Album Notes

Dwight Raby’s new self-titled EP is the culmination of years in the Atlanta area music scene. In college at St. Lawrence University, he began to experiment with the guitar and singing, but he didn’t really pursue it until coming to Emory University for graduate school.

Blessed with a powerful voice that can range from a bluesy growl to a Steve Winwood-like falsetto, he started off playing local open mics and eventually ended up singing in a blues band out of Marietta, GA. He began to pick up some guitar chops from the band’s leader – Larry Savage. After three years, he started his own band, eventually went solo, and got the chance to do what every singer-songwriter yearns to do – play out a lot and get paid to do it. More importantly, however, he began to develop friendships and relationships with local artists that he continues to cherish.

“Music has been really good to me”, he says. “As a guy who’s held down a steady job all these years, it’s been really great for me to meet and develop friendships with guys like Sam Thacker, Francisco Vidal, Amy Gerhartz, and Brian Collins. There are so many people who create music and write songs that I really love and respect. It’s kind of humbling to run with crowd like that.”

While lamenting the fact that having a regular day job inhibits his ability to take his music maybe as far as it could go, he also respects the grounding it gives him. “I often wonder if I had the chance to work on this 24/7 if I’d have developed these otherworldly guitar skills or have written songs that touch millions of people. But the fact is I’m a married guy that works 40 hours a week in an office and that’s what it’s like for a lot of people. Guys like me have the same issues a full-time musician has, why can't I sing about them too?"