The lovely Gracie Abrams joins us on #AudacyCheckIn to talk about her new album ‘The Secret of Us’ + what fans can expect from her upcoming headlining tour ✨
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00:00Do you ever look back at music you put out and be like, you know what, if I had the chance to rewrite a lyric I would, would it come to mind?
00:07Of course, but it's fun. The thing is that we'll say about live shows is that you get to mess around with old songs and rearrange them.
00:16We've done that with some stuff this upcoming show, just reimagining songs that I have gotten a little bit tired of that I put out years ago.
00:26But if I take it and restructure melodies and stuff, I have new loves for lots of old songs now.
00:36Hi Gracie!
00:37Hi!
00:38So nice to meet you.
00:39Nice to meet you.
00:40Thank you so much for stopping by and letting us know what's going on in your life.
00:43Congratulations on everything.
00:44Thanks.
00:45It has been so fun to watch your journey and just see it go wild lately. It's gotta be so much fun.
00:51How's your summer been, first of all?
00:53Summer's been good. Summer's been cool. I feel like it's been a lot of kind of album-related stuff going on, but also it's just been a nice summer to see family.
01:04Yeah.
01:05It's corny and cliche, but true.
01:07No, absolutely. You have to. What's been the highlight of summer? I guess it could be career-wise or family-wise.
01:12Man, oh man, oh man. I got to spend a lot of time with my little brother this summer, which was kind of just sweet before he went off to college.
01:20Oh my gosh. How was that? Did you help move him in?
01:22He's moving in as we speak, so I wish I could be there, I know, but here we are. This is equally exciting as that kind of a send-off.
01:31What a memory. Did you have that experience?
01:33Moving in?
01:34To a dorm?
01:35Yeah, totally.
01:36What was your advice to him? Do you remember that time?
01:38I was just like, dig in, lean in, make friends with your roommate. You know, all the typical.
01:44The basics, for sure.
01:46Well, you got your headlining tour coming up. You have so many things I can't wait to talk about, but you said you got to see the stage the other day before that kicks off here in LA.
01:54What are your feelings before this headlining tour kicks off?
01:57Honestly, I'm just so excited to be back with everyone. I feel like the heart of tour is the people that you get to do it with, both backstage and also the people that show up and make up the audience.
02:09I've missed the community, and I feel like touring is such a specific environment and I think brings out a very chaotic, beautifully chaotic side in people, so I've missed that kind of chaos.
02:27I'm excited to have a really fun, loose tour.
02:33I love it. Does it bring out the chaotic side of you?
02:36Yeah, for sure. I think so.
02:38What's this tour going to look like? What's the first headline tour from Gracie Abrams look like?
02:42This one is different. This is like a different scale for us. Even seeing the stage yesterday for the first time was pretty mind-blowing, just because I didn't even anticipate, even after having seen renders of the stage and all this.
02:55It's just really wild when you're actually standing there and everything exists and is tangible. It's a great feeling.
03:03You've been warming up. You got to perform with Noah out in Boston, which was unbelievable. What a fun summer memory. Opening up for Taylor as well.
03:10Doing any of these experiences, like guest starring on stage, is there anything that you see from those shows that you're like, oh my gosh, I want to either implement into mine or just remember for the next time?
03:19I think it's infectious to be around artists that are great at what they do.
03:25I think Noah and Taylor are both incredibly talented performers and both are so connected to their audiences. I think more than anything, it just contributes to the itch of wanting to be back on stage, really.
03:39Which is funny, because I never thought when I started playing shows that I would miss it, just because it is such an intense...
03:47Grind?
03:49Yeah, and also even just socially for someone that leans kind of more on the introverted side, it can feel like a lot of almost overexposure, but then it's funny. I've totally fell in love with what it is to connect with people in that way.
04:02I'm sure it still affects a little bit, right? Being introverted in a sense, that's a lot of nonstop either on the road or dealing with people. What do you do in that downtime to rejuvenate?
04:13I feel like with tour, it's like walking around and like actually physically getting outside and because we're in such dark spaces all the time, whether it's like the bus or the venue, it's like actually getting fresh air is, of course, important, but like really does make a huge difference, I find.
04:31Yeah, and like, you know, FaceTiming my mom many, many times a day.
04:36Gotta run speed dial.
04:37Exactly.
04:39The Secret of Us has been out for almost a couple months already. Does it feel that long or is it still like a whirlwind?
04:45No, I feel like it feels like it's been that long. I think it's I start to after something's been released, I tend to just get this like really, I love it, but like an anticipatory anxiety around making the next thing.
05:03So I kind of I've started to feel that creep up. So that means it's been a few months for sure.
05:08No, I enjoy it. Yeah, I get that, though. It's like what's what's coming next, but you have the tour that'll obviously feel some of that.
05:13For sure, for sure, for sure. Yeah.
05:15So sitting with it for a couple months, though, do you have any like feelings around it? I feel like sitting with something after you put it out for a little bit might either spark some some thoughts on the album or just overall feelings.
