Headscarf Vanity Nap / Sunglasses Linda Farrow x The Attico / Coat Kulakovsky / Tights Heist / Boots Dear Frances / Rings Akva / Earrings Neima Row

In August of this year, GRACEY exhibited this rebirth with the bold, hyper-pop-inspired “Delirium” and quickly followed-up the release with the bassy “Rhetorical Questions,” which she had a helping hand in producing. Her latest single, “Back To Then,” however, takes a slightly different approach as GRACEY pays homage to those sentimental love songs from the ‘80s. Following an exclusive photoshoot with Principle, we speak to GRACEY on the release day of her latest single where we learn more about the track, life on an indie label, and the biggest lesson she’s learned so far.

After teasing the song with fans, your latest single, “Back To Then,” has been released today. How are you feeling?

Honestly, I feel like this is the most calm I’ve been around a release. “Delirium” was insane. For “Rhetorical questions,” I was in LA so I was like, ‘Is anyone listening to her?’ I did a pub quiz for my fans yesterday, which was so ridiculous. I feel like that grounds me into the reason why I release music because sometimes it’s quite easy, especially being like a little covid artist, to forget that there’s humans that listen to it. It’s not just numbers. “Back To Then” I just feel really genuinely so proud of and it’s what I love to write about and make and I’m so fucking proud of the music video. I’m just enjoying the process. I’m living in the moment today.

Full Look AMI / Earrings Neima Row

Talk to me about the lyrical content behind the song. It’s been described as the sister to your previous single, “What A Waste.”

Yeah, so “Back To Then” continues on from the story of “What A Waste,” my last proper GRACEY single from two, three years ago. I love that song. I was fighting to release that song. I really, really loved the lyrics and it was two or three months after my breakup, which is insane because that’s a quick turnaround for a single to be honest. I remember just being like really in the moment and that’s why I really love that song because it’s so authentic. When I wrote “Back To Then,” it was the healed version with the same message, but now she’s just a mature healed girl. The reason I’m so sad about this is because now I’ve lost them from my life. No one really talks about how hard it is to like lose a a friend if you’ve like been friends before and then you date and then it fucks up. I wrote it initially like the chorus quite a while ago and I knew I wanted to write a song about missing them as a person. But then I bumped into my ex in a bar in December and I was like, ‘Oh no, I do think you’re funny and sweet.’ So then we had to go back in and rewrite the verses and then that’s how it was kind of, it came together.

Dress Peachy Den / Earrings Margaux Studios and Akva / Rings Akva and Loveness Lee

“Back To Then” is your third single since signing a deal with the indie label, Glassnote. How’s that been going so far?

It feels freeing but also you have restraints in different ways. Like not having a major label budget kind of forces you to think in a different way. I’ve literally had like a grand, two grand and a half for every music video, which is so tiny. I’m literally the one coming up with the concept and going to America so I can work with this one guy who also loves my project and just wants to do it. For “Back To Then,” we were carrying a door into the desert. I’m not high glam anymore but I’m definitely more passionate and sweet. Glassnote, who I’m working with, are really fucking great at allowing me to justify my reasonings for things.

It’s not necessarily like I can release anything I want. For instance, I really pushed for “Delirium” to come first as opposed to “Rhetorical questions” because to me, soundscape-wise makes the most sense and reintroduces my project really well. My project is mixing the ‘80s soundscape with the hyper-pop soundscape. That’s where I’ve been most inspired for this new music really. 

You announced you had parted ways from Polydor and your independence last January. You didn’t release new music until a year and a half later. Why the long gap? Was it important for you to re-charge and feel re-inspired?

To be honest, it’s really mentally fucked me up. Having that ordeal with Polydor was just difficult. I think I underestimated how much it would affect me because it’s as if my whole life up to that point was decided by these men above me telling me what’s good and what’s bad.

I think when someone doesn’t allow you to release the music you want to release and then drops you when it doesn’t work, it annoys me and makes me really frustrated. I also never got to tour really before I was dropped. So I wanted to just get on the road and reconnect with music works in a live space and just take some time to regroup before I jumped into a label deal again or a distribution thing. For me, it’s always just been, ‘I am a songwriter, I can do that.’ But the reason I have my artist project is because I love it and it fuels my inner child. I’m really glad I waited because I think this music feels like it’s all coming out at the right time and yeah, it feels like an exciting period now.

Cardigan The Frankie Shop / Skirt Peachy Den / Earrings Loveness Lee / Rings Loveness Lee and Ryenn’s Eyes

As you previously mentioned, there is a project coming. Will this be another EP? Or will a debut album be on the cards soon?

All I know is I’m just gonna be releasing singles to get the new music out and then there will be a longer form project somewhere along the lines. But until then, I just feel like a new artist right now because having not released consistently for a while, obviously, I’ve done tracks within that period, I had The Chainsmokers collaboration last year, and I’ve done tours, but I don’t think I can get my bearings into whether it will be an album right now. All I know is that an album is my goal. It’s been my goal since I was like 18 and it will always be my goal. So I am so excited to work towards that.

