Grace Over Pressure

None redder…

rish singer-songwriter Robert Grace has come a long way in the past year, especially when it comes to that ever-important fanbase.

Hey, 3 million TikTok users can’t be wrong.

And now the social media phenomenon brings his fittingly-titled – and recently released – debut album Happy Sad Songs all the way from Kilkenny to Greystones for one night only.

A career born out of the lockdowns, Grace broke through when his song Fake Fine gained over 30m streams, with his latest offering, Euphoria, currently taking over BBC Radio 1.

You can find out what all the fuss is about when the lad plays The Whale on Saturday, September 8th – details here.

In the meantime, we ask young Robert for the sounds that shaped him…

I come from a very musical family. Everyone can sing, everyone can play an instrument and my dad has been in a traditional Irish band since before I was ever around.

When I was a baby I used to sit in front of the telly with a little drum, with one stick, playing along to Christy Moore for hours. If my dad’s band had an early gig, I would get to go down, sit in the buggy and watch them. I wouldn’t make a sound for the whole show apart from playing along on a bodhran my mam would give me.

I’ve always felt a deep connection to music. I also loved lyrics and poetry. I wrote my first song when I was around 8 years old, called Dream Girls. It was terrible!!

When I was 13 I wrote my first proper song, How I Feel Inside. I ended up winning some local talent competitions with that track and I remember everyone in the school having it on their phone. Back then you had to send it around by bluetooth! That was the first song I ever got to record.

That was the moment I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

And now, those songs and artists that have influenced me the most…

The Goo Goo Dolls Iris
Such an iconic song, and one of the first songs I ever loved. I still remember learning it on guitar. That opening line – ‘And I’d give up forever to touch you‘… Always loved how he started off like he was already in the middle of a conversation.

Green Day Good Riddance
Green Day in general were a huge influence on me growing up. I was (and still am) a massive punk rock fan. This was the first song I heard from them and I was instantly hooked on the melodies and lyrics. They really built a bridge between punk rock and pop.

Jack Johnson Better Together
This song made me realise that our interactions with each other can create something greater than ourselves. And I think that in music, the best art is created through collaboration. Loved the guitar in this. So simple but extremely effective, calming and hopeful.

Fall Out Boy
My biggest influence by far. I must’ve listened to their album From Under The Cork Tree about a million times. Again, for me, it’s all about melodies. Some of the best melodies you’ll ever hear ar on this album. Both vocally and instrumentally. Such hard songs to sing though!

John Bellion Good Things Fall Apart
Jon Bellion is an absolute genius in my opinion. From his production to his melodies to his lyrics. Top class all around. He’s been the main influence on my most current music. Really hope I’ll get the chance to work with him someday. The chorus in this song is one of my all-time favourites.

You can find out more about Robert Grace here, and his Whale show on Saturday, September 21st here.