Exclusive Interview with THEGRACEISBACK

A girl from Italy used to sing in a band. She then spent a long time lost in the world. Her real home and first love, music, always welcomed her back. However, the piano followed her everywhere she went and became her devoted soulmate. especially when she arrived in the UK seven years ago in search of opportunities and inspiration.

Thegraceisback is a pianist and singer-songwriter who never stops attempting new things. Her hypnotic instrumentals have an ethereal, emotional quality that could easily serve as the background music to a movie or a particular moment in our lives. Her piano-driven pop/rock ballads are intense and are inspired by real-life experiences. The grace is undoubtedly back, and it’s for good this time.

The piano piece “On The Shore” is mellow, cool, and sophisticated. A lovely, laid-back video that was recently released was shot by pianist and composer Grace herself while she was on vacation in Sharm El-Sheikh. The last single before Thegraceisback’s first EP with six instrumental tracks, “On the Shore,” was released in the beginning of December 2022. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

THEGRACEISBACK: Sure! I’m coming from Italy but I’ve been living in the Uk for almost 8 years now. If I remember correctly the really first time I was curious about the piano was around 6 years old, when a little girl living opposite our flat had a small Bontempi keyboard. I immediately desired to have one for myself. And I got it for my birthday. I guess everything started there, magically with the unawareness of that age.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

THEGRACEISBACK: When I was 13 I’ve asked my father to find me a piano teacher, after trying and experimenting on by my own with the little keyboard mentioned above, and I ended up studying privately for 5 years. Then I stopped, went to university, played and sang for some cover band here and there, tried many other things in life…but something was missing. I missed the piano, I missed what was really giving me pleasure in life, even if it sounds impossible that such a thing may happen to somebody! So I strongly needed to go back to it, sit down and find myself through the music creation. Not just the mere execution of somebody else music. This happened quite late in life, during my early thirties. Once in London I went back to study again, always privately, in order to recover my technique and find new approaches, for example the one to composition.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘THEGRACEISBACK’?

THEGRACEISBACK: Just to continue the previous question, it’s easy to understand where the name Thegraceisback comes from, the need to go back to the real me, Grace (that actually it’s the name people are used to call me here in the Uk) and the grace intended also as inspiration, beauty of creation. It’s undeniable that I’ve listened to a lot of Beethoven and Bach back in the days of the piano training but as a teenager I grew up listening pop rock music mainly. A lot of band/songwriters from the 90’, Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette, Skunk Anansie, Pj Harvey, just to mention few of them. I can say that Tory Amos had a huge influence on me. And more recently Ryuchi Sakamoto, David Sylvian, Michael Nyman, Joep Bevin…

4. 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?

THEGRACEISBACK: I believe it’s very nice when a fans is curious and try to understand more about me, my story and my background. But it’s undeniable the power of everyone that listen to re-interpret the meanings and find new ones. It’s quite interesting for example that one my instrumental has been described very relaxing by somebody and then quite energising by somebody else!

5. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

THEGRACEISBACK:

I really like the pure creation moment, when I am alone in front of the piano, free, without any particular schedules…and I leave the hands go wherever they want to go, without thinking, without any scales in my mind but just guided by emotions that are circulating in my body that day, and I like stay there till some interesting notes come out. So, to answer your question, the home environment is magic for me. By the way, interaction with a live audience, is super important to master your craft even when nerves are there and to understand which part of your songs are the most liked and the parts that eventually need some adjustments. In any case I’m looking forward to go back to live after a long period of absence because of Covid and then because of my maternity.

6. Is it your last song “On the shore” just a single or is it part of a bigger project?

THEGRACEISBACK:

It came out as a single back in October but it’s going to be part of my first Ep of instrumentals songs that will be out just in few days, the 9th of December 2022, with the title of “Back to M”. Check it out!

7. 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?

THEGRACEISBACK:

I’m honest with you, I’m expecting more in the future. At the moment, as an independent artist, you don’t get much back, compared to all the time invested, and also considering the economic investment to put your songs out there and promote them on your own. So I definitely hope for more listeners and I am very keen to build my niche and see who are my real fans. I also dream to have some of my songs used for cinema/television.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

THEGRACEISBACK:

Everything usually starts from a little snippet that I thoroughly record if I think is sounding nice and it may be interesting to develop. The followings days I go back to it and if I still like it I keep working on it by adding another little snippet. It’s definitely a beautiful working progress. When dealing with songs that contain lyrics, I usually start from the music first, and then the lyrics afterwords. At the moment I’m not collaborating with anybody else, but in the future will be interesting doing it!

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

THEGRACEISBACK:

One of the most difficult thing has been related to self doubt and fear of not being good enough as a songwriter and as a performer. Another difficulty has been finding a good producer: it’s not easy at all work with somebody that believes in you, in your music and that at the same time is professional and with an easy going character.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

THEGRACEISBACK: I’m proud that despite my recent maternity in May 2022, and all the time that the sweet little one requires, I was able to carving out my own space. I’m so happy that I haven’t postponed my music projects, I haven’t given up and instead I pushed harder to finish the Ep that will be out the 9th of December 2022. So I’m very proud of my multi-tasking skills, of my strong sense of achievement that it’s still there despite the new incredible and challenging adventure of being a mum. And last but not least I’m happy to have a great partner close to me that allows me to do so!