Rising country artist Harper Grace (and “American Idol” alumna) chatted about her new single “Oh Say Can You See,” which will be released on Friday, May 19.
Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This quote applies to Harper Grace.
This journalist sat down and chatted with this promising female songstress at a pizzeria in Times Square, New York City. “It feels awesome to be in New York,” she said.
“I just had some awesome New York pizza, which is one of the greatest pizzas I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. I think New York pizza is my new favorite food,” she said with a sweet laugh.
Musical influences and roots
Growing up, she was influenced by such classic country artists as “The Man in Black” Johnny Cash and country queen Dolly Parton. “The first song I ever learned to play on guitar was Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’,” Grace said, prior to noting that she has an “old soul.”
“It’s important for me to keep my roots in everything that I do,” she added. “I love the vintage feel and old school aesthetic and I want to capture that in the music that I release.”
“Lately, I enjoy HARDY and Morgan Wallen’s music and songwriting, as well as Ingrid Andress and Lainey Wilson on the female side,” she said.
She is thrilled to be signed with Curb Records, the Jonas Group, and WME. “It has been a full-circle moment to work with Jonas Group CEO Phil Guerini, I’ve known him since I was 14 years old. The whole Jonas Group team has surrounded me with encouragement, and they have lifted me up in every way that they can. I am very grateful for the stability in my team, they feel like family to me,” she said.
Advice for hopefuls in music
For young and aspiring artists, Grace said, “Honestly, I think Lainey Wilson said it best at your ACM acceptance speech for ‘Female Artist of the Year.’ If you want to be a dreamer, you need to be a doer.”
“That’s one of the most incredible things, so dream as big as you possibly can. If you have drive, dedication, and effort, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Just make you sure put in the work, and you will get there,” she added.
New single ‘Oh Say Can You See’
On her new radio single “Oh Say Can You See,” she said, “I am very excited. I am ecstatic. I’ve had this title for as long as I can remember right after the natioanl anthem incident happened to me 10 years ago.”
Grace continued, “I wanted to be able to capture what had happened to me in a song. It took me so long to actually write this song. The day that I wrote it in Nashville, I wrote it with two of my friends, Alex Kline and Scott Stepakoff, and in my heart, I knew I was going to write that song that day.”
“So we got there, and it was the fastest song I had ever written… in less than an hour. It was this beautiful song and it was near and dear to my heart, especially with all of the ordeals that I went through at 11 years old. At the time, I was known as the worst national anthem singer ever. This song was so autobiographical to me and that chapter in my life,” she elaborated.
“It is cathartic to be able to release this song because it is all of the things that I would say to my younger self. My hope is that my song can help other people overcome their hardships and obstacles, and know that they are not alone,” she added.
She described herself as “a girl that loves to dream” but she does put in “the hard work and effort” to do so. “I hope this song is an encouragement for other people as well,” she admitted.
The digital age
On being a singer-songwriter in the digital age, Grace said, “It is so crazy how it has transformed radio from being the No. 1 importance to having all of these streaming platforms right at our fingertips. It is such a crazy and awesome opportunity. Not only I can look up my own song, but I could look up my favorite artists as well on Spotify, Apple Music, and I can even ask Alexa to play a song that I love.”
“It’s really cool how social media and our phone can really change the world right now. It makes things so accessible for the fans to listen to as well,” she said.
Grace expressed her love for vinyl and shared that she would love to have her songs on vinyl someday. “I think it’s really neat and important to keep vinyl in our generations,” she said. “I want my kids to someday know what vinyl is.”
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Grace said, “Metamorphosis and Persistence.” “Things are going to start to continuing to roll and I am going to fly my wings,” she said.
Dream duet partners in music
She listed Dolly Parton, HARDY, and Lainey Wilson as her dream duet choices in music.
Regarding her definition of the word success, Grace said, “Success to me, honestly feels like touching many hearts. Also, platforms giving me the opportunity to speak and connect. I love my one-on-one connection with my fans and listeners, that means the world to me.”
“Oh Say Can You See” is available for pre-order on digital service providers by clicking here. “I hope this song gives my listeners and fans hope in their own lives. I hope they gain hope and courage,” she said.
For more information on country singer-songwriter Harper Grace, check out her official website, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
