Gracie Abrams isn’t keeping to herself on her sophomore album, ‘The Secret of Us’

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As a huge fan of Gracie Abrams and her music, I was absolutely thrilled to read about her recent studio sessions for her upcoming album “The Secret of Us.” Getting a behind-the-scenes look into how this talented artist collaborated with Aaron Dessner at Long Pond Studio was truly inspiring.

From a young age, Gracie Abrams has harbored a deep desire to entertain audiences through song. She often wishes she could express that she’s always been a natural-born performer.

Instead, she wrote songs alone in her bedroom, terrified of showing them to anyone.

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter shares, “I used to sing as softly as I could so no one would notice.” Her initial music reflects this softness with its subtle instrumentation and pop elements that resemble whispering. However, her second album, “The Secret of Us,” released recently, reveals a departure from this quiet approach.

“This album, it’s louder, because I was touring while I was making it,” she said.

Last year’s Grammy-nominated best new artist, Abrams, not only performed headlining shows for her debut album “Good Riddance,” but also joined Taylor Swift on the North American leg of her Eras tour, which currently holds the record as the highest-grossing concert tour ever. In those massive stadiums with crowds over 70,000 strong, Abrams shared that emotions ran high.

She expressed that the environment was akin to amplifying all emotions strongly. The exuberance spread easily, deeply influencing the creation of this record.

“The Secret of Us” is a captivating musical composition, where the emotional expressiveness of a young woman is conveyed through lively guitar chords and raw background vocals. Mostly penned by Abrams and her longtime companion Audrey Hobert in their shared Los Angeles residence, this piece encapsulates the exhilarating intensity of confiding in your dearest friend during the wee hours of an eventful night, as stated in a press release.

In her own words, Abrams described her earlier songwriting as deeply personal and drawn from her own life experiences. However, when it comes to “The Secret of Us,” she views it more like a captivating novel: filled with intriguing stories, having multiple layers of experiences.

Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Abrams expressed that they deeply absorbed truthful seeds and immersed themselves in the intense experience of falling in love during your twenties, emphasizing its physical nature. They penned down their feelings in the form of “Risk,” the album’s debut single, in August. Afterward, Hobert shared that she found it difficult to get a good night’s sleep due to the overwhelming emotions.

“He expressed feeling something completely new and unfamiliar to him, as he stated, “I’ve never experienced anything quite like this in my life.” Regarding writing collaboratively, he added, “It’s more exhilarating than any known substance on Earth.””

If “Risk” was the weakness in the dam, then composing the remaining songs felt effortlessly smooth for Abrams, as if he were simply gathering the cascading water.

She credits the swift progress of the project to her familiarity and strong relationships with her collaborators, Hobert and Grammy-winning producer Aaron Dessner, whom she views as part of her family.

Abrams stated that he has no secrets from either of them, making it effortless for him to be totally transparent while composing.

When collaborating with Taylor Swift on a song, it felt just like regular conversation between us during the writing process.

I was thrilled when I heard that Taylor Swift teamed up with Abrams to create “Us,” the captivating fifth track from their collaborative album. The rhythm and percussion in this song transport me to the cinema, while the powerful vocals of both artists leave me pondering the lyrics: “I wonder if you regret the secret we shared.” Swift’s poetic references to “sonnets” and “Babylon” resonate with me, as she has a knack for crafting poignant and evocative Track 5s that never fail to leave an impact.

At Long Pond Studio in upstate New York, “The Secret of Us” was produced, similar to “Good Riddance” and Swift’s “folklore.” However, this is the initial experience for Abrams in actively overseeing the production process.

She shared, “During those hours at home penning numerous songs with just an acoustic guitar, I felt like I could already imagine the complete composition in my mind.” Unassumingly, Dessner – known for his modest demeanor – responded approvingly, a rare occurrence given his esteemed producer status.

“Aaron never made me feel unwelcome or underqualified during our interactions. Instead, he welcomed me warmly and supported me right from the start,” Hobert recounted.

At Long Pond, Hobert and Abrams unexpectedly interrupted each other’s individual recording sessions. They shared tequila during breaks, finding humor in the situation that Dessner captured on camera. When Dessner retired for the night, Hobert and Abrams continued to dance to the demos.

“It’s a unique experience for me this time around,” Abrams shared, “as I get to enjoy every step of the process with my dearest friend by my side.”

On Mondays, Gracie and Audrey performed together in an unexpected, exclusive concert at The Echo, titled “Gracie & Audrey.” Approximately 300 enthusiasts attended, with numerous fans donning Abrams’ distinctive hair bows.

During the performance, several songs from the latest album were featured on the playlist. Among them was “Blowing Smoke,” with its provocative lyric, “If she’s still alive, she passes your test now,” which elicited a few shocked reactions. However, the true highlight of the night was the long-awaited finale, which had taken seven years to perfect.

In 2017, Abrams shared a 30-second preview of his synth-pop song “Close to You” on Instagram. This catchy tune, reminiscent of Lorde’s “Melodrama,” which was also released that year, gained significant attention from fans. Ever since then, Abrams has frequently received requests for the complete version.

She chuckled and admitted, “I held back on releasing it for seven long years.” Despite this, she acknowledged, “They were correct in their assessment.”

Gracie Abrams.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

In its initial day on Spotify, “Close to You” amassed more than 3 million streams, marking a new record for the artist’s best-ever single debut. This is her first solo composition to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

As a devoted cinemagoer, I find it intriguing to witness such passion from fans over a song I penned down at sixteen. Yet, I can’t help but express my deep appreciation for their unwavering support. “I may find it odd,” I mused, “but I truly cherish their enthusiasm.”

It’s clear that the love for Abrams’ “The Secret of Us” tour is strong. When pre-sales became available this month, her September 11th show at the Greek Theatre sold out in just an hour. As a result, she added a second night – and then, a third.

As a movie enthusiast, I had confidence that we had secured tickets for Night 2. But the thought of Night 3’s availability eluded me. However, my faith was shaken when I encountered the staggering length of the Ticketmaster queue, which astonishingly held over three times the number of people the amphitheater could accommodate.

She expressed her preference for keeping things as they were regarding the venue, despite the possibility of improvement. Moreover, being an artist raised in Los Angeles, she found nothing more enchanting than the Greek Theatre.

She’d play anywhere, though, on the condition that her fans were there to sing back to her.

“As long as they’ll have me, I’ll do this.”

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2024-07-18 21:14