Bio
The signature sound of Waking Aurora was born in the rear seat of a hatchback family car, when the 4-year-old identical twin sisters began vocalizing the lyrics of their very first song. A decade later, Jennifer and Sarah Ray had become a recognized singer/songwriter team in their hometown of Santa Cruz, California. The twins were regularly invited to share their unique vocal stylings at local and national functions including The Special Olympics and national charitable events hosted by The Salvation Army, where the duo took the stage in front of audiences that numbered up to 5,000.
But Jen and Sarah had their eyes set on New York City and in early 2002, they made their first official appearance as the folk-rock duo Inventing Eve. After 4 years on the New York music scene, which generated a solid following and established them as a recognized name in the Big City, Inventing Eve released their self-titled debut album, Inventing Eve in late 2006. It was this album which caught the attention of players within the UK music industry. Shortly after the move to London, Inventing Eve released their their second album (2009 EP Stumbling Toward Destiny). In 2010, the sister team was nominated for the Grammy Awards in four categories, for their original song Beautiful By My Scars. With no manager, publishing company or record label behind them, their appearance on the ballot stunned many industry professionals and hence gained Inventing Eve the support of several US and UK music industry giants in the Grammy campaigns. Votes of support were cast by the likes of music legend Pat Boone, manager Jeff Robinson (Alicia Keys) and producer Michael Narada Walden (Whitney Houston).
Following the 2010 Grammy Awards nominations, this dynamic duo formed an official partnership with acclaimed Producers, Robin Millar, CBE and Paul Stacey; the iconic Millar positioning himself as Artist Development Manager, Mentor and the creative mind behind the making of the band, and the innovative Paul Stacey taking on the role of Producer for what would become Waking Auroras debut album.
Millar, the man behind the discover and launch of Sade and her iconic album, Diamond Life (Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King), has also worked intimately with The Grateful Dead, The Fine Young Cannibals and Everything But The Girl among other greats. His productions have sold over 55 million copies worldwide, achieving silver, gold and platinum status. Stacey is well-known and highly recognized for his work with Oasis and The Black Crowes, and as long-standing Producer for Noel Gallagher.
A year of studio work under the creative direction of both Millar and Stacey has gleaned a more confident and organic sound which goes above and beyond the sisters previous work, breaking the Inventing Eve mold with its courageous in-your-face lyrics which promote social change and awareness; raising the bar fundamentally higher, into a more sincere genre of 70's Alternative Rock. A little bit Fleetwood Mac with a touch of Pink Floyd, these 11 freshly produced songs mark the debut of Jennifer and Sarahs newly developed act, Waking Aurora.
Today, Jennifer and Sarah Rays songwriting repertoire includes over 100 songs which often cross stylistic boundaries, capturing the attention of listeners from varied walks of life. Fans are continually impressed with this dynamic duos natural ability both as accomplished and continually evolving songwriters, as well as live performers. Their engaging persona and presence on stage has helped this duo hold their own in cities such as New York and London, fearlessly billing alongside larger bands with bigger sounds, yet engrossing the crowd. Its been a long road with a continually changing landscape, but these passionate and talented sisters are still hungry for more. Their continued drive to reach higher and farther and their thirst for making music which has an eternal significance still remain unquenchable.
In October 2012 Waking Aurora released their new single, Hold Onto Me (from the upcoming album, Random Acts of Humankind) and special live appearances in the U.S. and U.K. in 2013
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