From busking in Bury’s town center to joining Benson Boone on tour, emerging musician Elliot James Reay’s love for music has taken him far. Earlier this week, the Voice had the opportunity to sit with him and chat about his music, his inspirations, and his upcoming performances. Having released his first EP, All This To Say I Love You (2025) this past June, Reay is on his way to establishing himself in the music world; however, his musical journey and inspirations go much further back than the past year.
Spending his childhood in his hometown of Barry, Wales, Reay “grew up and matured” both as a person and a vocalist. In this small community, Reay had limited opportunities to perform and grow as an artist. But an annual market festival was his first big break into performance, where he performed an Elvis song for his entire community. “I started singing Elvis one day, and they loved it!” said Reay. The multigenerational demographic he became comfortable performing to guided him to create timeless music for all to enjoy. Since then, Reay has continued his journey of entertaining fans of all ages while remaining authentic to his personal preferences of genre.
Reay’s sound is extraordinarily unique in today’s musical world. Characterized by deep vocal ballads, Reay’s music takes listeners back to a time when Elvis was topping the charts and air travel was a fresh luxury. Many have found comparisons between Reay and artists like Billy Fury, Tom Jones, and Roy Orbison, especially those attending his earliest performances in Barry.
“It’s very flattering to have those comparisons,” Reay told the Voice. “Those are the artists that I idolize and listen to on a daily basis.” Reay’s instrumentals bear a strong similarity to music of this era as well, consistently utilizing a stable yet driving beat with a full band supporting his vocals. The calm dynamics of Reay’s music mimic the listening experience a vinyl record or a jukebox would provide, unsullied by the overstimulation of the digital age.
This choice was intentional, as Reay explained that creating physical copies of his work is a long-term goal of his. For Reay, “[physical albums] will make everything feel complete.”
The vintage vibe of Reay’s work goes beyond sonics, however. In his music videos for singles like “Sweetness” (2025) and “Boy in Love” (2024), Reay embodies the classic look of a ’50s rockstar, sporting a gelled combover and retro fashion. These choices are not made for pure aesthetic reasons, however. The traditional nature of his work explores a time in which he believes love was navigated through tastefulness and respect. One can envision themselves in the scene of his music videos asking a potential partner for a dance or buying them a chocolate soda. When asked where he suggests fans listen to his music, Reay suggested listeners seek out a “classic diner” to get an authentic feel for the inspiration of his music.
For Reay, making music is more than commercial. Although he discovered his style by playing for an older demographic, his love for ’50s-style music is what has kept him in the genre. It’s been very important to Reay that he can portray an authentic, organic version of himself to his audiences.
“It took me a minute to kind of get the confidence to put the ’50s and ’60s stuff online, just ‘cause I thought no one was really interested in it and no one really cared,” Reay told the Voice. “[But] I feel so much better about myself for doing it… I definitely wouldn’t change any part of my career so far”
In creating his music, Reay values being genuine, and he hopes that listeners can hear his authentic self through his music.
Speaking on the creation of his single, “Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin?,” (2025) Reay told the Voice, “[It] was one of those songs that happened quite naturally… we just said ‘If it happens, it happens,’ and it did.” While he aims to make music of a specific style and genre, Reay emphasized the authenticity he feels when making songs in the Norton soul genre. He wants listeners to be able to relate to him, to feel welcome in the world of music.
“I think music is one of those things that should be inviting for everyone—it shouldn’t be exclusive, there shouldn’t be anything that stops people from enjoying it,” Reay told the Voice. He believes that music should connect people, and he hopes his audiences can feel that.
Only one year after the release of his debut single “I Think They Call This Love,” (2024) Reay’s buzz has already caught the attention of many—amassing over 150 million streams on Spotify alone—and he’s now ready to take his work to a big stage. Reay will be opening for Benson Boone’s American Heart Tour, and his next performance will be this Saturday, September 13, at Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena.
