By: Kat Harlton
It’s been said that 18 year-old singer/songwriter Grace Lachance has a voice and songwriting ability mature beyond her years. Performing from a very young age around Ottawa and her hometown of Stittsville, Ontario, at only 15, Grace was named the winner of the 2015 She’s The One contest at Ottawa Bluesfest.
In 2016, her cover of Kodaline’s “All I Want” earned Grace the opportunity to team up with Universal Music Canada to release her debut single. “Anymore” attracted attention from the Canadian radio industry, when she received the BellMedia Rising Star award and earned two #1 titles on AC Radio, taking the coveted spot for most added song and FUTURES spot.
After promoting and touring on her breakthrough radio success, Grace went back to work crafting a new vision. Lachance worked with different writing teams while developing her sound but established an unbreakable bond with New York City based producer Julie Kathryn, aka I Am Snow Angel. The single is a brilliant example of the “Women in Music” movement as two female artists poured out their energy and soul.
Grace’s style is multifaceted, combining elements of pop and alternative, with nods to prolific songwriters like Ed Sheeran, plus a hint of roots to create a sound that’s all her own. Drawing inspiration from her daily life, Grace is consistently expanding her repertoire of relatable songs.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Grace and talk musical inspirations, collaborations and what’s next.
Kat: Can you share some of the inspiration behind your latest EP When Lightning Strikes?
Grace: The EP is a response to my own personal experiences. Each song has a different meaning and intent. The inspiration behind it was my desire to create a body of work that best represented my new sound and style.
Kat: Can you speak a little on what it was like working with Rob Wells, Kayla Diamond, and Julie Kathryn?
Grace: Working with Rob Wells, Kayla Diamond, and Julie Kathryn was amazing. Rob Wells produced “Grow” and he truly captured the feel and vibe of the song. He is a very gifted producer. Kayla Diamond and I worked on “No Sound” together. She is very kind and talented musically; also great to work with. Julie Kathryn produced the whole EP with the exception of “Grow.” It was truly an honor to work with her. She is highly intelligent and has an exceptional ear for music production. I was very fortunate to have Rob Wells, Kayla Diamond and Julie Kathryn on my team.
Kat: Do you have any musical artists, role models or sounds that either inspire your music, or you personally? If so, who?
Grace: Certainly. There are so many talented musicians, each of which I draw different inspirations from. Lately, I’ve been listening to Maggie Rogers, her album, “Heard It In A Past Life” is exceptional. She is a fantastic writer and vocalist. Charlotte Cardin is another great artist and her songs are really catchy and bold. I admire her authenticity.
Kat: Who would you like to do a collaboration with?
Grace: There are so many. Natalie Maines for sure, she’s fearless in her songwriting. I would also love to collaborate with Khalid, Jack Garatt or Gavin James. I could go on forever!
Kat: What is on your playlist?
Grace: My playlist is 23 hours long! I’ll name some artists that I have on my playlist: Sasha Sloan, Kacey Musgraves, Khalid, Post Malone, Alec Benjamin, Lennon Stella, Maggie Rogers, Quinn XCII, Gavin James, Ella Mai, Bishop Briggs, and Charlotte Lawrence. I have around 300 artists on my playlist.
Kat: What’s next?
Grace: I try to focus on what’s happening in the present moment. Right now, I just released my first EP and I’m feeling so excited about the future. In terms of a future goal, I hope to release a full album. With every year comes brand new idea’s, inspirations and growth. I have so much new material and I hope to share my new songs with others.
For more on Grace Lachance please visit: http://gracelachance.com