Check Out Grace Laurèn’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Laurèn.

Hi Grace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Grace Laurén, I’m from Seattle Washington. Music has always played a big part in my life since I was very young. My dad was a drummer and introduced me to the classics in all genres. From Queen and Led Zeppelin to Bob Seger and Muddy Waters… the list goes on and on. I grew up on an off-grid island where we had no electricity, running water, or even a bathroom. We had solar, a well, and an outhouse. The island in itself had only dirt roads.

No gas station or grocery store. Only a school, a post office, and a farm stand were where we got milk and vegetables.

It was a very creatively stimulating environment exploring nature and letting my imagination entertain me for hours in the woods rather than checking out and spending hours on my phone. (I actually didn’t know what social media was until I entered middle school in Seattle and still didn’t have a phone. I solely relied on carrier pigeons… that part is a joke).

I always thought I would be a screenwriter never a musician. The idea of playing on a stage to hundreds and thousands of people excited and absolutely petrified me. I was a very shy quiet kid. Drums overwhelmed the hell out of me. My dad played prog metal and every time we were in the car he would play a song and ask me what the time signature and bpm of the song was and say ‘how do you play it’. Now, he never put on a simple 4/4 song and asked me to show him how you play it with every accent on the snare and tom fill. No, the first song I learned was New Millennium by Dream Theater and that turned into Tool and Porcupine Tree. When I was six or seven I could explain and show my dad how to play those songs and it became normal. It was normal until I had to play a Beatles song and that felt like the most difficult thing in the world! The drums were loud and in my mind, scary. The whole idea of Rock n’ Roll felt so authentic and free but if I couldn’t even make eye contact with my classmates how was I supposed to ever be a musician? By the time I was fifteen, I had finished seven movie scripts. That was my way of having control over my life and having these fictional characters live the life I truly wished I had the confidence to live in the real world. I had them at a few producers when out of nowhere decided to quit and pursue music as a full-time career. I still don’t know what made me take that leap but it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. I feel exactly where I’m supposed to be. The moment I let drums become my life my fear of everything dissipated. I’ve met so many incredible people through gigs and jams that I feel so fortunate to know/play with. As anxious as I used to be as a kid I’ve never gotten nervous before or during a gig and that was the moment I realized this is exactly the path I’m supposed to take.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve been lucky to have had a positive journey so far. Ups and downs are part of life and personally, I’ve been thankful for those ups and down because I’ve come out the other end with more knowledge and perspective. I’ll say this- it was smooth until I came out to California. Then I temporarily hit a big bump. I moved to northern California to join my best friend’s band and less than a month after moving, it went down the drain. I was devastated. I felt betrayed and couldn’t wrap my head around how something so good could end so badly so quickly and felt like I made a huge move for nothing. As upset as I was at that moment, it ended up becoming the biggest blessing and is something I’m now so thankful happened.

The greatest lesson in that was not putting all my eggs in one basket. I thought I would be in that project forever the moment I moved and that isn’t always going to be the case. The main thing that lacked in the band that brought me to California was respect. If there isn’t respect on both ends it’s not the right project. I believe that sometimes we need to meet people who at the time we think will be in our lives forever only to get introduced to something even better than we could have imagined. That was definitely the case with me. I absolutely adore the talented musicians I get to play with now and look at them and think ‘how did I get so lucky to work with you’ you know? So, yes there have been obstacles and I’m sure there will be many more but the obstacles I have had ended with something more exciting that I didn’t see coming. And, without obstacles, heartbreak, pain, and frustration, we as humans don’t grow. Our lives would stay the same and what’s the fun in that?

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work? What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m a drummer. But I love any chance to play bass or pick up a guitar. I used to want to be a guitarist when I was younger, The Partridge Family being the influence behind that. Cranking their vinyl to 11. That dream went out the window the moment I truly fell in love with the drums. Drums are my home. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything or any instrument in the world.

What am I most proud of… that’s a tough question… I’m proud to be where I am today coming from the island and then a flower farm up until moving to Sacramento. I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten musical opportunities at such a young age. I got to play a show with the bass player of Heart and Tracy Chapman on my eighteenth birthday and that is something I won’t forget. I’m also proud of the instruments I own. I bought everything from picking up horse poop, stacking hay bales, and doing other farm work. I remember it would be winter and pouring rain. My boots cracked so puddles were the inevitable enemy but all I could think of was one more week before I could afford a nicer drum set. And then in the summers stacking hay bales in a stuffy, no-ventilation hay shed to save up for an SG. I’d say I’m proud of those moments. It made me take good care of my instruments because it was a lot of work to get them.

What sets me apart from others is definitely my upbringing. It was strange for me to hear my friends talk about walking around the mall, playing video games, and watching youtube when they got bored as kids. Meanwhile, I was probably chopping wood, climbing trees, falling out of those trees, and listening to my favorite ABBA records. It’s something I’ve embraced over the years. Plus, if the apocalypse happened I have survival skills!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite book would have to be the whole series around The Four Agreements and The Mastery Of Love. I can only imagine what the world would be like if everyone read and practiced what’s in those books. They’ve taught me so much. I also love reading music memoirs like Carly Simon, Graham Nash, Elton John… I recently read Dave Grohl’s new book and that just made me look up to him even more. Such an inspiration.

Another was ‘Queen Unseen’ by Peter Hince who was a roadie for Queen. It’s a staple book if you’re a big Queen fan like me. But… My all-time favorite is Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark T Sullivan. I could go on a rant about that book for hours but I’m just going to leave it at that. It’s amazing. I’m clearly not a bookworm or anything…

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_gracelauren65/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@grace.lauren.65

Image Credits:
Monica Rock Photography, I BJade Photography, and Connor Mckinley