05:26Yeah, I mean, honestly, it's been great just because I get to put all of that into the tour and but but it does feel like I have just enough time where it's been out that there's like some perspective of it, you know, where I feel like I'm in an even slightly different place than when I, you know, wrote all the songs already, which is just I'm always surprised by how quickly that feeling comes up, even though it consistently does happen every single time.
05:53I think it's just like songs are such a moment in time, really. And it's funny how quickly life can change. And, you know, but yeah, mostly I just am so thrilled about the opportunity to to share in the kind of love that I have for the album with the people that are kind enough to come out to the shows.
06:13Yeah, it's gonna be so fun to finally get that like reaction for the work that you put in for so long, you know, from your fans and people that are just finding out your music.
06:21It's just sweet because it's like not about me yet. You know what I mean? Like the shows don't feel like it's when I'm playing the songs. Sometimes it's I will think about what it is I wrote about, but like mostly I feel like it's just this two way street, like this exchange of kind of like expression and vulnerability and being able to like have an outlet for that kind of connection with someone is pretty rad.
06:46Totally. Well, I've been loving the visuals you've been putting out for everything. The music videos are so good. Was your brother in some of that as well?
06:53Yeah, we dragged Augie into it. Audrey and I, she directed both the Risk video and I Love You, I'm Sorry. Yeah, we totally dragged him.
07:01You guys killed it. It's gonna be so much fun, like bringing your little brother to work day.
07:05Yeah, exactly.
07:06You know, growing up a little bit around like the movie industry, does that make you feel any more like creative or experimental in any way for putting in those visuals for your work?
07:14Um, like, I don't think like maybe somewhere subconsciously, but I definitely, you know, I didn't spend time around that environment, that scene, you know, like growing up much, it was very separate, you know, like family and then their work.
07:29But I don't I don't think that, you know, I think it's just fun to be creative in all these different formats, you know what I mean? Like, and getting more and more experience personally with like what it feels like to be on the set, even if just a music video, it's like, like, damn, what a cool job to be able to like, work with such a large crew to build something that's just, I don't know, it's like still sort of outside my comfort zone.
07:58Videos, it's like not where my head goes immediately.
08:01Like writing is my love.
08:03So, um, you know, I'm always, I'm always learning when I'm on a set.
08:07Um, but yeah, it's so crazy how music really does introduce you to so many different things.
08:11If you want it to, you know, like music videos, you're doing live performances.
08:16Um, the people aspect, like there's so many different ways to go and you got to learn it all, you know, and whatever piques your interest, you kind of get to dive into at first.
08:24But like you said, the songwriting is kind of your forte.
08:26You've been championed for your songwriting.
08:28Is there any lyrics like being just a songwriting fan?
08:31Is there any lyric that you love or stuck with you that you like wish you wrote?
08:35Oh, my God.
08:36Yeah.
08:37I mean, like all of Adrian Lenker's music.
08:40I feel like everything that she's made.
08:43I just, it feels like my ribs are breaking and my heart is split open.
08:49Just the most beautiful words every single time.
08:53So I'd say her entire discography.
08:55What about yours?
08:56Like you ever look back at music you put out and be like, you know what?
08:59If I had the chance to like rewrite a lyric, I would.
09:02Yeah, of course.
09:03Of course.
09:04But also like.
09:06That was you in that moment.
09:07Yeah.
09:08Like I think I have accepted that like those songs just have to exist as they are.
09:13But it's fun.
09:14The thing is that I will say about like live shows is that you get to mess around with
09:19old songs and rearrange them.
09:21And kind of we've done that with some stuff this upcoming show, just reimagining songs
09:27that I, you know, kind of have gotten a little bit tired of that I put out years ago.
09:32But if I take it in like restructure melodies and stuff, I have new loves for lots of old
09:39songs now.
09:40So it's sweet to kind of do it in that way.
09:42That's amazing.
09:43Can't wait to see it.
09:44I'm sure your fans are gonna be so thrilled to see, you know, just the different renditions
09:48like you mentioned on the tour.
09:51I love the relationship you have with your fans, obviously.
09:54And obviously, I love you.
09:55I'm sorry to have such a moment on socials right now.
09:58When it comes to that, do you ever use that as like a way to float out music?
10:03Not as like a validation thing, but almost like let's see how the fans feel about it
10:07with any songs when posting clips?
10:09I feel like our taste is actually often quite aligned.
10:17And I think it's nice to see their responses to like songs that we love so much.
10:25Audrey and I loved I Love You I'm Sorry so much, loved writing it, loved the way that
10:32we produced it.
10:33And before it kind of did have whatever this tiny blip of a moment it's having on socials
10:40is, we like made the video.
10:41We felt very invested in the song.
10:43So I feel like it was actually just this sweet coincidence that we all happened to care for
10:49it.
10:50But I feel like I've done that with Instagram my entire life.
10:57The years that I've spent on that app have kind of been like me using it as like a video
11:02diary to kind of impulsively upload clips of things that I wrote in real time.
11:07And seeing what people say is always cool.
11:11But also at the same time, you got to like kind of blinders about.
11:15Right.
11:16Do what feels right.
