LA indie singer, songwriter and bedroom producer Gracie Gray has released her new album anna, out Friday 4th February – on Hand In Hive Records (TV Priest, A.O. Gerber, Wyldest).
To celebrate the release and mark Bandcamp Friday, Gracie has also revealed a special run of anna cassettes exclusive to Bandcamp and limited to 55 copies.
The album follows a string of acclaimed singles, with praise coming from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, GoldFlakePaint and For The Rabbits, who included Gracie in their 22 for 2022 feature. Airplay and support has also come from KEXP with Cheryl Waters giving “happiness” multiple spins on the iconic indie station.
Appealing to fans of the flourishing new US indie movement – artists like Skullcrusher, Squirrel Flower and Gia Margaret – to ever-present reference points such as Mazzy Star and Grouper, anna follows Oregon In A Day, a self-released record which enjoyed organic support from the likes of LA Weekly and IMPOSE, and sees Gracie move the listener with a combination of sombre, slow-burning, grunge-tinged bedroom-rock (“happiness” / “don’t you agree”), floating, heartwarming indie-pop (“anna”) and classic acoustic songwriting (“warm the beach”).
Of the album, Gracie explains :
It is all about holding onto love for yourself through all of life’s changes. It looks at many huge shifts in a short period of time, and each track tries to make sense of how all relationships seem to fade, while promising to try in spite of it all.
With a planned trip to the UK for two London shows cancelled at the start of 2022, Gracie’s live attention turns to a hometown album release show at Permanent Records Roadhouse on 9th April.
Gracie Gray’s anna LP is about holding onto love for yourself through all of life’s changes. It looks at many huge shifts in a short period of time, and each track tries to make sense of how all relationships seem to fade, while promising to try in spite of it all.
“maybe” sheds light on the duality within us in the opening line “I am the moon glowing / I am the wind moving things and screaming.” Title track “anna” brings in the idea that no matter how others treat you or perceive things about you, loving yourself is essential to your own survival. Echoes in the background sing “I wanna live, I don’t wanna be dead” while the main line floats above singing “Anna I love you, hell or high water.”
“sisters” brings into question a soured relationship with a church leader. It feels like you’re stepping out of a bad dream in the line “we’re young, we’re sisters, don’t try to split the team and get her.” Unlike some dreams, it ends alright, with the sisters still together, asking their former leader “will you rot there, without a cause?”
“dig” is the feeling that even one moment of holiness with someone else can cover a multitude of unanswered questions. While “hi(de)”, leaves the space needed to process those unanswered questions.
Says Clash Magazine, “The record ties together aesthetics emblematic of her broader work, with the restrained palette, raw production, and coy melodies building into something essential.”
Listen to the new album https://orcd.co/gracie-gray-anna
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