Elliot James Reay Drops Lush, Retro-Themed 'Daydreaming'

Elliot James Reay, a 23-year-old singer from Manchester known for his covers of songs by Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, has released his third single, Daydreaming. The track is influenced by oldschool rock influences, and features electric guitar, strings, brass, and ambient bird sounds. He wrote it alongside SOAP (Josh Noble and Karl Ziegler), Annielle Lisiuk, and Theo Hutchcraft.

Lyrically, the song focuses on romantic surrender and emotional escape, matching Reay’s classic vocal style reminiscent of Roy Orbison. Daydreaming follows his breakout debut, I Think They Call This Love, which won the Road to Memphis contest out of more than 33,000 entries. That victory brought him to Memphis, Tennessee, where he visited Sun Studio, Graceland, and more. With just three singles so far, Reay is carving out a distinct place in retro-influenced indie pop.