March 26, 2024 • 25 mins
"Try to remember that they just hate themselves, and they're takin' it out on you." This beautiful lyric is from Amanda Grace's latest album (her 8th!). The album is Give Me Away and this song is 'Love Yourself'.
Amanda Grace is a Minnesota native who travels, performs, and collaborates to create unique shows and brilliant albums.
In this episode, you'll find out why Amanda has plans to hold a show at a cemetery, what her musical tastes were growing up, and how she is in a long-term happy marriage with super cool kids. (Tough to write break-up songs with all she has going for her).
Amanda sings part of a song for us (spoiler - it's beautiful!) and I even inspire a new song for the next album. I'm gifted like that.
Join the newsletter of Amanda's, and find show and album details on the website: MusicByAmandaGrace.com
Amanda Grace is a Minnesota native who travels, performs, and collaborates to create unique shows and brilliant albums.
In this episode, you'll find out why Amanda has plans to hold a show at a cemetery, what her musical tastes were growing up, and how she is in a long-term happy marriage with super cool kids. (Tough to write break-up songs with all she has going for her).
Amanda sings part of a song for us (spoiler - it's beautiful!) and I even inspire a new song for the next album. I'm gifted like that.
Join the newsletter of Amanda's, and find show and album details on the website: MusicByAmandaGrace.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This last album, I recorded inMinneapolis and worked with a producer that I've
been wanting to for a while.Really, I just got to pick out
the players that were going to beon it. They sort of created the
album, you know, in processwhere they'd never heard the songs before and
just created on the spot. StrangerConnections is the embodiment of Lisa David Olsen's
perspective of we're all just friends whojust simply haven't met yet. It's an
(00:23):
exploration of the weirdly wonderful side oflife and a look at the single commonality
we have with each other, ourdifferences. Slip off your shoes, pour
a cup of your favorite and let'smeet this week's barrel of quirks. Welcome
to Stranger Connections, where I celebratewonderfully weird people and their quirky stories.
(00:44):
I'm your curious Beast, Lisa davidOlson, the practically world famous business humorist,
interactive speaker, and speaker trainer.So reach out to me if you
want to re energize your team orevent today on Stranger Connections. I am
pretty excited to meet somebody that Iknow I'm going to meet in person someday
(01:04):
because we're both in Minnesota. Yeah, so please welcome miss Amanda Grace.
Welcome to Stranger Connections. Amanda,thank you for having me. Lisa,
we are this closet in person.Yes, it may or may not happen
this year. It's got to exactlyhow busy, how busy we both are.
(01:29):
I think when you're doing stuff onthe weekends, it's really sometimes it
takes so it takes a lot toget to other people's stuff, right,
So yes, especially when it's itcan be you know, three and four
hours away to get to where youperform a lot, which is in the
Twin Cities area often, and Iknow you're recently in Brainerd, Minnesota,
and that is the other end ofthe world for me, so yeah,
(01:53):
and that too not too far.I feel like between three and five hours
is standard sometimes, but yeah,exact definitely a world warrior, yep,
for sure. That's amazing. Andthat's that's a lot of what we have
in common is my performing and Ilook at your background as performing and mine
is acting and being a goofball onstage, and you are doing some acting
(02:16):
in a sense and performing songs.So I should introduce you with your title,
which is you are a songwriter,a voice, actor, and a
musician and you have a brand newalbum out. I do, yep,
I just put one out on Valentine'sDay, of all cheesiness. But I
(02:38):
really love writing love songs, andso I kind of thought that it would
be a good time of the yearto do something like that, because it's
it's winner and you need projects tokeep you busy, at least I do,
and so it was. It wasthe first time I've released an album
on Valentine's Day, so it waspretty pretty fun. There's never a bad
(03:00):
time for love songs. And no, I think that's that's great. I
mean, are you like that swiftchick that has to have a lot of
breakups in order to write songs.I have not lived that life for a
very long time. I have beenhappily married and for over twenty years.
(03:22):
So, oh, that's too bad. I've not been writing breakup songs on
a new album. I wrote kindof a kind of a flirty, fun
song like if you Were Single.It's kind of a song that that I
really like playing a lot. Youknow, how about let's do a rockabilly
(03:44):
song and it could be like Who'sYour Hall? Pass or what is that
called? When it's like, ifI saw this movie star, I get
a pass. Is that called thehall pass or what is it called?
