Gracie Abrams Is Taking a “Curious and Sensitive” Approach to Life, Music and Aspirations

The past few years may have been a whirlwind for Gracie Abrams but she’s enjoying every moment, especially all the “firsts happening all the time.”

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Though Abrams is quite busy performing in sold-out venues on her headlining tour, which kicked off earlier this month, Abrams recently took some time to chat with The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom about life, music and her aspirations… who wouldn’t love getting deep on a Monday morning?

But the “Close To You” singer-songwriter, daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams, was gracious enough to offer a peek inside her life, which has seen plenty of exciting milestones in recent years, from releasing her debut album, Good Riddance , last year and dropping her sophomore album, The Secret of Us , in June to opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour in 2022 (and she’ll be back when Swift returns to the U.S. later this year) and now her Secret of Us Tour.

It’s a lot for Abrams, and probably any 25-year-old, to wrap their head around in a short timespan, but if one thing’s for certain, she’s just “letting the fun guide” her on this wild journey.

“I think I’m just getting a better feel for all this in real-time constantly, as there’s lots of firsts happening all the time,” the “I Love You, I’m Sorry” artist tells THR . “So I’m just trying to listen more than I speak these days and absorb as much as possible. I feel like a sponge.”

Below, Abrams gets candid about using her platform to make a difference, notably with the upcoming election (she’s previously endorsed Kamala Harris), her passion for the songwriting process, overcoming challenges and finding joy in the silent moments, which has been “enlightening” for her.

Nine months into 2024 and you’ve already released you’re second studio album and kicked off your new tour, what’s your reaction to this year so far?

When I think about this year, I do think about the process of making the album first. It just is kind of what marked this past year for me because it was such a surprise. It really came out of nowhere. I didn’t think I would fall into the making of a new album as quickly as we did with this one after putting out Good Riddance just a year ago. My expectation for the process was that it would take a lot more dedicated time and like planning, and there was something really spontaneous and kind of reactive about the songwriting process on this one and it was frantic in a way that I really loved feeling.

I guess being very surprised by what came out and then having a really sweet time kind of following that, now being on tour and everything that comes post writing and recording and producing, because that’s where I feel kind of most myself in the context of the work of it all. Everything else I’ve had, because of what the process felt like, it’s been this really kind of sweet North Star feeling to kind of hold on to and then follow it. I’ve just been kind of letting the fun guide everything else that’s come since the album’s been out.

Would you say each album is a new chapter and you don’t want them to feel the same?

Yeah, I think that’s true. Songs are roughly three minutes long, you know, they’re these tiny nutshell time capsules that are funny to kind of like preserve and then release, I think. I always, just historically and I’ve not been doing this very long, but every single time that I have put something out, it totally has felt like a chapter that I always kind of find myself sometimes giggling about having preserved because it can be… just because an album exists, doesn’t mean it was like off the back of a five-year-long relationship. It can be something that lasted for two months and then is now what I will be performing for the next year and a half straight on tour, so it’s funny. I think I’m just getting a better feel for all this in real-time constantly, as there’s lots of firsts happening all the time. So I’m just trying to listen more than I speak these days and absorb as much as possible. I feel like a sponge ( Laughs ).

Your music has connected with so many of your fans, but how has music helped you?

I have always turned to music first, as a place to kind of most immediately process feelings or allow music by artists who inspire me, who move me to support my personal experiences, you know, in my headphones. It’s just always been that place for me. I don’t know, I think that’s a very popular experience, and maybe corny to say, but it is like the place that I go, you know. All of my most formative memories and experiences and relationships — I know people have like synesthesia and some people associate feelings with color — I’m just like, I will remember a breakup by the song that I listened to, to get me through it or I remember moving into college and listening to XYZ religiously or like the first time I rode the subway by myself or whatever it is, that kind of thing, you know what I mean? There’s never been a moment that I haven’t leaned on music to make me feel more grounded, I suppose.

Would you say those personal experiences inform your own music?

All day, dude. I mean, the writing is what I love the most. That’s like my first love. All of my experiences end up in my song, for better or for worse ( Laughs ).

Is there a deeper meaning behind the title of your album The Secret of Us , and if so, could you share or is it a secret?

I love it being up for interpretation to the listener. I honestly feel like my lyrics are sometimes so conversational and sort of direct and to the point that it’s funny to sometimes dig into the meaning behind it because sometimes it’s quite literally like just there. But with the [album title], I know what it means for me. I was really excited when the title came up and it felt like a book title to me, and if I took myself out of it, I just would want to know the secret and I would want to know the us and it made me get like the kind of butterfly, bubbly, electric feeling ( Laughs ), so that’s why it stuck.

