ABOUT
Cullen Gray brings a visual stimulus to the world of steel string fingerstyle. This unique guitarist shows great promise and passion for original acoustic music. Utilizing alternate tunings, extended techniques, multiple capos, various effects units and loop pedals as he forges an eclectic sound from all different facets.
Spending a majority of his youth being self taught allowed him to fully explore and develop his own inspirations for what he sought to accomplish with the guitar. His first concert being at Book Beat, a local coffee shop in Fairfax, California at age 14.
Two years later he had a life changing experience that pushed him full force into the performing world. In 2007 he was able to share the stage with long time idol Trace Bundy. And once again a year and a half later, the two performed. Gray continued to perform throughout California, sharing the stage with other steel string artists such as Teja Gerken, Vicki Genfan, and Jeff Titus.
In 2010 at age 19, he began studying at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle WA under the personal study of his first-ever guitar teacher Michael Nicolella, an internationally renowned contemporary classical guitarist and composer. During their time together Gray has honed his craft and technique through classical training. Gray graduated in 2014 with a degree in performance for Classical Guitar.
Gray released his first studio album Duende. in 2016.
Currently residing in the beautiful PNW Gray spends his time wondering the outdoors and exploring audio.
reviews
"Cullen's music is not to be missed - an up and coming guitarist with a lot of guts. He's got a great passion for the guitar and the skills to match. Watch out world!"
- Trace Bundy
"Cullen Gray is an extremely talented guitarist, composer and performer with a unique artistic voice that foretells a very promising musical future.”
- Michael Nicolella
"I came in from the wet and cold to a steamy and warm room. On the stage was acoustic guitar wizard Cullen Gray and I was spell bound as he wove electronic loops and steel strings together for a hypnotic set of dreamy and psychedelic songs on his six-string. It amazed me that one person and one instrument could make such incredible sounds."
- Elliot Karlan
"Through the use of expression volume swells, he produces wonderfully ethereal sounds on his guitar that give the instrument a diverse guise of characters ranging from a piercingly haunting violin sound to that of a thicker orchestral pad/string. Gray is a true composer and a masterful fingerstyle player with a suite of songs that were psychedelic, ambient and wonderfully hypnotic."