Q : Thanks so much for joining us , Grace ! We ’ re loving Mother Road , and its lead single , “ Good Time ,” has been in heavy rotation on our playlists . Starting off , let ’ s talk all about the new album ! What was the primary inspiration behind it , and what was the statement that you wanted to make ?
A : When I grew up here in Vermont , I was always aware of the mountains , the horizon , and what was waiting around the next bend . From every angle in the Mad River Valley , you can see curving roads and hidden drives . It wasn ’ t a wide and open place where you could look out and see expansive landscapes — it was more cloistered , and it felt more like a hug from a protective mother . Driving across the country over the course of my career and seeing all of the different terrain , it made me realize that every type of land tells a different story . In terms of American folklore , vagabonds and hobos are the only people who would never accept any one landscape as their own — it was almost like nothing belonged to them . Therefore , by shedding that feeling of protection from the land like I experienced here in Vermont , I discovered that I could create a different kind of “ mother ” from an amalgamation of all of those different horizons . They can add up in our minds as something bigger , and something that ’ s more planetary in nature as opposed to tribal or regional . I never felt like I belonged anywhere , but having said that , I think that there ’ s also a timeless charm and novelty to the American dream that was chased from the earliest days of American history . I wanted to explore that theme , as well as the genres of music that came from that lifestyle .
Q : Those varying musical influences are wonderfully interwoven with the theme of going out on the road and being truly aware and grateful of wherever you are throughout the album . To that end , how would you say the time that you spent in Vermont — as well as the time that you have spent on the road in other places — has influenced your artistic development ?
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