Grace Potter | #016 The Kenny Aronoff Sessions

In a truly epic episode, Kenny welcomes trailblazing artist, musician, multiple Grammy nominee, and self-proclaimed ‘hot engine’, Grace Potter, to the podcast. Known for her unbridled energy and unique blend of musical styles, Grace's journey from forming her band with The Nocturnals to her successful solo career and extensive artistic endeavors is legendary. Today, she and Kenny take a wild look into the topics of music, passion, self-worth, and navigating life's creative chaos.

Together, they also delve deeply into the topics of identity, motherhood, and the power of music. Grace reflects on her journey as an artist and a mother, the roots of apologies and forgiveness, empowerment, and the significance of language in shaping our narratives. This episode offers insights into Grace's creative process, her relationship with music as a form of therapy, and her approach to performing. Touching upon such familiar themes as teamwork and leadership, Grace displays her intriguing perspective on life here today, modeling for listeners a rock solid commitment to authenticity, family, and, of course, music.

Episode Highlights:

• The first time Kenny saw Grace perform
• Grace’s early love of ski outfits and being in the spotlight
• The culture that Grace’s parents embraced in Vermont
• Grace and Kenny on their glasses game and fashion
• Grace and Kenny on the ‘switch of life’, sleeping, health, and meditation
• Jessica Meir, parenthood, and Grace’s latest record, Mother Road
• Grace’s identities as a person and a musician
• Her early relationships
• Grace’s issues with self-worth
• Her experience as a mother
• Jon Aronoff, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and the power of play
• Grace’s parents
• Grace on teamwork, leadership, and going solo
• The Grand Point North music festival
• Grace and Kenny’s perspectives on skiing
• Grace’s home and studio in Vermont
• Her work with Bernie Sanders
• Grace’s thoughts on aging
• The people she most identifies with
• Grace on being mute, legally blind, and reading a room
•  Grace on learning to play piano and guitar
• Nick Bockrath’s playing on Grace’s “Little Hitchhiker” 
• The stories behind her “Lady Vagabond” and “Masterpiece”
• Where Grace’s music comes from
• Words that Kenny and Grace never use
• Kenny and Grace on saying, “I’m sorry”
• Doing things differently in the next chapter of life
• Grace on self-worth and being apologetic
• Apologies and forgiveness
• What music means to Grace now
• Grace on rehearsing and drummers

Quotes:

"Everybody who gets into music knows that they're properly insane."

"Play and trauma are the two ways that we learn anything."

“I always think my brain is the 4th of July. But I think you're like me on steroids in a woman."

"I don't even think of it as leadership. I just think of it as being a good person."

"Saying 'I'm sorry' for anything is a premonition of asking forgiveness later from that same person."

"I’m the pinball that you could throw into a machine.”

"For me, music is kind of my binky."

Links:

Kenny Aronoff

Grace Potter