Amanda Grace photo by Janelle Kieffer Photography
Amanda Grace – Interview
Amanda Grace is a songwriter musician who resides in the northern US in Minnesota, and she’s been getting some great press and feedback from fans about her fun, poignant songs. She has a new album Give Me Away, and attributes her music inspiration to her mother’s influences growing up. We had a chance to sit down for a chat about all this and more with Amanda Grace.
Americana Highways: How did you decide to name your new album Give Me Away?
Amanda Grace: It’s the title track name and really the exact place I’ve come to arrive at in my life. It’s sort of about letting go of ego and realizing that you have gifts for others in doing what you do each day. A lot of the time the things that we do for others don’t seem like anything special, in fact, we probably would say most of them would go unnoticed. But it’s these tiny, seemingly insignificant moments where we reflect some of the kindness in us to another person that is the essence of the title track.
AH: Did any of the songs on the album come to you almost completely out of the blue & where were you when it happened?
AG: The one song that would fit the bill the most would be “Best Part Of Me.” The verse part was pretty straightforward, but the chorus sort of dropped on my lap. It is my personal favorite on the album. “Wouldn’t Be You” also sort of wrote itself; I don’t remember working very hard on it, but I feel like it was meant to reach people that are needing to leave an unhealthy relationship behind. The chorus of “New Year” also seemed to be one of those things that sort of just landed lightly; and that song really cheers me up when I sing it. My daughter also suggested I change one of the words to ‘smile;’ which I just really enjoy!
AH: When they don’t come suddenly out of the blue, what’s your songwriting process?
AG: Each song I write comes to me differently so I wouldn’t say I have one process. It’s about listening to the words and concepts that are forming in my mind; things that I really want to convey to others. Sometimes it’s a chord progression that helps pull those feelings out, and sometimes it’s a melody that will catch with me and I’ll try to find chords to figure it out. Most of the time I am playing around with a few chords and come up with a melody and go from there. I work on my rhymes, like most songwriters do, and I try to make sure that phrases come out the way they should to communicate how I feel. Sometimes it is a lucky thing but most of the time it takes work to get a song to come out the way I want. I try to take some modern songwriting concepts and apply them; ie hooks etc but I don’t want my songs to feel like a formula either so it’s a fine line.
AH: What did you learn about yourself when writing and recording the album?
AG: I still have a ways to go in terms of how far my songwriting and vocal abilities can expand and that’s exciting to me. I also learned that the songs I think will have little impact on others can actually often have the most, which is humbling. I learned about being efficient in the studio, and found that having a couple days away from home for each session was a really good thing for me! I had some moments on “Love Yourself” where I actually wept; which was a surprise to me. But it’s easy to compare ourselves to others and the world doesn’t let up on the unattainable perfection that social media temps us to reach for.
AH: Can you give us an anecdote (or two) of a time (or two) someone let you know one of your songs touched them? Which song was it?
AG: I have recently had a couple moments where “Love Yourself” has had a true impact on a few people. I am an aunt many times over and I had been listening to my niece talk about a toxic friendship that had her down. We went to hang in the studio and I played her the song with just the two of us, and she had a good cry. Kids have it hard growing up with social media and they need a space to let down once and awhile and I was glad that she felt close enough to share that moment with me.
The second story about that same song actually happened today – I got an email from someone in the opposite walk of life from my nieces’ space, and the friend shared that they were listening to it on the way home from dinner and so enjoyed the song. They didn’t elaborate much on why it touched them, but I think maybe because it’s a life lesson we have to relearn over and over again. There truly isn’t anything better to me than knowing my songs can reach a few people; it’s everything to me.
AH: If someone only had ten minutes, which 3 songs on the album should they listen to first & why?
AG: My recommendations would be: “Hey Pretty One” first. This song is about meeting someone new but then at the end deciding that it was just a moment and not something they want to go after. I see this as the fun side of me; I love trying new things in all aspects of my life and I don’t feel I need to be a master at all of them. Then “Love Yourself” – I feel this song is about the part of me that gets super down for others when they feel down. I want others to believe in their value as a person and it’s a hard thing to live out myself each day. “Best Part Of Me” is truly my favorite song of the album. I’ve been with my husband for over 20 years and we have worked together to keep my music and family life going forward. He’s my best friend and strongest fan.
AH: Which song is the most fun to play, on the album?
AG: “Hey Pretty One” is the most fun for me to play live hands down; it just flows and doesn’t have too many chord changes so bandmates can let go a bit more and enjoy some creative improv moments. The other song that makes me super happy to perform live is “New Year.” The chorus of the song was written first and in my mind I thought that other people might like it because I think it’s normal for everyone to want the fresh mindset from the approaching of a new year. After some life challenges this last fall, that song now truly makes me smile because I needed a reset too as well as better hopes towards the future.
AH: When you were a kid, who inspired you to make music?
AG: My mother. She played by ear and did a lot of music for others whenever asked.
AH: What was it like, playing together with your mom?
AG: I grew up singing with my mom for as long as I can remember. She is a great songwriter. I produced her “Little Girl” song on my album Trains, Cars + A Trip To Mars and still can’t sing it live without choking up! She worked hard every second I can remember; singing as lead worship leader for many years while juggling full time work and motherhood. She was the first to show me how amazing the piano was; she taught me ragtime songs from my grandmother, who also played the piano by ear. A funny thing we laugh about now is how she used to make me sing when I didn’t feel like it; she believed we all needed to use our gifts and she was very proud of her family onstage. We recently started songwriting together for the first time ever, and we hope to pick it back up now that this album is done! It’s never too late to start something new and I am proud that we have found a new way to share our love for music.
AH: Tell us what’s next for Amanda Grace?
AG: I love performing live and would love to keep that momentum. I plan to keep on going as hard as I can at live performance as doors open for me; but with a good intent on balancing a busy work/home life with it. I’m pretty down to earth about what I can do well and what I need to wait on. I’ll probably work on writing again over the next year and maybe release another album in 2026. I would like to stylistically stay in the realm of Give Me Away; as it’s a true reflection of the variety of styles I enjoy. I’ll maybe add a flare of pop but I also want there to be songs of substance; pieces that can inspire, challenge and stay with people.
Thanks very much for speaking with us, Amanda Grace.
You can find more information on her website here: https://musicbyamandagrace.com
Enjoy our review of her album here: REVIEW: Amanda Grace “Give Me Away”