Grace Mitchell celebrated her 20th birthday with an epic performance at the Chicago Athletic Association during a Lollapalooza after-show. The following day, the singer donned a black leather jacket, her signature mop of red curly hair, coupled with opaque shades that disguised her as a 1970s punk rocker.
The Oregon native was soft-spoken and calm despite the buzz of the festival. She tells me that although she grew up in trendy Portland, Oregon, she has always felt more inspired by the music in Los Angeles and New York City. “I’ve always loved the punk rock and underground scenes in New York and the Americana music in Los Angeles,” she says.
Grace Mitchell
Image credit: Will Nixon
Mitchell’s second EP, Raceday, was released in 2015 and was co-produced by Mark Foster, the front man of indie pop band Foster the People, and Rich Costey (Muse, Of Monsters and Men).
“Mark [Foster] is a really fascinating musical force,” she says of working with Foster on Raceday. “Working with him has always been mind-broadening experience. I think that like myself, he doesn’t really have a definitive sound. He follows what he’s inspired by in the moment, which is also my style.” Mitchell continues to say how working with Foster allowed her to avoid any challenges limiting her to one specific sound. As far as her sound goes, she describes it as alternative rock, but more importantly, she wants listeners to become energized by her music, regardless of the genre. “I want people to come away from my music feeling creatively inspired and emotionally inspired,” she admits.
Mitchell reveals that she is fascinated by the fans who approach her with stories of how her music has influenced them. “I had someone tell me that my song ‘Your Design’ was really inspiring to her because she’s an architect,” she says with a laugh. “I did was so surprised. I thought it was funny because she related so much to it and I would never have expected that.”
After being featured on the Coachella 2017 lineup and performing at the Toyota Den at Lollapalooza 2017, this youthful singer is busy gearing up to release her full-length debut album. Listeners can indulge in her already-released singles “Capital Letters” and “Come Back For You.”
