Addison Grace – Makes Me Sick

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) When I’m asked what genre I am, I say I’m indie pop. When I’m asked what I write, I always say I write like it’s my journal and each song is an entry. I don’t know if I have a specific sound. I’ve been told by some that I do, but that “it’s never because of instruments or such. I get told you can always tell it’s me by the lyrics and the overall feel of a song. If anything, I hope my sound is not always something concrete but more of a fluid, changing thing where you can still always be like, “Oh yeah, that’s Addison.”

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) A lot of my influences tend to be artists I’m friends with – artists like Brye, Tessa Violet, Chloe Moriondo, Cavetown, Shortly, Ally Evenson, etc. There are so many more than just them, but whether it’s writing with them, chatting about random things or even just seeing how they work/perform – I really admire them and get inspired by them, as both friends and artists. If you ask me who my favorite artist is though, it’s Phoebe Bridgers.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Make Me Sick.”

A) I got a call from my childhood best friend one day, who has a history of struggling with severe depression, who told me about how they were buying a new house with their partner and getting a promotion. I congratulated them until they said, “Addison, is it weird to feel so happy that it makes me sick?” I took the idea to my amazing producer friend, Cameron Hale, and we decided to write about that feeling. Feeling like even when life hands you good things, you try to ruin it because you’re so comfortable being sad and hurt. That’s how we created what “Makes Me Sick” is today!

Q) This is your second single. How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) We wanted to create something simple that also explained the frustration behind feeling like you self-sabotage your own relationships and happiness. The flowers are meant to be a representation of that “love” or “happiness” that keeps finding its way to you. I play myself, I guess…a young adult who keeps self-sabotaging and ruining these beautiful things because I can’t accept that I deserve them. The end is basically a metaphor that says, “You’ll need to learn how to accept these things because it’ll always find you.”

Q) Your first single “I Wanna Be a Boy” has resonated with so many people. What do you think it is about the song that fans connected to?

A) I think everybody, at one point or another, has hated their bodies. I wrote the song about my experience with gender and dysphoria but also for anyone who’s ever felt out of place in their skin for whatever reason. Maybe you’re a woman and you hate how the world undermines you because of that. Maybe you’re a man and sick of being told “how to be” one. Or maybe you just are frustrated with how the world views you or how you exist in your body. Everyone’s felt that at some point…I think that’s why it’s so relatable to even those who don’t technically “wanna be boys.”

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I think my songwriting process changes every single day. Some days lyrics come to mind, and I put chords/melodies around them. Some days I find really amazing chords and I put lyrics around them. Most of the time I’m just feeling something very intensely and I happen to pick up an instrument and spit something out that I’ll clean up later.

Q) For “Makes Me Sick” you worked with Cameron Hale as the producer, but how much of a say do you have in the production of your music?

A) Cameron, and any good producer, allows artists to have a big say in production if that’s what the artist wants. Usually, I know the exact feel I want for a song but have a hard time knowing what instrument or filter will help us go towards that. During our time together Cameron would hop around and slash out different ideas and I would alter them, cut them or excitedly agree to them. If anything, I’ve found that if you find the right people to work with, sometimes you can just trust that they’ll make what you hear for your song. Cameron did, and does, just that.

Q) You are headed out on tour to support Cavetown. Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I will always be a fan of performing home shows, which is Salt Lake City to me. Something about knowing I started in Utah coffee shops, playing for people who didn’t know or care, and now playing for crowds of thousands full of people that do know and do care is just something astonishing. I also love playing for Philadelphia. I’ve noticed I have such an intense and large fan base there and it’s shocking but comforting every time.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I would love to work with any of my artist friends! Some I’ve already worked with, just no one’s heard it yet. If you had to say someone I haven’t had the chance to meet or work with yet – I’d hands down say Taylor Swift. I love her lyricism and how she can touch on so many different genres. I think I’d adore working on something with her.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) I’ve really been into Leith Ross recently. Also, Catie Turner! Both of them are so fun to listen to every single time they release something. I guess those aren’t technically albums or bands, but I know if either released a new album tomorrow I’d be listening non-stop. I’m new when it comes to being a fan of their works, but I don’t see myself leaving soon.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I think it gives a personality to the music and the face. It makes it so my fans can see I’m a real person who wrote these songs and understands what those feelings are. All in all, it creates a more human experience. Plus, I love knowing who’s listening and why they do. Social media isn’t for every artist, sometimes I hate it, but overall, I’m extremely grateful that it exists so I can connect with my listeners when I’m not touring.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) That I love them, and they are imperfectly perfect. That I hope I can keep making something they can connect to and feel with. Thank you for allowing me to do what I do. I wouldn’t be here without each and every single one of you.