Musician Gretta Ray was just 18 years old when she shot to national fame after winning the coveted Triple J Unearthed High competition in 2016 with her breakout single ‘Drive’. Gretta has since gone on to release two records, ‘Begin To Look Around’ in 2020 and ‘Positive Spin’ in 2024. 

As her career reached new heights, Gretta made the move to London. But just a short while later, she fell seriously ill with chronic infective endocarditis (an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves) at only 26 years old. 

In the years since, Gretta has been healing and rebuilding at home in Australia, and is ready for a new chapter with her album ‘Heartsong’, out on October 30.

In this episode of Culture Club Chats, we discuss her journey from an 18-year-old with a hit single to a 26-year-old fighting for survival and the art that grew from it. 

Thank you for listening. Jas & Mags xo