Every artist has that one or two songs they have purposely been saving for their debut album. Can you relate?

Yeah, a hundred percent. I have two songs like that. I have one song which is so lyrically emotional. I feel like I would have to release it as part of an album to justify releasing it. But it is like my favorite song I’ve ever written and it’s one I will never give away either. So it’s either coming out with the album or she’s dying a death and won’t see the light of day.

Headscarf Vanity Nap / Sunglasses Linda Farrow x The Attico / Coat Kulakovsky / Tights Heist / Boots Dear Frances / Rings Akva / Earrings Neima Row

What are the other songs we will hear in the forthcoming months sound like then? “Back To Then” feels like a traditional single. However, “Delirium,” for example, definitely felt like more of a risk. 

“Back To Then” definitely leans more into the ‘80s soundscape, which is definitely part of my world. I love listening to that kind of music. I always think my music is like back at the bus on the ride home. Whereas some other girlies like club music. GRACEY is not in the club. Even though “Rhetorical Questions” is fun, we are still listening to her on the way home. We’re still reflecting, we’re overthinking it because we like to, and I think that’s basically what the other songs are as well.

My next single, it’s definitely more upbeat than “Back To Then.” I wanted to release “Back To Then” in November because it felt like, ‘Oh my god, it’s dark at four, I’m just gonna go home and take a bath and be the main character.’ It’s like romanticising your commute. I think my next song is definitely more upbeat. She’s giving January, she’s giving, let’s get out of the funk. It’s a bit more “Delirium” leaning I’d say.

Have you noticed your songwriting change since starting over as an indie act?

I wouldn’t say the songwriting process has changed. I think I’m pretty much the same. I’m getting more involved in the production side of things now, which is really cool. I helped out on the production of “Rhetorical Questions,” which is fun. I think I’m definitely more assertive. If I think something’s right. I’ll fight for it and that’s it. But to be honest, I have always done that. I’ve always been a little bit stubborn with that. I very much keep my music to myself unless I’m sure I really love it and then I’ll send it out.

Dress Tory Burch / Tights Heist / Shoes Realm / Earrings Akva and Neima Row / Rings Ryenn’s Eyes and Niema Row

How do you reflect on your early material?

I think for me it’s less so about starting again, forgetting the old stuff because I really do love a lot of my old stuff and all of the releases that are out. Some of them, you know, they’re not my favourite. I still think they were good. I still think it’s good music. But my first EP and most of my second, like the deep cuts, are GRACEY at its core. My influences getting into music were Imogen Heap, Lorde, Sia. I was really inspired by Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek/Chairlift. I love the witchy melodies mixed with fucking the vocal production up. I think being someone that’s taught myself guitar and piano, but I would never say I’m like a muso.

I’m so about vocal production being a huge emotive part of music. And I think like we all ignore, obviously lyrics are important, but some of the most beautiful music in the world I don’t even understand. Like Rosalia, for instance. I know what she’s saying without knowing Spanish that well. So I think that’s something that’s really inspired me and it still does even to this day. I’m reconnecting with the teen GRACEY that really did actually know what she’s talking about and was told that she needs to kind of pivot to dance music in order to survive.

Full Look AMI / Earrings Neima Row

What’s been the biggest lesson or surprise you’ve learned about the industry?

That’s a really good question. I think that no one knows what the fuck they’re talking about because music is subjective to, so your opinion is equally valuable as someone that is sitting behind the other side of the desk. I think in the music industry, people forget that the people that make the music industry go round are the teen girls and the gays. They really fuel the music industry and they’re the people that if they were sitting opposite in a room to someone, they would feel the exact same way as I did. So I think what I’ve learned is just to back your own opinion because it is equally as valuable because music is whatever you want it to be.

Dress Peachy Den / Tights Heist / Shoes Dear Frances / Earrings Margaux Studios and Akva / Rings Akva and Loveness Lee

If you were able to give advice to an aspiring artist or songwriter, what would it be?

I would say not to sign to a major label anymore if you aren’t already established and you haven’t got your fan base going. If I was to do it again now, I definitely would enjoy the process of being independent. Even TikTok and SoundCloud and all of those platforms really root for new artists to come through. I would put the songs on the internet even if you think they’re shit because I’m so fucking glad I did that when I was younger. I really could have kept those shitty little acoustic guitar demos that I did in my bathroom on my phone. And I’m really glad I put them on SoundCloud because otherwise I would not be here today.

I will say though, just to back the independent girls up, it is so difficult being independent. It’s hard when you are someone like that who doesn’t have loads of money to put into a project, especially being a pop girl. It’s expensive and you want to pay your team and you want to pay everyone correctly and you wanna do it right. And it’s really hard to keep up with the bank accounts of a major label. For anyone that would be reading this, that’s difficult to do. I just want to validate that because I think it’s really unspoken about how you’ve gotta do everything yourself. You’re doing TikTok three times a day, you’re in the studio. If you don’t fucking love it and you don’t really really care about your music, maybe don’t do it because it is really quite harrowing on days where you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, cool. That got one view.’ But, it feels glorious to be in control.

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