As he works his way up the country music airplay chart with “Whiskey and Rain”- Michael Ray has released the song, “Picture,” which was inspired by his uncle, who recently passed away.

Michael says “We wrote ‘Picture’ the day of my Uncle Terry’s viewing. The night before, my buddy and I were going through photos and he said, ‘Isn’t it wild how, no matter what you do in your life, we’ll all just end up being pictures that somebody who loves us holds onto?’ I wrote that down at three in the morning, and I decided not to cancel my write the next day with my friends Michael Hardy and David Garcia. I came in with this idea and I told them, ‘I think we have something special here.’ I wanted it to write it very autobiographically. This last year has made me so appreciative of the people who can just sit still with me, reflect and reminisce. It’s one of my favorite things about growing up in the south, and I hope we never lose that.”

Through the events of his own life, Michael thinks there’s a lesson to be learned in “Picture,” “I hope that when people hear this song, it’s not something that brings sadness. It’s something that brings joy. I hope it serves as a reminder that it’s okay to slow down and be present, because you’ll never regret the time to take to be with family and friends. I hope listeners can go back to pictures and relive good times with loved ones that maybe have passed, but I also hope it reminds them to capture those memories, in the moment, while they can.”

Check out the new track right here…

Photo Credit: Anna Clary