Q&A with GRACE MITCHELL

Get to know the “greatest artist in the multiverse”. Who is the “greatest artist in the multiverse,” you ask?

Well, at only 16, GRACE MITCHELL burst onto the music scene in 2014 with her edgy cover of the Hall & Oates’ classic “Maneater” for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty soundtrack. Shortly after, she released her first EP, Design. Her second EP, Raceday, was released in late 2015 by Republic Records and demonstrated her diversity as a pop/RnB/alternative/electronic artist. Mitchell’s music refuses to be put in a box.

All Access Music writer, Nicole DeRosa had a chance to catch up with the talented and funny singer-songwriter. Enjoy their interview below as Grace chats about working with Mark Foster of Foster The People, Tori Amos and much more!

Hey there Grace! Where does our interview find you and what’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

I’m in a van about an hour from LA. As soon as I get home, I’m gonna do a bunch of laundry. It’s going to be luxurious.

For those that are not as familiar with you and your music, who or what was the catalyst or inspiration for you to want to live the life of a musical gypsy?

Probably the lives of other musical gypsies for sure. I’ve always been down with the musical gypsy lifestyle. It’s hard work, but I’m pretty sure being a musical gypsy was meant to be my destiny.

I understand you locked yourself away in a studio in Los Angeles with Mark Foster of Foster The People to record your Race Day EP (available now via Republic Records). What was it like working with Mark? What did you discover about one another?

“Well considering he locked me away with him, I guess you could say it teetered on borderline illegal. He’s not so bad aside from practicing human captivity and all.”

What was the inspiration for your new single, “NoLo”? The video looked super fun to film. Did you help come up with the treatment for the video as well?

Yeah, it was relativity easy. We were like, “what’s fool-proof, aesthetically pleasing, but also edgy?” and then the “NoLo” video was born.

You were signed to Republic Records in 2013 and officially joined the “musical big leagues” so to speak with your cover of Hall & Oates’ “Maneater,” which appeared on the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I love that movie! How did that come about?

“Well, to become a certified musical gypsy, you must first be sanctioned in by the Musical Big Leagues, a brotherhood of elite Hall & Oates cover performers. My dream has always been to reach this level of priesthood, so surely you can see how elated I was when they asked for me to perform “Maneater” for them. The rest is history.”

Who have been your influences growing up that still inspire you today? I understand you have a lifelong reverence to the wildly talented, Ms. Tori Amos, is that right?

Blessed be her name.

Nowadays, everything is so instant…you press a button and it’s yours ala Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes etc. What was the first album you saved up your hard earned money as a kid and bought for yourself?

“D-D-Don’t Stop The Beat” by Junior Senior. Talk about back in the old days… It took a whole 30 seconds to download! Yeesh!

What was the first song you fell in love with (or made a lasting impact) on you and why?

“Stutter” by Joe is the first song I remember knowing all the lyrics to. In retrospect, it was probably my parent’s “freak song” but I remember them always playing it in the car on road trips when I was four.

Who is in your current playlist? What artists or bands are in current rotation for you?

Amazon, Jeff Buckley, Sugar Ray and the Rolling Stones

What’s on tap next for you, Grace?

IPAs, mainly.

What are you most excited about for this year?

Bernie 2016.  

To stay connected with GRACE MITCHELL , visit her socials below!  

Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Instagram  /  Tumblr