Yeah? Oh yeah, yeah,yeah yeah. Mine, Mine would be
Mine would be Thor. I havea big crush. I would be freaking
out if I saw Chris, Iwould oh, okay, my husband knows
(04:05):
about it. It's fine, thereis a song in there. I give
you that gift. You can writethe poll past song writing. But Thor
would not be so hard. Iwouldn't think something walking out that door.
Because I got my hall pass namedThor, I'm going you know, yeah,
it sounds like you're ready for aco write apparently, so I'm always
(04:29):
sitching to write, and especially I'mtalented at telling other people what to do.
If you didn't pick up on that, yeah, so I would.
For growing up, what was yourwhat did you like to listen to?
You know? For me, I'mfifty eight, so my genres are not
your genres. But now now mysongs I listened to are in the grocery
(04:50):
stores. So who did you listento growing up? I can relate to
that. I listened to a varietyof stuff, and so I think That's
why I never really landed on agenre myself. I think I still kind
of jump around, and that's beena unique thing and a challenging thing.
(05:12):
I really loved, Like as avocalist, I used to practice along with
Mariah and I used to I gotinto Garth for a long time. I
loved I also love the cranberry SomedayI will probably do a Cranberry's tribute band
when I get to this certain stagein my life that I have time,
(05:34):
I'd like to do that, butit's just not quite time right now.
Well, and doesn't have to bea whole band. Why couldn't it be
a set? Why couldn't it bea trial? Well, I know,
but you know, I'm kind ofone of those people that if I'm going
to do it, I'm going todo it right. And I don't want
to start doing those shows until Ican fully commit and really make it good
(05:56):
because I just that's just where I'mat right now and problematic sometimes. But
then I don't know. So withCranberry's, can you sing zombie without hitting
your throat? Because I can't zombzombb I'm all right, I'm all right,
all right, I think I justscared my dog. Okay, So
(06:19):
I when I listened to yours,I mean I looked up on your website.
It says Americana and rock and popand folk. And what I've noticed
about some of your music is thatcan all be in one song. Am
I wrong on that? Because Iwas, Yeah, it once started more
rock, and then when the vocalsgot into the thick of it, it
(06:40):
sounded more country and it kind offloated back. And I love that.
Great. Well, that's good.I need to know whether I don't.
You don't get much feedback, asyou know, an artist sort of doing
this listen, launching music out thereall the time, and so I appreciate
the feedback. I'm glad that youdig it well. And there's so many
time times it crosses over like ourpop station in town. I'll turn it
(07:03):
on and I look at the radioin the car. Is this really that
station? Because I think it's country, and I actually am shocked when it
crosses over so blatantly and strong.And I like it because what a great
way to just get a flavor forsomething else, even if it is forced
into your car. But it's okay, I like to so with creativity one
(07:24):
of the best things you can doif you're stuck writing or you're stuck on
a project or painting or whatever.Switch things like that. So therefore,
for me, I don't listen tocountry, so to put on some country
is going to evoke something different inmy mood, in my brain. And
that's one of the things I shareis like switch where you're sitting, Switch
how you're sitting. You know howyou're sitting and where you're sitting. Go
(07:46):
to a coffee shop or go toquiet place, but switch your music.
So if I just put on youralbum, I've got all the things.
Well, that's cool. I haven'tthought of that before, but that that's
great. I'm that's great. Yeah. I like to go exercise. If
I feel like I'm in not creativeat the moment that I want to be,
(08:11):
I also just stop. I don'tpush it. Yeah right right,
that's a really good point. Walkaway. Sometimes give it a rest.
You cannot force it. And andyou're choosing exercise because you're raising your endorphins.
You could do the same by watchinglike something on YouTube, like bloopers
(08:31):
of your favorite show, and thenyou don't even have to sweat, just
to thought I'm not going to notto work out, but you know,
I know I don't sleep well ifI don't work out, So there's multiple
benefits for me. Right, No, you're right, and it is for
everyone. But I'm just feeling sassythis afternoon. Well, there's lazy day.
