If you haven’t already got on the Mia Wray train, do it now before it’s too late. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter just dropped her long-awaited first album, hi, it’s nice to meet me, a stunning debut collection.
Boasting over 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Wray first caught the eye of Mushroom Publishing’s Bill Page and signed with the label at just 16 years of age. So impressive was her talent, Wray knocked back multiple offers coming her way, including a spot on The Voice. Then a record deal signing conversation came with the late, great Michael Gudinski.
“It was just me and Michael, no one else. He asked me, ‘What do you want out of this?’ and I laid it all out: a full live band, a horn section, backup singers. I told him exactly how the lights would look, how it would sound, everything. I even started drumming on the coffee table and singing,” Wray recalled.
“I think he was a little bit like, ‘Fuck, OK, shit.’ It really excited him that I was so sure of what I wanted. From there, our passion just matched.” —Neil Griffiths
Read an exclusive interview with Mia Wray below. Check out the full Future of Music 2025 list here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How was 2024 for you? What were your biggest achievements and favourite moments?
Mia Wray: Oh man, 2024 was a blur. My favourite part of my job is always the touring and shows I get to do. I got to release a bunch of singles off my new record and got to support Missy Higgins, Teddy Swims, and The Middle Kids. Elton John also featured two of my songs on his podcast… that wasn’t on my bingo card.
Music is an increasingly crowded and competitive field. What’s one thing that makes you stand out from other artists?
This feels like a job interview – lol. I mean, I don’t know? I try not to think about that stuff too much. I just do what I love and try not to compare myself to others and I’m grateful that I’m getting such amazing opportunities to keep doing it. I don’t think of my music peers as competition – inspiration only.
What’s coming up for you in 2025 and beyond? Any big shows, notable releases?
A casual album debut, an Aussie regional tour, writing MW2 here and overseas, and crossing my fingers that if I keep my head down, bum up, I get to play some awesome festival/support shows.
