David Gray Draws the Line With Annie Lennox, Jolie Holland

David Gray's new album, 'Draw the Line,' due in September, finds the singer-songwriter welcoming a little female company in the form of duets with Annie Lennox and Jolie Holland, on 'Full Steam Ahead' and 'Kathleen,' respectively. "I'm delighted with both the collaborations on the record, which is unusual because I haven't done many songs with other people," Gray tells Spinner. "And they've both come out great."

Gray chalks the duets up to a newfound confidence. "I feel much less apprehensive about the prospect of working with people," he says. "I'm confident in my own ability, I can think on my feet and I can articulate what I want in the studio. These are the problems that you could have when you can't quite say what it is that you need."

Meanwhile, Gray gushed over both of his singing 'Draw the Line' singing partners. "I'm a huge Jolie Holland fan," he says. "She's absolutely fantastic and there's not many people who manage to be so natural and unself-conscious," he says. "Her voice is just so warm. It reminds me of Cat Stevens in the best possible way. When [Annie] came along, it was the icing on the cake. She was just so positive; there was no bulls---, no ego, nothing. She just came into the studio and blew us all away."

In the meantime, Gray offered up the premiere of his first single, 'Fugitive,' to Spinner, which you can hear below.

Listen to 'Fugitive'

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