After introducing herself with her stunning debut single 'Hades' earlier this year, emerging artist Grace Amulet returns once again to deliver her sweeping new offering 'Into The Dark'.
Bringing back more of that warm and illustrious alt-pop aesthetic she is quickly building for herself, 'Into The Dark' makes for a wonderfully rich and breezy listen. With her spellbinding vocal performance layered across a progressive production from start to finish, she is cementing herself as one of the more alluring names on the rise right now.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Definitely the voice. I remember from an early age, there were always certain singers’ voices that captivated me. Not necessarily powerhouses, but singers whose voices had a certain something, uniqueness, emotion - the kinds of voices flow out so freely that you can hear the air and vibration in all the right places. I used to listen to those songs over and over, analyzing how they were using their voices - how to do that! Paul McCartney, early Beyonce, early Kelly Clarkson, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Marilyn Monroe, Amy Lee.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I've always loved a mix of pop and ‘other’. My childhood was a mix of my dad’s favorites - Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones, Coldplay [rush of blood] - and boybands/girlbands. When I started playing and performing, it was in an indie band, so I loved Bon Iver and the Local Natives, Florence + the Machine, while also loving the pop of that time, Lana, the Weeknd, Beyonce.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I am 99 percent certain that it was Spice World. They had my whole heart. There was such a moment at the very end of the 1990’s in pop that I think deeply ingrained itself into me. The songs and groups were so campy and fun in that super themed 90’s way, but the songwriting was also legitimately so good. I mean, Spice Girls, Backstreet, Britney, there were a few years between 98 - 2001 that were so much fun.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Ooo, that’s tough. Lyrically, I remember hearing Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’ for the first time, and being like ‘fuuuuuuck’, this person’s way with words is so incredible, so visual, and has such a clear and cutting character. As an overall song though, I think ‘Take Me to Church’ by Hozier is just perfect. Dark, social commentary, but feels timeless, romantic, passionate, on grand piano, it’s just perfect.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Not habits or rituals, but my writing periods do come on in waves. When it comes, I suddenly feel much more energized and inspired and realize I am taking visual notes of scenes and feelings in my life. It feels like unstoppable momentum towards creating something that I just let myself ride out, for however long it lasts. I do like to keep notes-app record of ideas and chord progressions from over the years though, so there are frameworks and material at hand when writing periods come.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’ve really been loving Sofia Isella, she is such an amazing writer, and I love how simple, straightforward and effective her visuals are. She just feels very real and raw, it’s so refreshing. Also Hovvdy, Liv.e, and Labrinth.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Hmmmm. Maybe Lorde. Half my family is from New Zealand, and I find the people and the realness of their culture very special. Lorde and her crowds seem like they would be really great.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Connecting with people in a way that’s much more bare and wild than real-life. I was always shy, and so music always felt like a superpower. You can be a different side of yourself and really strip down and say all your deepest, weirdest thoughts, or weave painful things into something that makes sense. So much of life and this world feels so chaotic and messy, and making music, writing songs, always felt like an opportunity to spin all that chaos into golden threads -- tell stories that give it all meaning.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is being a musician under capitalism, not to sound cliche. but making art in a society that depends on and is primarily motivated by money creates a constant push pull between authenticity and money. Authenticity is what people connect with, but that means sales, and as soon as authenticity starts to be capitalized on, it starts to lose authenticity. So it’s really tricky to be an artist, and be happiest cocooning up with your most intense feelings to write, without the inevitable discussions about marketability in your mind.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
That the best musicians and writers keep it simple. Kind of like how early Picasso paintings are hyper realistic oil portraits, and then he started his cubist work, reducing life to block colors and shapes - the best musicians and writers learn their craft so well, that when they hit their peak, they can rein it all into something that is packaged and intelligently simple.
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Grace Amulet's new single 'Into The Dark' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.