GRACE MARR TALKS ABOUT HER DEBUT EP, FUTURE GOALS & MORE [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]
BY BRENESSA ROACH | MAY 1, 2024
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Meet Grace Marr, an Alternative-Inspirational singer-songwriter hailing from Ottawa, Canada and currently residing in Toronto, Canada. She debuted on September 27th, 2020 with the single “Upside”.
On April 5th, 2024, Grace Marr released her debut EP Supernatural which includes 5 songs. Behind The Beat had the opportunity to interview Grace and break down her EP, discuss her future goals and more.
THE BEGINNING OF GRACE MARR
Can you introduce yourself? What do you do?
Grace Marr: Yes! My name is Grace Marr and I’m a multi-genre songwriter and ‘Alternative Inspirational’ artist (a term I’ve coined to embody my fusion of Gospel/CCM, Folk, and R&B). I serve my people, God, and songs to the best of my ability! Telling stories and sharing with my community through art and conversation.
How did your musical journey begin?
Grace Marr: Oh man! I’ve been singing and making up songs for fun for as long as I can remember! I’d put on concerts during recess at school, and write songs in my journal when I’d get home… always throwing my hat in the ring for school talent shows, never shying away from the mic or an opportunity to speak or sing/perform in front of a room full of people. I started taking it more seriously when people started telling me that I was good at it! From there I just kept going, first performing around Ottawa and then eventually traveling to write and sing songs in Canada and abroad.
SUPERNATURAL EP BREAKDOWN
What is the inspiration behind this EP? / What is the meaning?
Grace Marr: Ouf! Yes! Supernatural is the result of a wrestle I’ve had for a few years with this idea of holiness. That God is making something beautiful, and has already made something beautiful from our most raw and honest selves, so we don’t need to strive for perfection or try to fit in. We show up as our full selves because the humanity and divinity that lives within us is holy and beautiful – supernatural.
What was the writing and production process like for the EP?
Grace Marr: I came to Kilometre Music Group with a folder of songs that I’d received a FACTOR grant to produce, both faith-based and everyday inspired! But I wasn’t sure which ones I should be releasing or pitching to other artists. The Supernatural EP came out this conversation I had with my musical collaborators and friends TJ Whitelaw, Chris Kim, and Mohamed ‘Mido’ Elkhalifa, that I could release both Gospel and Folk/R&B, faith-based or more life-inspired lyrics, and be an artist that doesn’t shy away from the divine or raw, human expression of it. From there, we gathered for a few weeks and these songs I wrote in my bedroom at my folks’ house back in Ottawa, came to life!
Can you break down each track?
Grace Marr: The title-track, “Supernatural”, is my journey from shame to God-fidence. Its heavenly synths, funky bass lines, and effortless background vocals act as the messengers of this idea that God is making something beautiful, even supernatural, with our most raw, and honest selves.
Grace Marr: “Belong” is a simple yet emotive soul track that makes the heart feel at home through intricately woven lyrics, luscious harmonies, and grooving bass lines. An ode to influences such as Yebba, Alicia Keys, and Daniel Caesar, this song captures my artistry and sound so effortlessly… and has helped me to believe I’m truly where I belong in life. I hope it does the same for others!
Grace Marr: “Gin” welcomes me and my community into church ‘sippin’ on gin’ with a cool blend of folk and R&B/soul. This visual story of growing up in church and not quite ‘fitting in’ is told through acoustic guitar and a relaxed beat as I reclaim holiness and divinity despite the fear of religious backlash. This special tune features spoken word poet Heather Beamish, as she reminds us too of the freedom of Jesus and finding a home in our truest selves and God.
Grace Marr: “Gold” is a badass pop single, centered around confidence, using your enemies as fuel to keep fighting, and the realization that each of us is ‘worth all the gold’. With a moody synth bass, angelic vocal harmonies, and a belty chorus, this dark percussive track is in line with modern divas such as Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, and Jessie J.
Grace Marr: “Twenty-Two Again” was written after a phone call with my best friend about all the things we wished we had done before the responsibilities of adulthood had kicked in. The heavy synths, sirens, and angelic harmonies set the listener free from the worries of life, in the same way it urged me when I wrote it to engage with my youthful nostalgia and live with the understanding that our time here is precious, so let’s live with that wisdom!
Can you describe this EP using a colour and why you chose that colour?
Grace Marr: Neon green!! You can’t get more supernatural than that!
What is your favourite song on the EP?
Grace Marr: Probably “Gin”… it’s the one I was most scared to release, and yet the one that I think so truthfully and powerfully expresses my heart for church and the world.
What do you want your fans/listeners to feel and take away from this EP?
Grace Marr: Relatability. So much of my church experiences have been striving to be cool or perfect… I hope my people, both religious and non-religious, feel seen and heard in their everyday life and faith through these songs. If I share my messy and wrestle, maybe they won’t feel the need to tidy or hide theirs either? Resting in the fact that we’re good, we are so good.
How has music helped you find your identity and connect with your spirituality?
Grace Marr: Oh man… The best songs are when you get honest and are open-hearted enough to receive the music without ego or judgment. That takes such a pure heart and energy? Let alone being brave enough to stake your claims in the ground about your spirituality in such a public way. So releasing these stories of what I’ve experienced and have had to get honest about and receive for myself first, has required a level of vulnerability in my spiritual life that has brought me so much closer to Jesus. To get okay with being fully seen and fully loved, beautifully and supernaturally. I am so thankful for this project and the people that journeyed with me here.
FINDING HER SOUND
How did you find your sound? And can you describe your general genre?
Grace Marr: I’m not even totally sure where my sound came from?! Haha! Probably a multitude of things, but some of it definitely came from listening to my Mom and her girlfriends practicing their band’s folk covers growing up, and tuning into the local Majic 100.3 radio station for adult contemporary/R&B artists like TLC, Alicia Keys, and Adele. I’d say that my genre would be Gospel/CCM and Folk/R&B, especially for the phrasing and storytelling styles…
What is your favourite song from your discography so far? And for first time listeners, what song would you recommend them to listen to out of your discography?
Grace Marr: Ah! That’s so tough! They’re so different for so many reasons… I’ve mentioned “Gin” being a favourite off the EP because of its message, but I’d say “Belong” is probably my sonically favourite because I think it flows from all the genres we discussed so effortlessly? Its message is also so sweet, that if we just paused for a minute we might be where we belong! I’d say out of the discography, “Twenty-Two Again” is just that fun tune you can’t help but feel free listening to! Definitely gotta check that one out.
FUTURE GOALS
Without giving away too many details, what can listeners expect for the rest of 2024?
Grace Marr: Let me give away all the details!! Haha! I’m going to be releasing a ton of music throughout the rest of the year including my debut album, Saving Grace, later this year. It’s got a warmer and more live sound than Supernatural, but the heartbeat is the same. Holy and human. All good and divine. Alongside the album we’ve got loads of visuals including a documentary behind the making of the record! And follow-up collaborations and additional songs for extended release. You can also keep an ear out for some Christmas tunes come December!
Supernatural is available on all digital streaming platforms, so make sure to listen to it here.
Special thanks to Grace Marr and her team for introducing us to Grace and taking the time to do this interview with us!
Check out Grace Marr on Spotify:
Check out Grace Marr on Instagram: @gracemarrmusic
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