Caroline Grace on Art & Vulnerability
Photography: Carianne Older, Stylist: Marissa Motley, Sylist Assistant: Samantha Marie, Makeup: Dalton
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Up-and-coming R&B artist, Caroline Grace, was one that hit our radar a few months ago with her EP, Afraid of The Dark. Since then, Grace has hit the ground running with her latest release, two tracks titled ‘Alone,’ and ‘All Figured Out.’ In this interview, we gain a little more insight into the face behind the name, staying true to yourself within a competitive industry, and honesty within creation. Make sure to check out her music, available on all streaming platforms.
First can you give a little bit of introduction about yourself for our readers?
I’m Caroline, I’m 23. I spend most my time making music, performing music, or figuring out how to get people to listen to my music. I also sometimes have a life.
What initially drew you to making music? And how did you develop your sound so early on?
To be honest with you, I don’t even know. I’ve been singing and making music for as long as I can remember. I starting writing, singing and performing when I was a kid and never stopped. Developing my sound took a minute. It was a lot of trial and error before I figured it out. It’s still evolving and I don’t think will ever stop.
Can you tell us a little bit about your May EP release, ‘Afraid of the Dark?’ What was that songwriting process like?
I started writing the songs off ‘Afraid Of The Dark’ last December. It was about a six month process writing several times a week. It was my first musical baby and so cool to see it come to life.
Have you faced any difficulty trying to distinguish yourself and your work within the music industry? Could you maybe elaborate a bit on that?
Definitely. Breaking through in this industry is tough. You have to always display your uniqueness and value. The most difficult part for me has been figuring out “exactly who I am” and being the most genuine form of myself. I think when you focus too hard to it, you confuse yourself rather than just trusting your instincts and path. Who you are is also always evolving and all you can do is try to be the most authentic form of yourself in that moment.
“Who you are is always evolving and all you can do is try to
be the most authentic form of yourself in that moment.”
What are some goals you’re looking to reach in the near future? Distant?
I have so many! Aside from obvious goals with my career as a creative, I’m extremely passionate about the music business. I want to grow my production company in all its facets and through it always aim to do good.
What’s one thing you’d want people to walk away with after listening to your work?
I want them to walk away feeling more confident and more empowered to just do their thing. Too many people have an opinion of who you are and what you should be doing. At the end of the day you’re the only one who truly knows what will make you the happiest and most fulfilled.
Tell us about your new single "Alone," what was the inspiration behind the song?
I wrote ‘Alone’ during a lovely period of time when all of my best friends seemed to be in relationships. I was happy for them but also bummed and a little bit lonely. At the same time though I found myself rejecting every potential love interest that came my way. Essentially I wanted to be single and was confident on my own, however, couldn’t help but want someone to come into my life that I could really see myself with.
Why do you think it’s important to be honest and vulnerable with our art? And how do you find the confidence and self-assurance to put yourself out there?
Vulnerability and art go hand and hand. The reason I make music is to relate to people and the only way you can do that is to share genuine experiences. For the longest time I was so afraid to put a song. But once I did it my confidence shot through the roof. It was like by putting everything out there to the world, I was accepting every part of myself. And at the end of the day my own assurance is all that I need.
“Vulnerability and art go hand and hand … once you speak your
fears and write them down, they lose their power.”
I know opening up isn’t always an easy thing, especially with something so public as music. What advice would you give to someone struggling with that?
The first step is to just create and be honest with what you’re creating. I think you’ll find that the process is very therapeutic. Once you speak your fears and write them down they lose their power. Then once you’ve dealt with the certain things you talk about in your songs and accepted them, release them to the world. You’ll see that you care a lot less about what people think once you accept yourself.
Any closing statements?
Just thank you for reading! I’m stoked to have you along on this journey with me.
