Talia was born and raised in a musical family in Los Angeles, California, and started playing music at the age of seven. By the time she was nine years old, her piano lessons had evolved into performances with her siblings, and by the age of 12, she had developed a passion for creating music. Nearly ten years later, Talia is collaborating with Austin-based producer Taylor Webb to release her debut single Melancholy.
Her music has a certain โslice-of-lifeโ quality that connects with many listeners from various backgrounds. She writes from the heart about emotions and events to which we can all, in some way, relate. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started? T
TALIA GRACE: I grew up as part of a very musical family in Long Beach, California. Iโd say it probably all got started in church choir; thatโs definitely when my mom realized that I had a good ear and good pitch. I have a distinct memory of my mom realizing that I could find Middle C and match pitch. From that point forward, both of my parents were pretty sold on the idea of getting me involved in music however they could. All of my siblings are musicians, too, and I think I first started playing piano just so I could be more like my sister Taviana. Sheโs almost eight years older than me, so I spent a lot of my childhood copying her in tons of ways. We were in a band togetherโme, my sister, and my two brothers. The Four. A classic rock cover band, which I think is hilarious considering we were all under 16 covering music by bands whose popularity peaked in the 1960s. We did shows for local city events, talent shows, and church fundraisers. It started when I was nine and ended when I was 12, at which point I started playing some shows by myself. Iโve always loved music, always loved singing, always loved writing, and I never shied away from the spotlight in my adolescence. Those things started as hobbies and interests, and Iโve just kind of maintained them over the years.
2. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
TALIA GRACE: Thatโs a tough question to answer. On one hand, the creation of music is its own reward, and I am so proud of what Iโve been able to accomplish thus far, but I also feel like I always want more. I havenโt been able to make a real living off of music yet; itโs an expensive endeavor, so at this point I still have a โ9-5โ to support myself and my art. I donโt think itโs necessarily an issue of fulfillment for me, but I also donโt feel like I can look at what Iโve accomplished thus far and think, โYep, Iโve done all I need to do!โ
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โTALIA GRACEโ?
TALIA GRACE: My first influences were soul, jazz, and Motown singers, thanks to my dad. Soul music was and will always be my first love, even though Iโve sort of moved away from that a little bit in my own writing. The storytelling in songs by artists like Bill Withers or Nat King Cole struck a chord with me before I really even understood what that meant or why. I think Iโm always trying to capture that in my own writing, that feeling of being transported to a time or place or emotion that resonates with you for whatever reason. The artist whose writing I consider the most aspirational is probably Don McLean. One word: Vincent. Two more words: Empty Chairs. His prowess at lyricism is humbling. Iโll never be that good, but I can sure as hell spend the rest of my life trying. Talia Grace is my first and middle name. My last name is egregiously long, so it definitely never felt like an option for a โstageโ or artist name. My friend Jon asked me once why not drop the Grace and just go by Talia, but my late aunt used to consistently call me โTalia Grace,โ so I donโt think Iโll ever change it.
4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as FOLK?
TALIA GRACE: Itโs so interesting, first of all, to hear my music described as โfolkโ music, because I have often said I donโt set out to write any specific genre. I write how I feel, and thatโs that. That being said, I spent a very long time trying very hard to emulate artists like Adele or Kelly Clarkson or other pop stars, and I found myself feeling very unenthusiastic about what I was writing at the time. Donโt get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE and have the utmost respect for those artists, but it was definitely me copying what I thought would be marketable rather than really leaning in to writing what made me feel fulfilled. I think I settled into acoustic, singer/songwriter, folk music because it felt the most true and came to me most naturally. One of the things I find really helpful in order to avoid becoming a duplicate of another existing artist is to diversify your pool of inspiration as much as possible. I cycle through top 40 pop, country, rap, folk, Americana, shoegaze, rock, soul, etc. and try to glean something from all of those sources. Having a variety of influences has helped me become a better writer without becoming a knock-off Phoebe Bridgers or something. Ultimately, I think what it boils down to for me is writing music for myself first. The more I just focus on expressing my point of view, the more my music feels truly like Talia Grace wrote and performed it. If youโre telling your own story, itโs sort of impossible to be anything other than an original. I also recognize, though, that there is nothing new under the sun. To quote an ancient philosophy and also the title of one of my favorite songs by an up-and-coming band called Ameroux, โEverything Flows and Nothing Lives On.โ I donโt get too bogged down by anything other than just trying to write what feels right. Thatโs worked thus far.
5. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
TALIA GRACE: Releasing my first single is something that Iโll always look back on with pride. It felt so surreal at the time, because even though itโs a pretty straightforward and easy process nowadays, seeing my music on Spotify and other platforms was really significant to me. Iโm still very proud of the fact that I have written and funded all of my projects, and that my hand is truly in every part of what I put out. I can truly say that my music is mine, and thatโs a really cool, satisfying feeling.
6. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
TALIA GRACE: I started piano lessons when I was seven, and stayed in them for several years. Pretty much everything else is self-taught, with a handful of voice lessons sprinkled in throughout the years. I learned to sing by imitating my favorite artistsโI still like to do impressions to this day. One of the things that anyone in my life can attest to is that I am always singing. Music is a constant practice for me, everything from harmonizing with the radio to trying to learn songs I like by ear as a sort of challenge. In full transparency, though, Iโve recently been wishing Iโd invested in more lessons. Who knows? Maybe Iโll go back.
7. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
TALIA GRACE:
Historically, art has always been used to point out cracks in the systems we engage in. From Nina Simone to Pete Seeger to Kendrick Lamar to the Beatles, artists have long expressed their points of view about social and political issues through their music. Music brings people together in a unique way, and I have a deep respect for artists who utilize their work to comment on really difficult and pressing topics. That being said, I donโt think Iโve ever really set out to write a song with this purpose in mind. Iโve written a handful of songs centered on religion and the pitfalls thereofโmaybe thatโs cultural? The songwriting that comes to me naturally is rooted in personal experience. I wouldnโt say Iโm purely interested in my own personal narrative; it would be more accurate to say Iโm interested in how I can use my personal narratives in a way that helps people feel seen or heard or understood.
8. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
TALIA GRACE:
If you wouldโve asked me that like 5 or 10 years ago, I probably wouldโve felt really strongly about live audiences. But thatโs changed a lot. I think I prefer writing and recording nowadays. Thereโs something so powerful about the exchange of energy that happens when youโre playing your music in front of people, but I get more excited specifically to create something from scratch. The idea that a song might not exist until I sit down to write it makes me feel very lucky; itโs a beautiful and transformative experience. I think that those of us who write music learn something about ourselves every time we create something.
9. What has been the most difficult thing youโve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
TALIA GRACE: Iโm going to be completely honestโitโs hard to pick just one. My familyโs life has been, until recently, nonstop with little t and Big T traumas. But I think one thing that stands out for me is a really deep sense of guilt. My Great Aunt Dixie and my Aunt Susie were, other than my own mother, my biggest fans and supporters. Unfortunately, both of them passed away before I ever released or accomplished anything notable in music. That haunts me a little bit. The last thing my Great Aunt Dixie ever said to me was, โYouโve gotta make it. Promise me youโll make it.โ In the final conversation I ever had with my Aunt Susie, I told her I was working on my first single Melancholy. She never got to hear it, though, because she passed very soon thereafter. That is a really tough thing for me to make peace with. In some ways, I feel like Iโve let both of them down. The best thing I can do, though, is keep making music. I think they wouldโve loved Soliloquy.
10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
TALIA GRACE: I feel very strongly that everyone should be free to interpret my music however they see fit. Iโve often said that I am not the sole proprietor of my music. Obviously, there are some things in my music that are very specific to my own experiences, like talking about my niece, but even that can be interpreted or resonate with listeners in different ways. Itโs kind of a beautiful thing, in my opinion, and itโs a very strong motivator for me when Iโm writing. Iโm very open about the things that inspire my music, so if anyone is interested, Iโll talk about it, but if you listen to my music and get something out of it, then does it really matter what I think itโs about? In my opinion, no.
KEEP IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | ย YOUTUBE
