Ray Syd Stern is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and mixed-media artist based in London, Ontario, and the creative force behind The Universe Featuring Ray. Her sound defies genre — weaving together indie rock, acoustic ballads, electronic textures, and poetic storytelling — and her performances are known for their raw energy, emotional honesty, and immersive visuals.
Over the years, Ray has carved out a distinct place in the Canadian music landscape through sheer resilience, versatility, and a powerful artistic vision that’s entirely her own.
Her musical journey began early. She trained in classical piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music, taking home top placements in the Kiwanis Music Festival and earning honors in music by eighth grade. In her late teens and early twenties, Ray fronted the electronic indie band The Peace Leeches, writing lyrics and performing on keys, guitar, and drum machine. The group released an EP and a full-length album, ROYGBIV, and earned a Toronto Independent Music Award nomination in 2009.
Since then, Ray has performed across North America — from self-booked solo tours to collaborative projects like fronting the U.S. alt-rock band Grown Up Avenger Stuff, with whom she played multiple showcases at SXSW and toured across the central U.S. and Ontario. She's also played alongside major acts including The Trews, Sloan, The Arkells, Finger Eleven, Holy Fuck, Big Sugar, and The Tea Party.
In 2016, she launched The Universe Featuring Ray, a solo project that reflects her deeply personal and collaborative creative ethos. The culmination of years of writing and reinvention, her debut LP Co-Create is a bold and sweeping 12-track concept album that explores vulnerability, empowerment, connection, and gratitude. The record features major contributions from three Canadian music powerhouses: José Contreras (frontman of Juno-nominated By Divine Right and performer with Gord Downie), Juno Award-winning drummer Michael Hanson (Glass Tiger), and longtime collaborator Ben Srokosz, who has helped shape Ray’s vision through production, videos, and steadfast creative partnership since day one.
Tracks from Co-Create have made waves in the Canadian indie film scene. “My Fragile Mind” was chosen as the closing credits song for the feature film Seeking Oblivion (2021), while “Blanket” was featured in the 2024 film Alterations. Ray also wrote and recorded the theme song for Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario’s “Show Your Stripes” campaign and was featured performing it in the televised ad.
Beyond her music, Ray is a visual creator and educator. She designs her own onstage wardrobe, music video fashion, album artwork, and show merchandise. In 2022, she served as a resident artist at the Art Windsor-Essex Museum, leading a youth program where students built their own handmade instruments. Her video for “Give It Up” won Best Music Video at the Chatham-Kent International Film Festival, and she’s been a multi-time nominee for Fan Favorite and Best Music Video at the Forest City London Music Awards.
She’s played drum marathons alongside The Tea Party’s Jeff Burrows, raised over $5,000 through independent fan support, and has worked as a private guitar teacher while continuing to produce and release new music as an independent artist.
In a world of overproduced polish, The Universe Featuring Ray is a radiant burst of vulnerability, rebellion, and soul. Whether she’s singing about mental health, compassion for childhood abusers, the absurdities of modern life, or celebrating our collective power to heal and create, Ray invites listeners into a space where art is more than entertainment — it’s a shared experience of being fully, imperfectly human.
