Alma Grace
Interview conducted March 24, 2021
By Dan Locke
ALMA GRACE ANNOUNCES DEBUT EP ‘FRIDA’ OUT MAY 5TH. Aventura” her newest single is released March 26th.
What was your upbringing like?
I was raised by a single mother in New York City, and grew up with two younger siblings who I love very much. I come from a very eclectic mix of cultures––my mom is Mexican-Mormon, while my dad is American-Jewish.
How did you first discover music?
My mom has videos of me standing on boxes and singing when I was around 3 or 4 years old. I was always singing around the house and making up my own songs. I was also a child actress and grew up doing theater, which made me fall in love with performance and music in a more structured way.
How did you start to write music?
When I was a kid, I loved to write plays and perform them with my friends. Creating songs to go along with those plays became a natural extension of that. I started to take songwriting seriously after a chance encounter with an NYU Clive Davis professor, Nisha Asnani, on the NYC subway. She became my mentor and helped me fine-tune my songwriting. I’ve been in love with the artform ever since.
Describe your music.
I make indie-Latin-pop music with social and political significance. My songs are often narrative-based, so the emphasis is on the lyrics.
What was your first live performance like?
Performing live wasn’t new for me as I had been acting for quite some time, but performing my own music for the first time was a new kind of terrifying. It felt way more vulnerable––when I’m performing in a play, I’m relying on the writer’s words, but when I’m performing my own songs, I am wholly responsible for the work. It’s scary, but it’s also wonderful to bring an audience into my world and have them relate to what I’m feeling and going through.
What do you think makes a good songwriter?
I’ve come to realize that there is a difference between wanting to write a song and needing to write a song––I believe that the best music comes out of the latter. A good songwriter gives themselves permission to be vulnerable and open, and, of course, practices some form of writing daily!
What is the process of writing your music?
I journal religiously every day and in those journal entries, there are typically a few ideas/feelings that I can put into a song. I’ll typically start with a chord progression on my piano or guitar, hum a melody over that, and then add lyrics from there. Like many other writers, I’m a fan of starting with the chorus first––if you don’t have a strong melody or lyrical message for the hook, you don’t have a song.
Tell me about your first single “Adios Maria”.
I wrote Adios Maria when I was 16 and it was the first song I ever recorded. I didn’t release it until 4 years later, and at that point, I had written and recorded so many other songs that I questioned whether “Adios Maria” should even see the light of day. Ultimately the song was too important to me not to have out as my artist introduction to the world. I wrote it for my mother and grandmother to thank them for all of the sacrifices they made to raise me and give me a better life in this country. I also wrote it with the backdrop of Trump’s election, and recognizing my family’s insecurity in this country for the first time.
You just released a new single “Girl Fight” from your upcoming EP ‘FRIDA’ which comes out on May 5th. I see from your Instagram feed you have a strong connection to Frida Kahlo. Tell us about your single and upcoming EP.
The EP is inspired by Frida Kahlo’s life––an artist who has inspired me since childhood. Anyone who knows me knows my very extensive collection of Frida paraphernalia––from coasters and books to posters and matchboxes, Frida is omnipresent in my life. It felt fitting that this project inspired by her life would be my official introduction as an artist. In terms of how “Girl Fight” came about, I was watching a Frida documentary when I learned that Frida had an affair with the same woman Diego had cheated on her with. “Girl Fight” is me imagining that I could be as much of a bad-ass as Frida was.
Digital vs. vinyl?
The ease and accessibility of digital is unparalleled, but there’s something so raw and special in listening to a physical record. I distinctly remember getting my first record player and listening to all of my mom’s old vinyl’s––Donnie and Marie, Selena, and then finally getting my own copy of Florence and the Machine’s ‘Lungs.’
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
I unapologetically grew up on Taylor Swift, so I’ve been listening to a lot of her older albums in preparation for her re-releases. “You Belong With Me” in particular holds a special place in my heart––my high school best friend-turned-boyfriend lived across the street from me and “prom-posed” with a sign in his apartment window just like in the music video.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? How do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business going forward?
There are so many people mourning the loss of live music and the connection that comes with it––I fully believe that that industry will come back. Live music is such a communal experience, and it’s so vital to artists’ connecting with new audiences and making new fans. Social media was important prior to the pandemic, but it really has just become king, especially TikTok. That shift at times feels superficial, but it has also allowed new artists to get recognized without major label support behind them, which is a unique opportunity.
What have you been doing during quarantine?
I was living with my family in upstate New York for a while, and spent most of my time songwriting, auditioning, and working remotely. Quarantine has strangely been the most creative time in my life––there are fewer distractions and I’ve had far more free time in the day. I went back to college in September so now I’ve been balancing remote school with launching my music career.
Why did you paint your keyboard?
I actually painted my keyboard as a form of procrastinating packing for college. It was the day before I was supposed to move in, and I wasn’t ready to pack and accept that I was leaving the comfort of home. My dream piano is a baby blue Wurlitzer, so I thought painting my piano blue would bring me joy and be a good temporary substitute.
Why did you stop the Barn Sessions/will they be coming back?
The Barn Sessions were recorded at the horse farm where my mom lives––it was difficult to lug recording equipment down there, but it was a lot of fun! I definitely want to start them up again over the summer.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies this past year?
I started running again for the first time in a while and I love how mind-clearing it is. I also used to only run inside on a treadmill, and finally have been converted to outdoor running by my friends.
In the past, if a musician stops doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants… If you couldn’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I thought for a long time that I wanted to work in immigration––I interned at a public defender’s office in the Bronx, and in the U.S. Senate, advocating on behalf of detained clients. I came to realize that I could use my art as a way to advocate for that community too.
What/where is your happy place?
Swimming in the ocean in the sunshine is where I feel the most at peace. Living someplace where my piano can overlook the beach is the ultimate goal!
