GRAE

Canadian pop rock princess GRAE is burning up the charts with her latest single “Heated!” Based in Toronto, GRAE began songwriting at an early age and was supported by her father after her mother passed away when she was young.

GRAE’s music career revved up in 2017 and her debut album Whiplash was released in 2022.

Her song “Slow Down” can be heard on two different Netflix series, Sex/Life and Virgin River.

Extended Plays have been her jam with New Girl, Permanent Maniac and 7 Minutes ’Til Heaven. She’s already working on an upcoming EP and sat down to talk about it recently.

JN: (Jerry Nunn) I was sad to have missed your last concert in Chicago.

G: (GRAE) Don’t worry, there will be plenty of shows to come, although a lot of indie artists aren’t going over to the States right now because of visas and with everything going on, things have gotten way more expensive.

JN: I am glad I could meet with you in Canada, then. Are you from Toronto?

G: I am from the surrounding area. I grew up in Aurora, Ontario, which is a small town that is only a few hours from here. I spend a lot of my time in Toronto now.

JN: I love it here and I have attended Pride in Toronto in the past.

G: The Prides here are really cool. I performed at Toronto Pride here last year.

JN: How was it?

G: It was really lovely and the LGBTQ+ community has always been so kind to me. It was nice to be able to perform for them and meet many of them in person.

JN: Did you always want to be a singer?

G: It was one of those things where I fell into it. I always told my dad that it was what I wanted to do with my life and he was super supportive. I went through high school knowing it was what I wanted to do. Being a singer was an anchor thought and helped me get through tough times at school.

I started playing guitar and piano more seriously around the age of 10. I would perform at my school in front of everyone and my family supported me, which is something I didn’t take for granted. When someone is not in line with what society wants them to be, then sometimes parents have issues with that. Luckily, mine never did, so I had incredible support growing up.

JN: Were there musicians that you looked up to?

G: Yes. I credit Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation. I would carry around that album when I was five years old and tell my dad to play it all the time.

I listened to singers like Corinne Bailey Rae and Norah Jones. I liked jazzy singers like Diana Krall.

I grew up around a vast amount of music like Elton John, Supertramp, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Michael Jackson, Prince, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. It’s a lot of ‘70s rock from my dad!

JN: I hear that from many artists that their parents influenced their music career.

G: What is played in your house while growing up has a significant influence on your life, even if you don’t become a singer. Music gets tied to so many memories.

JN: Do you have a Robert Smith tattoo?

G: I do. I have two!

JN: You are a real fan.

G: So this one, I didn’t like how it aged over time and the eyes got blown out. A tattoo artist encouraged me to get another one and this other one is new. I got it a couple of months ago.

I love The Cure. They have influenced my music sonically and lyrically I reference them a lot.

JN: Robert Smith tattooed his makeup on because he was tired of applying it every day.

G: Really? I didn’t know that.

JN: That’s my gift of information to you. Your gift for me is the song “No Lovey Dovey.” I have played it a million times.

G: Well, I brought you the vinyl and CD for more gifts.

JN: Thank you. That just made my day! Do I call you GRAE?

G: Emily is my real name.

JN: Do you feel that your fuchsia colored hair is your brand now?

G: I have had pink hair for four years and it has definitely changed into a brand. It’s a bit washed out now, but I added red to the tips recently. It was a big deal for me.

JN: You write all the lyrics and music?

G: Yes, but I had collaborators on the Whiplash album with Connor Seidel, Derek Hoffman and Willa Milner. I just released “Heated!” off an album that is coming out this fall. I am working again with Derek on that project.

I did an album in between called 7 Minutes ‘Til Heaven, which an experimental time for me.

JN: The first track from the 7 record is titled “American Dream.” Isn’t that featuring former Prince protege Apollonia?

G: Yes, Apollonia Kotero. Back when Prince died, I had reached out to her on Facebook to express my condolences. She sent me back a heart and I started following her on Instagram. I was doing an Instagram live event and she came on there saying she wanted to work with me.

I messaged her directly after and said I would take her up on that offer. It was during COVID and it didn’t fit into the new music I was working on.

In 2022, I went to LA and I went to dinner with Apollonia. It was on the anniversary of Prince’s death, which felt aligned. It just happened to work out that way. She is now a mentor and a friend.

JN: I interviewed Prince’s Wendy and Lisa recently and they were really nice.

G: This is my whole Prince leg of tattoos. I saw Prince 27 days before he passed away. I am a massive Prince fan.

JN: Me too. Have you been to Paisley Park?

G: I won an Airbnb contest to stay in his Purple Rain house in Minneapolis. I got sick and had to give my ticket away to a friend.

JN: That’s too bad. You did a group song like “We Are the World” in the past, didn’t you?

G: Yes. “What I Wouldn’t Do” was a charity song where the proceeds went to Kids Help Phone, a suicide prevention and mental health organization.

JN: Have you performed at Lollapalooza yet?

G: No, I haven’t. It is on my list of dream festivals where I would like to perform.

JN: I am sure you will play there one day. How do you describe yourself as an artist?

G: I have tried to understand myself more through the albums I have created. I will say I am ever-changing. I take inspiration from many different things and that can confuse people with my art.

I am genre fluid. My last album 7 Minutes ’Til Heaven, was entirely different than anything I had ever done. Some people loved it and some people didn’t understand it. With art, it can be good to provoke a reaction like that.

I am a nostalgic artist who writes about heartbreak and I can be crazy!

JN: That’s a good answer.

G: I have done a lot of identity searching.

JN: I think we all do and we never stop growing.

G: True and there’s not a certain age where a person has it all together.

JN: You must be very proud of the track “Heated!”

G: Oh yeah. It is almost like a homecoming for me because it is going back to the original song that made me. I am excited for the fans to hear the new EP. It is influenced by The Cure.

JN: New tunes and two tattoos of Robert Smith. Does this come with a new tour?

G: I am working on a headlining tour. Unfortunately, there are no United States dates yet. It will just be locally here in Canada so far. I will be announcing more later this month.

JN: I am so glad I came to visit you here in Toronto then.

G: Me too!