What song on the album would you say is most personal to you?

For sure! I mean, they’re all… I’d say nothing is literal, like there is thieves of truth in everything. I think one of the great joys about the process of writing this album is doing it with my best friend Audrey [Hobert], who is such an amazing writer outside of music as well. She had never written music before, but is such an epic writer, always had one of my favorite voices. And we grew up together, singing together, like on the bus on the way to school, making music videos to other people’s songs when we were in middle school, writing stories in college together, like the whole thing. And it was a very natural progression, though, completely unexpected of our relationship to then have this collaboration in a, it doesn’t feel professional because it was literally us — we’re roommates as well — like at home on our couch, kind of like fucking around and making each other laugh and cry and having a great time.

My point in mentioning Audrey, aside from just like crediting her massively, is because we got to weave our stories and our experiences and relationships into these songs in a way where it was both of us being like in our mid-20s, really reminding each other that we are all going through the same shit kind of. And while they’re all very personal to me, we’ve also built characters through these experiences that we’ve had. But short answer to your question, “Free Now” is one that comes to mind.

With so much going on in your life, especially being on tour now, how do you disconnect from the world to relax and reenergize yourself?

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Sometimes I won’t speak, like if I can get away with like not speaking for a day. It’s funny because when you’re touring, vocal rest days are really important, otherwise you’ll strain and get exhausted and blow it. But having those days built into my schedule has been enlightening because I actually find that going quiet helps me just completely rest my brain as well. So sometimes I just won’t make noise at all for days ( Laughs ). Otherwise, I just keep a lot of poetry in my [tour] bus, and in my bags that I carry around there’s like loose poetry everywhere. [I’m] reading that constantly while on the road, I’ve always found it really grounding. And I’m thinking kind of tour specific relaxation methods just because that’s what I’m in the middle of right now, but like hikes. We were just in Portland and I went on a really beautiful hike, and I think getting outside and being in actual nature, not just going to like a workout class, which I appreciate very much as well and will take advantage of when I can. But I personally love being outside with the trees, like I love being in nature. It just makes me feel better every time. So on tour, it’s really kind of like this really lucky opportunity to see more of the country than I normally get to and just immerse myself as much as possible before a show starts in like, “What is the natural landscape? What is the ecosystem of this particular city that we’re in? Where can we go listen to birds and be with the fairies ( Laughs )?” … Because especially on tour, it’s like you’re in dark rooms, you’re on a bus or you’re in a venue 99 percent of the time. So it’s really sick to be able to see the trees, see the animals, get some air.

As someone in the spotlight, how do you find the balance between your public and personal life?

I feel lucky that I’m not at a point where I feel like every time I go anywhere or if I walk outside, it’s not like the first thing that comes to mind at all. I don’t feel like the notion of any kind of invasion of privacy, it doesn’t dictate the way that I do anything right now really. I’ve been incredibly lucky where the large majority of my experiences with strangers out in the world, the very large majority, has been generous and kind and warm and not wildly boundary-crossing. I think the times that I’ve experienced the other version of those kinds of interactions, it’s definitely jarring and can feel unsettling. I’ve definitely felt like, whoa, holy shit, at times. There’s just this funny line that’s maybe not very funny actually where people forget that if you’re a stranger, you don’t lead with grabbing someone or touching them first, you know what I mean? There’s been instances like that where I’m sometimes spooked, I suppose, but most of the time it’s just really kind, generous, thoughtful, respectful humans that are generous enough to care about the music that I make and let me know that. But I feel lucky to not have it be top of mind anytime I leave the house.

I think the para-social relationships are really freaky. They can be really freaky and they also can be such a large factor of what builds these really beautiful communities of people, especially around music. And I can feel that at shows, you know what I mean? Like when we’re actually all in the same place and I can see everybody’s faces and I get these glimpses into their lives and it’s a real privilege for me. And I think it’s important for everyone to remember that we are all people and everyone’s got their own history and, yeah, grabbing people in the street isn’t smart or kind. So less of that, but all the warmth is so, so appreciated and I totally attempt to weave their [fan’s] generosity into my songs and stories. I think about them all the time, they’re such amazing people, so I’m very lucky to know them.

Is there anyone particularly you look up to in the industry or someone you can lean on for advice?

