JOINING Karise Eden on stage at the Grafton District Services Club next Thursday (June 23) for their Rebellion tour is Dean Ray.

The talented musician first came to the nation's attention as an X-Factor contestant and while that was a great way to get his name out there and ply his trade to a huge audience, he has made a concerted effort to not go down a commercial path.

"The reality show world can be too cookie cutter. It's manufactured bands in that world. I'm trying to spin that around keep the artistry and do what I want to do. Matt Corby is a good example of that. He didn't listen to the suits," Ray said.

Of course you have to back that attitude up with talent and Ray is certainly no slouch when it comes to his core business of telling stories through song and his guitar, so far the "hardest working man in rock and roll (he performed more than 150 shows last year)" has earned enough of a reputation doing so, he was invited to tour with Karise Eden, the other rebel of reality television.

Ray said he didn't really know much about Eden when the tour was first proposed by their managers.

"I wasn't even sure it was going to work, so I looked her up online. I remember when I arrived to meet her I was staring thinking to myself, I'm pretty sure that's Karise."

Ray said the concept for the Rebellion tour came from Frontier Touring who had worked with both musicians independently and thought they would work well together.

"Frank from Frontier said I reckon those two cats would get along so he brought it up with our managers and that was it."

Ray said it didn't take long for the pair to hit it off musically and personally once they got to rehearsals.

He said for this tour they would be playing their own music, as well a few numbers together.

And like Eden, Ray loves performing on stage.

"I love being in front of people and experiencing the energy of the live performance, there is nothing like it. That's what drives me."

So with both musicians being of strong character who's going to go first then?

"I'm cool to start but we might just toss a coin and do it that way. We both pretty relaxed about that sort of thing."

Ray's current single "IOU" is out now, and in between touring commitments he is writing and preparing for his second album to be independently released this year.