In this interview spotlight, I chat with Gracie & The Valley about the latest project, challenges, what motivates them and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I was born in New Jersey, but was raised in Nashville, TN since I was about 4 years old. The music I write feels very eclectic and tends to wander into a few different genres. Gracie & The Valley plays with a mixture of indie-folk-pop-and indie-rock.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

I’ve always loved music. I used to wake up singing in the crib, and I used to put on concerts for my stuffed animals. I started singing in a band from 5th grade through middle school called Flashback. We were the face of a cool organization, Little Kids Rock, that put curriculum and instruments in schools. I also started songwriting in middle school, so it’s just always been a part of me. I went to Nashville School Of The Arts High School for choir and theatre and all of that really solidified my dreams and aspirations.

I have to admit that it can be tough to not get bogged down with ‘compare and despair’ syndrome. Nashville alone is filled with so many amazing musicians, and it can get intimidating. I’m trying to shift out of that mindset and use it as a huge source of inspiration to improve. The motivation in me is a fire to get better and continue to stretch and grow as much as I can.

How is this new release different than previous & upcoming ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

Stylistically, Serotonin leans into indie rock a lot more than our upcoming album does. I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself into one monotonous sound, so I didn’t let that stop me from releasing it.

In Serotonin, it was my goal to make it sound as cathartic as it was for me to write it. The whole song is about losing myself in the process of chasing my dreams. I got too caught up with checking off the boxes of my to do list, and wasn’t pausing to celebrate the victories or even taking breaks to rest. Lyrically, it dives into my struggle with comparing myself to others and my obsession with racing forward, and how it left me burnt out and spiritually lost. Musically, we all wanted the song to have a really nice build, from vulnerable and soft to a huge, cathartic wall of sound. The intention was to make it sonically feel like a revelation whispering in your ear and swelling into a full body awakening.

It was recorded at MTSU by my guitarist, Sam Ventura, and mixed and mastered by my friend Julia Cannon.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

Oh man, being an indie musician in this oversaturated market can be very overwhelming.

Just to name a couple of challenges:

• As an indie artist, I’ve run into trouble booking some venues who flake out or just ignore me.
• Organizing and coordinating rehearsals and shows with a group of people can get tricky. It’s a juggling act with lots of busy schedules.

Technology has helped me in many ways. I’m super grateful for Google Calendar. I can get my band members to join once, and when I update the rehearsal schedule it goes straight to their iPhone. I love that I can upload my music straight to CDBaby and release music independently. Because of technology, I can use Instagram and Facebook for marketing and promotion…the list just goes on and on. It’s an invaluable resource for indie artists and any business owner.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to was Night Shift by Lucy Dacus.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I prefer vinyl when I’m hanging out around the house.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I love the way Spotify is laid out. It’s easy to use, and I’ve discovered so many artists through it. Spotify will make me weekly playlists with songs I love mixed with suggested music, and it’s a fun and easy way to discover new music. However, I do wish that there was more money to be made from Spotify as an independent artists, and think that Bandcamp does a really great job with supporting their musicians.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

I love Instagram for more frequent posts and promotion, and use Facebook mostly for event pages. Our music is everywhere – Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Youtube, etc.
Instagram: @gracieandthevalley
Facebook: @gracieandthevalley