Junior Wright puts his voice at the centre of new release ‘Away’

Junior Wright has taken a deliberately minimal approach on his latest single.

The LA-based singer-songwriter released “Away”, pairing his lead vocal with piano and cello for a song focused on bereavement and emotional adjustment.

The limited instrumentation allows Wright’s performance to carry much of the recording, including subtle changes in tone and falsetto passages as the track becomes progressively darker.

Its arrangement developed in an unusual order. Wright first created the melody vocally before adding the lyrics, with a pianist later constructing the accompaniment in response to the finished words and performance.

While Wright draws inspiration from wide-ranging performers including Michael Jackson, Prince and Bruno Mars, “Away” avoids their larger-scale pop production in favour of a quieter presentation.

The release continues an artistic path that began when Wright started singing in church and school ensembles at around five or six years old.