Upcoming singer-songwriter & Disney star Amelia Wray made waves in 2021 with the release of the debut single “Moved On” & looks to capture the hearts of listeners once again with the new single “Disappear”.
Co-written alongside Michael Orland & Bill Grainer, this latest single is a standout composition that explores the emotional journey of teenage heartbreak.
Amelia has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of “Disappear” & the experience of portraying Sophia on Disney’s Sydney To The Max. You can check out the full interview below.
Hey Amelia, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling readers a little bit about yourself?
Amelia: Hi! I’m Amelia Wray, I’m 17 years old, a senior in high school and I have a twin brother named Mitchell who is my best friend, and he’s also in the industry. I love to eat, love to try new restaurants…I’m a big foodie! I love to travel, love to act and I grew up doing musical theatre which is where I really discovered my passion for singing.
Readers will recognise you from appearing as Sophia in the Disney series “Sydney To The Max”. How did the idea to audition for the show come together?
Amelia: Growing up one of my biggest dreams of all time was to be on Disney Channel, so when the offer for this audition came up it was truly a no-brainer, I knew that I needed to audition for the role!
What did it mean to you to land the role as Sophia on the show?
Amelia: It was a dream come true, and I’m so lucky to have experienced that at such a young age. I was also so lucky to be surrounded by such a positive and supportive cast and crew and it’s an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.
If you could offer advice to anyone looking to audition for a film or TV series, what would it be?
Amelia: I would say that unfortunately, rejection is such a big part of this industry, which sucks and of course no one wants to experience it, but it’s something you sort of have to go through. I would just say follow your dreams, try and stay positive through all the negativity — it can be really hard but just know that when one door closes another one opens.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Amelia: It was easy to see that from a young age I loved music. Growing up, my brother and I were always singing and dancing around my kitchen and we spent all our free time performing in countless musicals and plays. Music fills my soul, it’s the outlet I can always turn to no matter what. Songwriting allows me to express emotions and relive certain experiences. Artists like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter have been huge inspirations to me. I love artists that take personal experiences and create relatable music because I find myself doing that when I write.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Amelia: Definitely indie pop with an honest, emotional feel. I love to write about personal experiences. When I write and sing about things that happen in my life I feel my songs are super authentic. I really just try to express myself through my music, and I want everyone to know they’re not alone, for example, if they’re experiencing issues in a friendship or relationship. Musically, I love writing super fun hooks and melodies because that’s the type of music I listen to.
You just released the new single “Disappear”, which sounds amazing, FYI. How did the idea for this song come together?
Amelia: I have been working with Michael Orland who was the voice coach and musical director on American Idol for 17 seasons, for years and he is someone I trusted with this song idea of mine. So he brought in Bill Grainer, who writes with legends like Jennifer Hudson, and we started creating. The three of us instantly hit it off as a writing team, we had chemistry right away. We kept writing and writing and eventually “Disappear” was born. When we felt it was time to get it produced, we brought in the brilliant Miklos Malek who’s worked with people like Jennifer Lopez and the song became perfect!
How would you compare the creative process behind this song & your debut single “Moved On”?
Amelia: They couldn’t have been more different experiences, because I was at totally different points in my life for each song. For “Disappear” I was much more involved in the creative process; my ideas were involved in the writing, production, promotion…it really made me discover how much I love being involved in every part of the process! My co-writers on “Disappear,” Michael Orland and Bill Grainer, are both so talented and unique in their own ways…they are my absolute dream team. Whenever I’m feeling stuck, they know exactly how to put my ideas into words (and music!) Time flies when I’m writing with them. I can literally hum a line, and all of a sudden we’ll have a whole verse written!
Did you always plan to release “Disappear” as a single?
Amelia: Absolutely. The second that me, Michael and Bill wrote this song we literally looked at each other and just knew…this song needed to be heard and get out into the world right away. “Disappear” took on a life of its own and I couldn’t be more proud of this single.
What does this song personally mean to you?
Amelia: It means a lot to me because it’s based on a personal experience, and writing it ended up becoming a healing experience.
If listeners could take anything away from this song, what would you like it to be?
Amelia: “Disappear” is a fight song. It’s about fighting to be heard, letting them know that the relationship mattered, and it will not be erased or forgotten. It’s about constantly having to face their social media which let’s face it, is hard not to do these days! He might need to pretend you vanished into thin air so he can move on with someone else, but we all know that’s easier said than done.
The truth is, there’s no wrong or right amount of time to cope with heartbreak. Things do get better with time, but even though they say ‘time heals everything’ – there’s always going to be questions that go unanswered. Those are the questions that are asked in ‘Disappear.’ And even though sometimes we don’t get all the answers we want or need…eventually that’s what makes us really get to know ourselves.
Are there any further upcoming releases in the works that you can tell us about?
Amelia: YES, there are, but I’m not going to say just yet, so for now just stay tuned and know it’s going to be exciting!
What advice would you offer to someone looking to pursue a career within the music & acting industry?
Amelia: I would say make sure to surround yourself with the best teachers, collaborators, producers and writers. It is so important to have a circle of people who support you endlessly and who you trust. Finding your team can be a hard and kind of long process, but once you find your ‘dream team’ it is so rewarding and such a great feeling. I’m so lucky to have found mine…but it took time!
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Amelia: Keep streaming and listening and sharing “Disappear” — show your friends a great new song, add it a playlist, listen to it while you’re on a ‘hot girl walk’…do your thing and also I just want to say thank you all so, so much for all the support there has been on this release. There is so much more to come and everyone should be so excited so stay tuned, and the best way to do that is by following me on Instagram @ameliawray and on TikTok @ameliawrayy.
You can check out the lyric video for “Disappear” below or listen via further Spotify here.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 