“Why did I have such a hard time keeping friends?” My name is Koren Grace, and this was one of the very first questions I asked my therapist. It wasn’t my original plan to have that become the crux of my new EP, All My Friends, but after such deep searching, it was hard for me to deny that aspect.
The inspiration behind the project came after watching an old YouTube video I had made. The video made me realize that it had been a long year of going through so many different friends who I thought would be around for a while and turned out to be there just for the season.
I guess I take that a lot harder than I want to most times, so this album was a documentation of that journey to obtaining closure and new beginnings. Songs like “My World” give you a glimpse into my thought process before seeing a therapist, while tracks like “No Hard Feelings” showed my shift towards healing.
I worked on a lot of these songs for a while, with the oldest song written in 2014 and the newest song written this past year. The EP making process always starts as a year-long checklist where I take time to curate a list of possible songs that I feel have a similar vibe. I do all my songwriting (for the moment) alone, so I am always writing and storing songs for an EP, catalog, or what have you.
Most times, I write just to write. The creative process behind this EP, this time around, was really exciting because I felt more like a seasoned veteran in the business and creative sides of my profession.
This project was the first time where I actually sat in the room with someone while they were making a beat for me. I didn’t really have a hand in the process before and left it up to the producer to understand my thorough explanation and vision.
This time around, I made demos and was able to talk to the producer during the process and see the process all the way through…which was fun and looked absolutely different with each producer. I love finding new ways to conquer something that I love. I get to learn something new about the process and about myself each time. It’s always a learning experience.
I love leaving the overall meaning of what the songs could be about up to interpretation for the audience. I really enjoy that gap between what I assume the art I create to be and what other people may receive it as.
It’s so important to allow people to interpret it in a way that speaks to their life most so that they can start/continue their own personal growth and healing without too much outside interruption. Because this experience was so meditative for me, I hope it can be the same for anyone who truly wants to consume it in that way.
I make all of the executive decisions of my inner workings, so everything you see happening is because I put in the work to find photographers, producers, graphic designers through connections, research, or word-of-mouth, EVEN INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER.
I am all about the intentions of how I proceed with a project, so I take my time with everything that I do…even down to making shorter projects as a way to get a hold on the process before committing myself fully. I’d rather not leave too much up to the stars, so trusting my mind and the product that comes out of my mind is crucial in any creative process.
I really hope that my new EP can bring you whatever it is that you need to get through your day. And if not, No Hard Feelings 😉 Listen to All My Friends below!
Words by Koren Grace // Follow her on Twitter + Instagram
Photo Credit: Clarence Sellers/Sellers Media
