Ronda Ray

Ronda Ray is a Texas rock ’n’ roll road warrior with a voice full of Southern grit and the kind of stage presence built for loud rooms, motorcycle rallies and sweaty late-night sets. She has been writing and performing roots-driven rock since 2012, pulling from the wide-open spirit of 1960s and ’70s rock rather than settling into a tidy country or Americana box.

Her album Walking Away, recorded at Sonic Ranch outside El Paso, pushed her sound into rawer territory, pairing muscular instrumentation with unvarnished vocals. The record also included her take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman,” a natural fit for an artist who cites Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, Bruce Springsteen and The Beatles among her touchstones.

Often performing as Ronda Ray & The Rumble, she bills the project as “Real American Rock ’N’ Roll,” with a louder, harder-edged live show shaped by classic rock, biker culture and blue-collar hustle.