Kalista Tamez

Singer-songwriter Grace Gardner shares personal and emotional stories about their queerness, mental health and growing up in Texas through their music. Spending a semester at UT before transferring to Tulane University, Gardner left school to pursue their passion for music full-time, spending a year in Austin before moving to Philadelphia.

After touring with Ella Jane, Tiny Habits and Adam Melchor, Gardner prepares to release their sophomore EP, “Recovery Mile” set to release next February. The Daily Texan sat down with Gardner to talk about their upcoming EP and how living in Austin shaped them as an artist.

The Daily Texan: How do you think living in Austin helped your music career?

Grace Gardner: When I actually started living there and doing a solo career there instead of working with others, it helped a lot in terms of knowing people. There are a lot of people ready to just pitch in and help you get where you want to go … Being an artist in Austin made me gain a lot of tenacity.

DT: What are the inspirations behind your new single, “Cleanup Dive”? 

GG: I wrote that with my friend Lizzie (Budin) … We were in Longhorn Singers together (at UT). I was a month or two removed from doing an intensive outpatient program at a local psychiatric hospital … Lizzie had a really similar experience. (“Cleanup Dive” is about) that moment when you make the decision to get better and then you get better and now you’re like, “OK, what now?”

​​DT: Can you tell me a little bit about your next EP?

GG: It’s called “Recovery Mile.” The last EP was (about) sitting in my feelings and wallowing in them … In a chronological way, I wanted the next project to be (about) coming out from that … kind of running that last lap before closing the chapter and moving on. 

The next song that’s coming out is called “Surround Sound,” and it comes out in a month. It’s my first love song. I wrote (this song) with my friend Caroline Carter … It was about us both being shaky about a new beginning (of a relationship) because we had come out of something that was just so bad … Now we’re both many months into really happy situations. 

There’s another one that (she) and I also wrote together about the aforementioned bad relationships called “Lubbock,” which I love introducing in Texas. (It’s) the most upbeat, the most, I think, angry (on the EP) … It’s very intense. I am really looking forward to that one coming out.

The rest of the EP is going to be coming out I think in February, so I am really excited.

DT: Will you be coming back to Austin anytime soon?

GG: I know that we’re shooting a music video in Texas … Caroline Carter (and I) were going to try and do some Texas shows if we couldn’t headline anything, but I have been really insistent on (opening) in Texas because I loved my shows in Austin, Dallas and Houston. I love doing shows in Texas … I am so excited to get back. I know I’m coming to South by Southwest next year. So at the very latest, March, but that’s too far. I’ll be back.