In Conversation With #201 - Grace Lightman
Grace Lightman is back with her delightful new EP ‘Deliver Me From Even Caring’.
The EP is a collection of songs recorded at Middle Farm Studios in Devon. The EP is the first body of work Grace has released since her debut album ‘Silver Eater’, following a stream of single releases. Co-written and co-produced by Grace Lightman and Patrick James Pearson (LYR, Dan D’Lion, Rachel Sermani, Brooke Bentham), the EP boasts a new sound as a tribute to Grace’s twenties as she enters the next stage of her life.
From dealing with f*ck boys to dreaming about quitting your day job, the ‘Deliver Me From Even Caring’ EP takes a journey through the trials and tribulations of Grace’s twenties, nestled amongst bouncy guitar riffs, pop synths and soulful melodies.
Cushioned by catchy indie pop songs such as the previously released ‘One Night Stan’ and ‘Catapult!’, and closer ‘Shower Of Your Love’, the title track ‘Deliver Me From Even Caring’ is an insight into the organised chaos that resides in the brain of a twenty-something creative person. On the track, Grace said ‘This song feels the most like the inside of my brain, and feels most likely to confuse people while making perfect sense to me’.
She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Grace - how are you? So your new EP is out now, how does It feel to have it out there in the world?
I'm great, thank you for asking. It has been a long time coming to release this EP. It feels like I have overcome a big challenge by following through with it, I have often found it hard to finish things and releasing this record independently held a mirror up to that. So I am really proud of myself for getting it out, giving me space to be proud of the music itself and see that people seem to be enjoying it!
It is called ‘Deliver Me From Even Caring’’ - what is the meaning behind that?
It came from the title track, which started as a stream of consciousness when writing. I named the song after we wrote it, and I remember Patrick (co-writer) asking me what we should call it and I just said it in a very sarcastic way. It summed everything up we'd been writing at that point in time; the struggles of being in your twenties and those moments of just wanting to bury your head in the sand. I felt like it was the only choice to name the whole EP.
Where was it recorded? Are there any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
We recorded the EP at Middle Farm in Patrick Pearson's studio. It was such a safe haven for me to go there and escape into the process after the crazy couple of years we've had. Patrick really encouraged me to take more of the production and mix responsibilities on, and when it came down to mixing I have an amazing memory of us using a 12 track analogue desk to mix together. Something about that moment felt really special and I think that comes across in the music.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Growing up, getting through your twenties, adulting. My first album was all about feeling like an alien amongst humans and desperately wanting to fit in, but this work feels like it comes more from the human perspective, a kind of 'careful what you wish for' way. The individual tracks address different aspects of my twenties, be it being single, thinking of quitting my job, falling in love, and so on. But all of it together is a tribute to that time before I reach the next decade. I wanted to connect that theme with the production, and use a sound that was more in tune with what I was listening to when I was younger. I was a big indie disco kid, so that was a major influence.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so and why?
Maybe 'the music is sad but it's not all about me' in Deliver Me From Even Caring for its pure irony. And for the amount of times a day I have to remind myself that things aren't all about me.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one and why?
It would have to be some kind of teen rom com set in the 2010s. But made now so it wasn't super problematic. Maybe it would just be a film about my life? That no-one would watch because why would they?
Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
I want to go back into the studio and get creative. I can feel the pull. I am also really excited to play some more gigs. I have a headline show in Plymouth where I currently live, on the 22nd July, and a few more dates to announce soon.