11:17What's true to you.
11:18I love that you listen, though.
11:19I mean, it's such a huge part.
11:20Like, you know, they're in a way like so much of your success and they're with you for everything.
11:27And I love how much they impacted like Close to You.
11:30Is there anything else that like they're asking for right now that they might get?
11:34Because, you know, they have that power.
11:36It seems like I mean, Close to You, I'm so happy we have that song.
11:39Thanks.
11:40I love that song.
11:41They made me like care about it again.
11:43So who knows?
11:44I think like a lot of the songs that I've seen be requested are songs that I truly wrote
11:51when I was 15 years old.
11:52So it's kind of like, I think if there is ever a time where those songs fit into the
11:59context of what it is I'm making now, then amazing.
12:02But I think also, you know, no promises really.
12:05That'd be great.
12:06Yeah.
12:07I hope when you're 40, you're just like, you know what?
12:08Exactly.
12:09I relate to that 15 year old now.
12:10It might take me until I'm 40 to get to some of them.
12:13Keep asking.
12:14Might happen.
12:15Even when she's 40.
12:16Speaking of Instagram and using it as a diary, they have that new update with the song you
12:21can add.
12:22Kind of like MySpace.
12:23I don't think MySpace was around your time.
12:24But anyways, if you had to pick a song right now to be on the page, I feel like it's such
12:28an important thing.
12:29You know, maybe not, but it feels like I remember MySpace.
12:32It was such an important thing, whatever your song was on your page.
12:35Yeah.
12:36I'm listening to a lot of Blood Orange these days.
12:38So maybe I would pick a Blood Orange song.
12:43Maybe, or like what?
12:46Honestly, I think maybe I was having like a kind of one of those like, I'm sorry to talk
12:52about this.
12:53Like a nice, like mellow, dissociative kind of a thing driving here.
12:57And I did have Adrian Lenker on and I was kind of like, you know, the slow tear.
13:00Oh my gosh.
13:01So maybe today it'd be an Adrian Lenker song.
13:04That's the best part.
13:05To just like distantly cry to or something.
13:07You can change it daily.
13:08You're in a better mood, you know?
13:09That's true.
13:10I'm in an exceptional mood.
13:11You know, like sometimes I think music, like it just is nice to be able to tap into different
13:16kinds of, I'm so sensitive, obviously, as I'm sure everyone in this room is.
13:21But I just like sometimes a song will come on and it will like trigger a really amazing
13:26kind of release for the three minutes that it's on and then on to the next.
13:30I love that.
13:31And I'm sure like everyone's playlist these days, it's so random.
13:33So to go from like that, where you're crying to like Texas Hold'em, we got Beyonce.
13:38That is quite accurate.
13:41Yeah.
13:42You're on all of our playlists right now.
13:44I mean, it's so, it's so good.
13:46What else is on your playlist?
13:47Is it Blood Orange?
13:48Who else do you listen to right now that you're really a fan of?
13:51I feel like Chapel is on every playlist of mine and has been for so long.
13:58And so it's a lot of that in our house.
14:00Who else am I listening to?
14:02Like lots of SZA.
14:03SZA.
14:04I feel like I'm not ready for summer to be over yet.
14:07No.
14:08Her music.
14:09No, absolutely not.
14:10I mean, it's so nice right now.
14:11Obviously, you're going to get to enjoy it on the road.
14:13But is there any bucket list things you have left for summer that you want to make sure you do?
14:17I'm trying to write like one more song that I really love that I can like mark as the
14:23end of this season.
14:25Like pressure free, but I also just like, oh, I want to, I think like being in the,
14:33after putting out an album and then there's all the like the amazing opportunities if
14:37you're lucky that come with being able to talk about it and share it and rehearse and
14:42tour.
14:43It's like, I think sometimes it makes me feel just a little bit far away from myself
14:47because for me, like writing is at the core of all of it.
14:51And I think I've just recently felt like that kind of desperation to make something
14:56that I'm newly deeply proud of.
14:58And so I'm constantly in like that internal battle with myself.
15:01But that's my bucket list.
15:02I love that.
15:03No pressure.
15:04You said end of summer.
15:05And I'll surf.
15:06I'll try to surf.
15:07Absolutely.
15:08For the first time in my life.
15:09Is there a song you're working on or are you saying just straight from scratch?
15:11One more to like start and finish?
15:13I would love a from scratch situation, but I do.
15:16There's lots of, there's lots of pieces.
15:18Hop on that 15 year old song.
15:19You know, I'm telling you.
15:20Oh man, maybe.
15:21So excited to see you on the road.
15:24Congrats on the album and all the success that's coming with it right now.
15:27It's so deserved.
15:29Is there anything I missed that you want to let your fans in on or know before they come
15:33see you?
15:34Summer slash fall?
15:35I don't think so.
15:36Just can't wait to see you guys.
15:37I can't wait.
15:38Amazing.
15:39Yeah.
15:40Thank you so much for having me.
15:41Yeah.
15:42Gracie, really appreciate the time and good luck.
15:43Enjoy.
15:44Same.