Interview: Gracie Abrams on “Mess It Up”, journaling and being a woman in music

Gracie Abrams

Gracie Abrams has been surrounded by high-calibre creatives from birth, so it comes as no surprise that this Californian artist is on a viral trajectory. Her parents are blockbuster director J.J. Abrams and producer Katie McGrath, but despite her lineage, Gracie’s music ability is a standout as she pours out her diary through her lyricism. 

Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde are all counted in her followership, she’s worked with the likes of Joel Little (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Shawn Mendes), Julia Michaels and Sarah Aarons (Ruel, Mabel, Khalid) and her only performances have been behind a camera through the pandemic. She now has a dedicated crowd eager to catch her live in the flesh, but until that time comes, Gracie is dropping song after song to feed their hunger. 

Her latest release, “Mess It Up”, talks to a past lover as she begs for forgiveness. Interestingly, the track is produced by Blake Slatkin (Juice WRLD, Benny Blanco, Addison Rae) who she dated publicly for years before detailing their split on her TikTok earlier this year. The pair is now back together, and perhaps this track was the call out for reconciliation.

We caught up to discuss her writing process and how that’s evolved through lockdown, Easter Eggs in her music videos and being a woman in the music industry. 

“Mess It Up” is OUT NOW.

Image credit: Vince Aung

Tait McGregor

@taitmcgregor