We’ve been following Perth artist RW Grace for the past year or so, since she emerged, then simply known at Grace, with debut release Pluto. Since then, she’s toured the country (including on support for Glass Animals and Jarryd James), re-branded as RW Grace, and dropped a brand new single, All The Friends I Lost, as well as her forthcoming EP Love It Miss It Need It Want It. Her sound is a unique, not to mention occasionally strange blend of dark pop and experimental electronic. It’s difficult to pin down and define, which only makes it that much more interesting and tantalising.
We wanted to get to know the woman behind the music a little better, so we asked Grace to share three albums that have impacted her life, or her musical and personal journey in some way. Here, in her own words, are three albums that changed RW Grace’s life.
EMA – Past Life Martyed Saints
This EMA record had an enormous effect on me. I love it because it makes my insides feel torn apart. It made me recognise the gut wrenching effect of laying out the ugly truth – something I think I strive for in my own songwriting. Her words hit me so hard. Like a truck. I don’t know how she managed to perform this live. If I ever feel like withholding details in in my songwriting, I just have to listen to this and I hear so much courage. So much of my own truth.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
I remember reading about this record for the first time and thinking “this sounds like something I could be into…” And so began my love affair with all that is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs… This album sounds so pure and unaffected to me. Nick Zinner’s guitar playing and Karen O’s vocal inflictions still have a huge influence on my own to this very day. I consider this record a massive turning point in my musical direction.
Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Undoubtedly one of my favourite records of all time [ed note: me too]. Every now and then I listen to it uninterrupted start to finish and it never fails to hit a nerve deep inside me. There is so much depth and philosophical intrigue in the lyrics. Also so much beauty. I met Isaac Brock once and couldn’t help but marvel at the thought of all this incredible language inside his shell – this one body, this head. It pours rainbows out of me. I never told him.
RW Grace’s EP comes out this Friday, November 20 – pre-order it here.