EXTENDED POST: MKH Talks to Graceé

Your Introduction to the Art of Gospel Soul

My first introduction to Graceé was through a promo video of her song “S A L T O F T H E E A R T H” that she posted on TikTok.

*Thank you, TikTok, for sending all these cool indie artists my way. Wow, that’s what social media should be used for.

Sitting on the tube floor, she sang with a smile, giving each lyric its own wonderful space to echo through the mind. From the first second she sang, I was hooked. As the verse ended and the melody's bass carried me into the chorus, I was on my way to her DMs, asking for an interview IMMEDIATELY.

Graceé is what the idyllic future of independent performers looks like in my mind. Her style is unique, her storytelling is specific to her mythology, yet comfortingly relatable in its honest delivery. The way she promotes herself on social media only adds to her story, further colouring her musical identity.

Come to find out she’s only 19 years old. Okay, that’s crazy.

So, we had a chat. We asked Graceé everything, from what inspires her to what story she wants to tell her audience. Here is the full, unedited version of our interview.

READ, ENJOY, and go follow Graceé and keep up with her artistic journey.

MKH: What internal and external factors inform your storytelling as a songwriter?

Graceé: The perspective I have on storytelling is mainly informed by my environment, to be honest. I’m a South-East London babe, Lewisham to be specific.

So my public school experience, my neighbourhood and my church all informed the perspective I take on when I tell stories, but as a Nigerian, I intentionally try to weave my culture into my lyrics.

By integrating pidgin English and or reminding people that I’m a ‘Naija gospel queen’, it reinforces what I stand for and who I am: a working-class babe just trying to realise my dream of bringing gospel/soul to the world and selling out stadiums.

MKH: What or who are your main inspirations as an artist?

Graceé: Honestly, my main inspiration is and will always be Beyoncé, a fellow Virgo queen.

She is a true artist in today’s time, which to me means a businesswoman and a visionary. That woman knows how to create a movement, something that feels more than just a good song, but a moment in time. From her surprise Beyonce album, to Lemonade, to Coachella, to the Renaissance and Cowboy Carter tour and many more.

Beyoncé creates culture, and it’s so beautiful. I also just really respect the longevity in her career, her first time winning a Grammy for album of the year was only last year, well into her 40’s.

I personally don’t want to feel as though I have done everything by my 20’s, I want to still be excited about certain opportunities in my 30s and 40s and have longevity.

I also love Raye, she’s such a musical genius and inspiration to all independent artists to build their own teams and safety net and that you can succeed with unconventional singles but a clear artist vision.

I also love how much she invests in her session musicians; she cares so much about the live experience, and in an industry where you are constantly convinced to trim down on how many session musicians you have to maximise profits, it’s so inspiring to see someone who simply cares about making the best music they can and displaying that proudly on stage.

MKH: What does authenticity/originality mean to you as an artist, and how do you practice it in your music?

Graceé: Honestly, I think I’m still discovering what makes me authentic and special, as I’m still at the beginning of my journey as an artist, and honestly, still a young person learning myself every single day.

I do feel there’s quite a lot of pressure to know exactly who you are as an artist to be able to communicate that to an audience. Which is why I like to highlight that I am a work in progress, growing and developing, because I’m aware that I’m still figuring it out.

I think other people feel that there is something original about my perspective as an artist, but I’m excited to continue building my brand and grow my audience and really hone in on what makes me special, honestly.

MKH: Your music blends lyrical and melodic so perfectly. How do you reach the balance between the two when creating music, and is there one that dominates or precedes the other in your process of creating new songs?

Graceé: Thank you so much, by the way, I really appreciate it!

For me, melody definitely dominates lyrics in the process of creating a song. I think melody genuinely is the bedrock of topline songwriting, at least for me personally.

I’ll then fit lyrics around the melody for maybe a chorus or a first verse, and then I’ll decide on the concept for the entire song, which guides me lyrically for the rest of the songwriting process.

MKH: You just had a show on the 2nd of June. Does your relationship with your music change when you perform it live? Does your relationship with the audience change?

Graceé: A HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT IT CHANGES!!

Not that I think that my music is bad, but as an artist, sometimes you have second thoughts about the quality of the music you make, but my audience always encourages me that I’m doing the right thing in life and makes me feel really confident in my art.

Performing live is definitely my favourite part of the job; it’s a real-time human connection and hearing a room full of people singing your music back to you, you just can’t replace that feeling.

MKH: What message do you want to send into the world with your music?

Graceé: Honestly, if another south London girl feels empowered to step into her greatness, make gospel music and knows that it’s possible to win a Brit or top the charts, then I have done my job.