacher to recommend that he join the Seattle Children’s Choir. At 16, he joined the Total Experience Gospel Choir of Seattle, and soon became a lead vocalist. As a member of this prestigious ensemble throughout his teens and early 20s, he toured overseas in Japan and South Korea, and sang three times for President Obama. A talented athlete throughout his formative years, Dalton once dreamed of playing tennis in college but chose to stay with the choir and pursue music instead. He met Ryan Lewis during a period of his late teen years when he was immersed in what he calls the “Seattle frat hip-hop scene,” and first collaborated with Lewis and Macklemore on “Wings,” the debut single from The Heist. Dalton recognizes that he’s at a unique turning point in his career, as he breaks out of the “famous featured artist” role and begins to forge his own identity and share his true musical soul. He says, “If You Fall” is just the first of many tracks he will be releasing in the coming months. “What’s becoming clear to me, is that I’m an artist who wants to represent love and show people a good time. As the world gets crazier, it’s crucial that artists and activists stay aware of what’s going on and bring elements of that to their work. It’s also important to let people know that they don’t have to always be worried about the future. We need times where we can kick back, have a barbecue and drink some tequila. I don’t ever want to take the focus away from the serious things happening all around us, but I also want to be who I am by using my music to pick up the spirits of others. Sometimes we just need an escape, and I would love my music to be a soundtrack to those beautiful moments in people’s lives.”