Piece Of Me b/w Come On In

One month before Nicole gave birth to her first child, she visited Leon Michels in upstate New York and cooked up two of the toughest and most moving songs we’ve heard from her to date. We’ve been patiently sitting on this release for a while now, and it is an understatement to say Big Crown is proud to present the newest 45 from Lady Wray.

Side A, “Piece Of Me,” sounds like a lost Dilla beat that sampled a lost David Porter song. Guaranteed to have heads nodding from the first snare crack, Nicole sings a tune about the difficulties of dealing with family and friends who need more than you can provide. The chorus says it all, “I’ll let you take a piece of me, I hope you get the piece you need, and if that’s not enough I’ll let you go peacefully.” From the jump, Nicole’s voice takes the listener into a world where you have no choice but to feel something in the pit of your stomach.

Side B, “Come On In,” finds Lady Wray tapping into her early years singing in church. With only three instruments and Nicole’s voice, “Come On In” is a masterclass in the craft of singing, the sound of soul, and the power of restraint.