The first person that comes to mind is Ella [Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor], Lorde, who is a really dear friend and I just love her as a person so much and I have always respected the way that she’s navigated her career from day one. She’s someone that, when we do end up in the same place and get real time to catch up, I always leave feeling more centered in general, specifically, always more centered around tiny stressor when it comes to the industry or music or whatever. Even before we were good friends, the way that she knows herself is infectious. So yeah, Ella is someone that I always really value connecting with when we got to. She’s just the fucking best and is just a hilarious human.

Knowing so many young girls and other women look at you as their role model, what do you make of that and do you feel any pressure?

I’m so grateful that anyone would be under the illusion that I know what I’m doing at all. I think it’s just like I’m trying to be more intentional as I grow up with my words and my actions obviously. I don’t feel like it’s pressure in a negative way. I think it’s really almost a beautiful opportunity for me to quiet myself more even and be more thoughtful about what it is that I share and how I choose to think.

And just because it’s so topical just being on tour right now and being able to share spaces with a lot of younger people who are so open, I always look out at a crowd and see the faces of the people that show up and I do genuinely have this feeling of like, ‘Oh, I wanna be more like them,” because I’m really moved by how they lean in, I suppose. I don’t think pressure is the right word necessarily. I think I just wanna be thoughtful about it because I get to see them and I get to know them and if they’re looking up to me for any reason, I want to try to show up in a way that would be meaningful for them.

You’ve always used your platform to advocate for what you stand for, notably with the upcoming election [Abrams has previously announced her endorsement for Kamala Harris], and encouraging people to register to vote. Why is it important for you to speak out?

Because our country is burning and because I get to stand on an elevated surface every other night for the next six weeks ahead of the election this fall. There’s so many first-time voters at my shows and it is really fucking exciting to be able to participate in our democracy while it still exists. So it’s a really amazing opportunity being on tour this year, being able to partner with HeadCount and Planned Parenthood. I think it’s so crucial and really, it makes a difference to be able to have conversations face to face, and the reps from both HeadCount and Planned Parenthood are so amazing at their jobs. The response from my audience in terms of actual participation at the shows, preshow registering to vote with their friends, it is happening and so it’s really exciting. It’s one of the reasons that I’m most stoked to be on the road right now is the ability to speak face-to-face with the people that will have a massive say in the way that this election goes, you know what I mean? Like young people really need to show up, so I think all of us doing our part to make sure that happens is crucial.

If you could go back and tell little Gracie something, knowing where you are now, what would it be?

That like the most important thing is how you make somebody feel, like just really thinking about that, and also to go easier on herself probably and also to put her phone away 99 percent of the time.

Everyone faces their own battles at some point in life so could you share one of the biggest challenges you’ve been able to overcome to get to where you are now?

Everyone’s going through their own shit in more private ways than most people can see. … I feel like growing up, you’re learning about yourself constantly and everything is changing every five seconds, and my answer is far more personal than I actually honestly wish to get into, but I think having grace with yourself as you learn how to be in the world while also trying to do the thing that you love. And knowing that people will attach your name and your face to music and believe you to be one thing when really you feel kind of like a tornado or a chameleon or a weird creature alien like morphing into herself in real time.

I’ve not always had such thick skin and I think there’s this funny kind of relationship between being somebody who’s in the public eye at all, where what you hear all the time is you have to have really thick skin, like you gotta be tough in order to handle x, y, z, but also as a writer and an artist, it’s your job to also be raw and like cut open to everything and to feel it all. And I think balancing the two has at times felt shockingly challenging. It’s a learning experience and it’s a muscle and it’s kind of like you have to figure out how to balance the two things and I’m learning how to do that every single day. I would not necessarily say it’s the biggest challenge, but of the multiple paths of answers that came to mind, that’s what I can share.

I know you’ve said you’re enjoying this current chapter of life but do you ever think about where you would like to be in five years?

I have before and it morphs all the time, which I think is cool. I feel very open to the universe right now, and in terms of what I tend to chase, it’s always whatever the feeling is that will lead me to writing what I’m most excited about. So I hope that the people will still have me in five years and that I’ll be on a tour and that I’ll be really thrilled about my album, whatever it looks like in five years. But I also have non-music related goals ( Laughs ) that feel equally if not more important when I think about the next five years. So who knows, really? It’s all up for grabs.

If someone asked you to describe what makes Gracie Abrams, Gracie Abrams, how would you respond?

I feel curious and sensitive every day ( Laughs ). That’s my answer on Sept. 9, curious and sensitive.

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