Jessica Grace
Jessica Grace started playing the guitar when her sister cut off her fingernails and taught her 'find a river' by REM. Hardcore!
She first started writing songs when her cat ran away and she missed him. She was 13. When she grew up a bit she wrote a lot of songs about unrequited love. When she grew up a bit more she wrote a lot of songs about scary long-term abusive relationships, nuclear war and popular girls. She did a recording here and there, played very nervously in Leicestershire here and there, and got a bit depressed and addicted to cannabis here and there (well, mostly there). When she cheered up a bit (and moved to London) she wrote songs about amazing people she has the pleasure to say she knows/knew, recorded some new stuff, played 10,000 gigs and enjoys every single aspect of her whole entire being.
'Haunting and beautiful prozac-fuelled quasi-hippy lust songs 'Jessica Grace’s act is based on folksy guitar-picking and her gorgeous melodic voice, which wraps itself warmly around hard-edged lyrics reminiscent of the Mountain Goats. Lustful, affecting ballads like “Surely Not... ?” contain unmistakeable hints of Alanis Morisette, while “Bad” takes a more bluesy line, with jagged plucking under the syrupy vocals. Live, Grace’s voice oozes into every corner of the room, filling it liquid melancholy.'
Influences
Joni Mitchell, Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush, Tracy Chapman, The Bangles, Ashley Maher, Tori Amos, Jewel, Fiona Apple, Heather Nova, Paula Cole, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Aimee Mann, P J Harvey, Bic Runga, Emilliana Torrini, Nerina Pallott, Beth Orton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shania Twain (do your hoovering to it!) Jeff Buckley, REM, The Pixies, The Buzzcocks, Sisters of Mercy, Faithless, Foo Fighters, New Model Army, Alice in Chains, Jimmy Eat World, Radiohead, Joe Jackson, Johnny Cash, Depeche Mode. Nik Kershaw (yep, and proud of it), Cocteau Twins, Tears for Fears, Smokey Robinson, 4 Tops, Lionel Ritchie ('all night long' is my favourite). More recently: Jose Gonzalez
