Welcome to Albums That Shaped My Sound, our new series where we ask artists to choose ten of the most influential albums that have had a profound impact on their sound and ultimately, their lives. This week, singer-songwriter gracie breaks down the albums that shaped her infectious alternative pop-rock sound, leading to her debut album MISS MISFORTUNATELY which is set to drop on June 25th via Tooth and Nail Records.
With a penchant for writing deeply personal lyrics, sobering break up anthems, and providing an unfiltered snapshot of her life, Gracie shines on MISS MISFORTUNATELY, a stunning collection of Early 2000s-inspired alternative pop anthems, harkening back to the glory days of Avril Lavigne, Paramore and Demi Lovato, albeit through a fresh and modern lens. It’s safe to say that MISS MISFORTUNATELY is sure to be the soundtrack of your summer and will feel timeless and relatable to anyone who listens.
From Paramore and Demi Lovato to The 1975 and My Chemical Romance, gracie is unafraid to wear her influences on her sleeve throughout MISS MISFORTUNATELY, so without further ado here are the albums that shaped her sound!
Don’t Forget - Demi Lovato
This album found me at the Justice checkout line. I was nine, and Demi Lovato became everything I wanted to be. I already wanted to write songs and sing, but she introduced me to feminine rage and leather fingerless gloves.
Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato
Yet again, Demi Lovato had me in a chokehold. The "Here We Go Again" music video played in my head regularly, and her knack for memorable guitar lead-line intros, à la Avril Lavigne, really stuck with me and impacted where my ears tended to land for the rest of my life.
Brand New Eyes - Paramore
I was ten or eleven when I heard Brand New Eyes for the first time. It was the first Paramore album I had ever heard, and Hayley Williams became another icon to me. Her consistency in her look and sound really instilled integrity in me, and she soon topped the icon list in my mind when Demi started releasing pop music.
Riot! - Paramore
I dove into everything Paramore after falling in love with Brand New Eyes. Riot! is their most iconic album, in my opinion. Although Brand New Eyes has more nuance, which is more logistically inspiring to me, Riot! punches you in the face with a specific sound and emotion that will always live in me.
Paramore - Paramore
The self-titled album is probably the most inspiring Paramore album to me because of how boundary-pushing it is. When it first came out, I was mad because it felt so pop-oriented, and I guess I thought I was too cool for pop when I was fourteen. But once After Laughter came out, I revisited the self-titled album and fell in love with it. It carries a good amount of rage while having this bubblegum element to it, which I tend to refer to as ironic pop.
5 Seconds of Summer - 5 Seconds of Summer
Yes... I was a fangirl. In middle school, 5SOS hit me like a truck, and they ended up introducing me to tons of bands I wouldn’t have found otherwise. You may have been expecting me to give tons of cool old-school answers here, but 5SOS is the reason I found all of the cool old-school bands, so I must give credit where credit is due. And Luke Hemmings’ voice sounds like honey butter. I will not elaborate.
One of the Boys - Katy Perry
I listened to this album for the first time in my freshman year of high school. This is when I coined the "ironic pop" term. Katy was bubblegum, but it somehow seemed like she was making fun of bubblegum at the same time. I loved it. It was like watching a cheerleader burn her school down.
Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance
I remember screaming "Na Na Na" in my friend's car at the top of my lungs. This was another unexpected, boundary-pushing album, which excited me. I love it when people create sounds that nobody expects and then actually pull them off. [Vocalist] Gerard [Way's] storytelling in their music videos really sealed the deal for me.
Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
This album found me in a pretty traumatic season of life. I had already built the foundation of my sound and knew what I liked, but this album made me cry. It still does. I learned the importance of real, raw vulnerability from this album, and I found it healing. I knew I wanted my music to be healing. Phoebe makes everything feel human. I want to make people feel human.
Being Funny in a Foreign Language - The 1975
This album felt so all-encompassing to me. They pull from so many different sounds, and I love when artists make me feel like anything is possible, like there are no limits to where I can draw inspiration. I couldn’t go without mentioning The 1975 on this list because they are the kings of emo pop. I long to write gut-wrenching lyrics over chords that make you feel alive.
MISS MISFORTUNATELY is out June 25th via Tooth and Nail Records
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