Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Graber.
Hi Grace, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I write songs because a song saved my life. When I was a teen, I was severely bullied. I was diagnosed with PTSD at the age of 13 and planned on taking my own life. Right before I was going to take my own life a song popped into my head: “Take me under your wing tonight, make me so perfect in your eyes, hold on it’ll be alright. You’re not alone.”
From that point on I became increasingly curious about the power of music. Eventually, I ended up getting to meet the band who wrote it and got the opportunity to sing with them at the age of 16. Flash forward four years, I ended up moving to the PNW after dropping out of college. I got married and we moved to Portland, OR.
When we got to Portland, I was in a pretty bad car accident that sprained my neck and left me without the ability to play the guitar and do basic things. It took about 2 years of healing through alternative medicine and I ended up using the car accident money to go to beauty school. When I started beauty school, I felt God telling me that He was establishing this career so I could pursue music. I thought it was weird but what ended up happening was the company I started working for after school put out a nationwide songwriting contest. I won. They sent me to Nashville for my first time and I ended up running into someone in the Christian music industry. The rest is a result of all that.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been pretty smooth. I have never felt “called” to something like I have music. After my debut EP released, we found a lot of opportunity was opening up for me and we felt it was best to move down to Nashville TN. So last September (’21) we took a leap of faith and doors opened so smoothly. We found a place to live. My husband and I got to keep our jobs and we’ve gained family-like friends here.
After The EP release too, I did notice a decline in my mental health. My friends called it a “post-partum album release depression”. Everything I had been working towards for a long time just got released out into the world and I thought “now what”. Every artist I’ve talked to knows what I’m talking about. I quickly noticed signs of depression and got help. I sought counseling, got on medication, and really leaned on my friends and family to get me through it. I feel like I’ve healed and grown a lot since then and am even more passionate about talking about mental health. I thought I was over the feelings of shame and stigma but realized quickly I wasn’t. So now I am being intentional about sharing this part of my musical journey because I know I’m not alone. Especially in Christian music.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Something I’ve learned these past months of being in Nashville is that my story has a lot to do with mental health AND my sound is a lot more pop/punk than I realized. My past projects have been mostly pop. But pursuing my next project (my Sophomore EP) I’ve noticed how sentimental that sound is. We truly have leaned more into the punk side and are excited about re-awakening that part of the Christian industry specifically. I have to say this upcoming project is the one I am most proud of. I love the songs that are out right now but it doesn’t match the vulnerability I am about to display in the next coming songs.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
Risk = Trust. Whether you are trusting in a result or a person. I’ve taken a lot of risks on people and so far, it has created the best relationships. I’ve taken a lot of risks spiritually and again; it comes down to simply trusting that it’ll work out okay.
Contact Info:
- Email: management@gracegraber.som
- Website: www.gracegraber.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracegrabermusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracegrabermusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/gracefacelols
Image Credits
Kate Phillips
