Abi Grace is only 23 and relatively new to the Seattle music scene, but already she has begun to draw comparisons to Ani-Difranco and Conor Oberst, drawing the attention of local bloggers and music lovers for her "captivating, chameleon like vocals" (Spew, Dec 2009), and thoughtful lyrics.
Combining a love of mythology, an intuitive understanding of the world around her, and a deep seeded need to create; Abi has been weaving together lyrics and melody for as long as she can remember. "Music became my way of expressing my feelings more then anything else. Secret crushes, frustration with school or work, confusion; I've written a song about all of it. I'm something of an emotional exhibitionist, I suppose."
Despite the central role music has played in her life, there was a point where she nearly gave it up. During her Junior and Senior year of college as she struggled to find the right career path, Abi pushed her music to the back burner. " I thought I was being down to earth and practical, but really I was letting other people's expectations guide me instead of following my own internal compass" she says as she reflects back to that time. "I finally woke up when I realized that no matter what I did, someone would nay-say it, so I might as well do what I'm good at."
Working forty hours a week as a receptionist, Abi pumped her extra time and money into recording a full length album with her long time friend Chris Mathews Jr. The result, Heroically Lost, Heroically Found, draws together material written over a four year period in an attempt to put a sound track to the process of finding yourself. Through the course of ten songs, it follows the break from naivety,the following loneliness and isolation, a re-evaluation of relationships, and finally the dawning of new awareness. " I wanted to make something that reflected my experiences but retained a universal quality that anyone could relate to. Every song has a soul, and that is what I try to communicate through my music. While the inspiration for each song may have originated in my own experience, they take on a life of their own when I perform them." Abi then turned to a new website, Kickstarter.com, to raise over $1000 for duplications cost. Thanks to the generosity of friends and strangers around the world, as well as the dedicated efforts of friends closer to home who provided art and talent for free, Abi Grace was able to release Heroically Lost, Heroically Found on Halloween 2009.
She is now in the process of forming a band and writing new material, while continuing to play shows around the Seattle area. You can find her schedule here, as well as resources to help Abi get a gig at your favorite venue.
