Her songwriting has been described by the Sydney Morning Herald as "conversational, unambiguous lyrics" that "[come] across simply and powerfully",[3] and by Australian music critic Bernard Zuel as "quietly grand pop".

She sang in choirs from the age of five, latterly singing and touring with Young Voices of Melbourne, and as the youngest member of If You See Her, Say Hello, a group of 21 Melbourne-based singer-songwriters.

[7] The announcement was made by Triple J presenters Matt Okine and Alex Dyson, who snuck into a school concert while she was performing to surprise her.

The following year, Ray released two stand-alone singles: a cover of Bon Iver's "re: Stacks" with Dustin Tebbutt in September, and "Heal You in Time" in December.

[13] Later in 2022, Ray joined Gang of Youths on their Australian arena tour in support of their album Angel in Realtime, serving as both their opener and a backing vocalist.

The event was a scavenger hunt that led fans to letters which spelled out the name of her sophomore album, Positive Spin, and culminated in its announcement.

[15] The album was preceded by the singles "Heartbreak Baby", which was later nominated for Song of the Year at the APRA Awards, "Don't Date the Teenager" and "America Forever", which features vocal contributions from British singer Maisie Peters and American singer Carol Ades.

It includes reworked versions of the songs "Upgraded" and "Heartbreak Baby", as well as the tracks "Roses" and "Better", a collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper.

[16] In 2024, shortly after moving to London, Ray was diagnosed with infective endocarditis, forcing her to cancel all remaining tour dates for the year.