Gracie Abrams: The Rising Star Crafting an Intimate Musical Landscape
Under the spotlight after opening the tours by Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams has just released a sensitive and melancholic first album entitled “Good Riddance”.
Photography AIDAN CULLEN
Styling JENNIFER EYMÈRE
L'OFFICIEL: How would you define Chanel 's DNA?
GRACIE ABRAMS: Timeless, feminine, classic and powerful. I aspire to live up to these criteria! I started wearing Chanel three years ago during a shoot for L'OFFICIEL in September 2020.
LOI: As a composer, do you see any parallels between writing and the artistic demands of Chanel's approach to creation?
GA: When you create something, you necessarily have an intrinsic respect and admiration for other creators. Even if my writing doesn't necessarily have to do with their Atelier, I feel there is a shared respect for the care that goes into what we do, in the emotional process. We don't just think about ourselves, but also about how our creations will be perceived.
LOI: So do you have your audience in mind when you write?
GA: Yes and no. Writing is a deeply personal process, I explore what I'm experiencing emotionally. That said, I sometimes think about how the songs will be received. But I don't question my instincts, because the public, which is so attentive, has always welcomed my work. Sometimes I wondered if certain songs were too intimate, but they were the ones received best, the ones that had the strongest resonance. I am fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with the public.
LOI: Do you sometimes regret being very vulnerable?
GA: I don't draw a line between what I should or shouldn't say. I don't forbid myself anything. When it comes to social networks, I'm much more protective than I used to be.
LOI: Do you ever write from the point of view of fiction instead?
GA: I always draw inspiration from my life. My first songs didn't create characters, they were rather cathartic, they talked about my feelings. When I do concerts, I see people's reactions, their laughter, their tears, the feeling of sharing something. We are all going through the same experiences and there is something unifying about sharing your emotions. The exercise of writing by inventing a character is very fun, but I think it's about putting a mask on your feelings.
LOI: On the one hand there is the Joni Mitchell school, which speaks openly about itself, and on the other there is Bowie , who deals with universal themes, and who throughout his career has invented characters to embody them...
GA: Bowie had a sense of staging, with incredible costumes and make-up... while Joni presented herself as she was. But the link between them is that they tell stories, they are composers, and whether they come with a strong or very small staging, the impact is the same, they touch something very deep. I have immense admiration for both of them.
LOI: Which artists have inspired you?
GA: The Cranberries, Joni Mitchell, REM, Elliott Smith and of course Taylor Swift! My parents have excellent taste, which I shared. Patti Smith , for example.
LOI: Did finding your voice take a lot of work?
GA: It changes over time… When you have the privilege of starting your work at a very early age, around 15 or 16 in my case, you can't help but change radically, and sometimes very quickly; two weeks can feel like ten years in terms of emotional upheaval. My songs reflect this journey. Older versions of myself still exist in the form of songs I wrote years ago, like little time capsules on the internet. But my identity remains the same, I can see my evolution, even if I don't always recognise that person... I'm relieved that I was able to evolve, I'm always working and trying to improve.
LOI: What is your working method?
GA: Nine times out of ten I write quite quickly, in one sitting. Sometimes I leave a composition aside and come back to it a year later. I like the idea of letting myself be guided by a writing impulse and not stopping until I finish the song. I write every day in my diary, which keeps me in a good state of mind and also serves as a basis for my work. The last few months have been quite prolific, but inevitably there will be less productive periods.
LOI: What did you learn from this tour with Taylor Swift ?
GA: It reminded me of the impact the simple act of telling stories can have. At each of her concerts, there are thousands of spectators from very different backgrounds, who gather around his songs and the memories they give them, in a very profound way. She gives them such a gift... I have never seen anything like the intensity of emotion she gives them. I also learned from her, as a role model and also as a friend, the ability to manage everything. Seeing her sing for four hours, multiple times a week, with so much energy, exploring so many areas, as an artist, as a woman, is deeply inspiring. Her courage to think outside the box is also inspiring.
«When you have the privilege of starting your work at a very early age, around 15 or 16 in my case, you can't help but change radically, and sometimes very quickly; Two weeks can feel like ten years in terms of emotional upheaval."
LOI: What art forms influence your music?
GA: Everything is a source of inspiration. The way two characters interact in a film, for example. Poetry gives me many ideas, the rhythm of the lines, the caesura, etc. Some poems have changed the way I write. I've recently been reading a lot of Mary Oliver's works, which my mother likes a lot, and I grew up surrounded by her books. They bring me a lot of serenity in moments that can be a little suffocating.
LOI: You feel you have a responsibility to express yourself on social and political issues...
GA: Like any human being, I guess, whether you have ten followers or a larger audience. I try to highlight activists in the areas I care about. Having this opportunity through my work is a great opportunity to reach new people and overcome misinformation. It is a privilege, but not an obligation.
LOI: How do you define your clothing style?
GA: Intuitive. I know exactly what I like to wear. The concert attire I did recently influenced my daily life. I often wore baggy jeans with a long-sleeved shirt, or joggers and a hoodie. Clothes change the energy and I have so much more fun. I'm trying to have a new relationship with fashion, without letting the stupid beauty standards imposed on women guide my choices.
Hair: Bobbie Elliot @THE WALL GROUP
Make up: Loftjet @THE WALL GROUP
Photo assistants: Sophie Hall-Mochkatel and Derek Perlman
Stylist assistants: Kenzia Bengel de Vaulx