(08:52):
Everybody needs a lazy day. Shouldn'thave to push yourself that hard every
day? No, And I lovethat we're talking about exercising and you're eating
candy? What are we eating?My sister when I order Mary Kay,
she always puts in little candies inher bag. Brilliant. I know she's
so amazing. Wow. All right, we'll have to drop that link to
(09:16):
then because you get candy Mary Kaylady. So your song, let's see,
I think I'm right on this song. It is love Yourself, and
the lyrics that stood out to me. I had to write it down because
it was like, dang, ifI would have had these words when I
was a kid, how different Icould have gone through school? And your
(09:37):
your lyrics are Try to remember thatthey just hate themselves and they're taking it
out on you. It's like whoa, that's so heavy When somebody's be a
mean to you, it's really onthem, and I know that it's it's
like that to me, was everykid, every every everyone should hear that,
(09:58):
but especially young adults or you know, school age kids. That is
such a great phrase. Thank youso much. That is a a song
I wrote from my boys, andI had actually played it for a family
member, my niece, and shejust had that same experience, just really
(10:20):
emotional and touched her and helped herkind of get that refresher. And you
know, sometimes we also we canas humans, I think, really can
read into situations. Maybe we're youknow, jumping to conclusion someone doesn't like
us. You know, I tryto say that, you know, all
the time, like unless someone physicallysays I don't like you, or you
(10:43):
know, you know, just usinganother of fun word in our possibility of
swear words, you know, soyou just sometimes they're having a bad day,
they're having an off day, soyou don't really know. Yeah,
and sometimes we can kind of defeatourselves by projecting our own insecurities, which
(11:03):
is what that lion's talking about,yeah, to someone else, So right,
just remember it's it's more about them. But it's hard in the moment
because we all think everybody's talking aboutus and looking at us and knows it
everything about us, and it's justnot that way. I wish more people
knew that growing up. I surecould have used that. I think that's
great. So then what's your wildestinspiration for songs? And you know,
(11:31):
for me comedy writing, it's it'swhen unusual things happen and then you explode
it. You make a parody outof it. So for you in writing
a song, not only do youwant to rhyme it and make it work,
but what about just the topic,what's your wildest inspiration? Oh,
you know, I don't know.I think probably it's not that wild.
(11:54):
But I think relationships always kind ofI always circu'll circle back to relationship and
awareness of self, and yeah,that's kind of a big one for me.
Some some social justice stuff and someyou know, like I wrote a
(12:16):
somebody messaged me out of the blueand said, I have some lyrics about
uh, I want to write asong for Jeep and send it to them
and I want you to produce it. And I was like, okay,
wow, so we we and itturned out really fun and then we did
it countries like straight on country popand it's really fund. I'm not releasing
(12:37):
it, but more looking for youknow, if it's got a home somewhere
else, for a different artist orfor the company itself. I don't know
yet, but we're trying, youknow. So it's kind of a cool
thing. And this this person actuallydrives and teaches women how to to enjoy
(13:01):
their new jeep. So that's likeliterally goes off road and and has invited
me out on some stuff. ButI never have free time on the weekends,
you know, so I'm I haven'tsaid yes, but it would be
cool. That is so cool.Yes, you gotta find the time.
You've got to make that time onyour calendar, because you you can be
out there singing it. That'd beanother little video at least of course releasing
(13:26):
it. So you can't do thatyet, but that's fantastic. Does that
mean that you have a studio ofyour own or you know, well,
I just have a basic a likea little booth that I do a lot
of my voiceovers in. And ifI want to collaborate on something else,
I don't sit there. And I'mnot a track maker. I could do
(13:48):
that, but because I do everythingelse, it's just there's only so many
things right now that I want tobe an expert on, so I rely
on some other friends and this next, this last album recorded in Minneapolis and
worked with a producer that I've beenwanting to for a while, so that
was kind of a cool experience too. And then really I just got to
(14:09):
pick out the players that were goingto be on it, and they sort
of created the album, you know, in process where they never heard the
songs before and just created on thespot. And then we sort of picked
as it was coming together, youknow, kind of kind of picked how
what the direction of what was goingto happen next. So it was a
(14:31):
really neat, neat way of alsomaking an album too. So you're very
unique in that when you're speaking aboutit, it sounds like you crave others
input and you want everybody all hands. Rarely does an artist speak that way.
Usually it's no, this is myvision, nobody moved. No,
(14:52):
that's the opposite of me, forsure. Yeah. I like other people's
creative input and and I think itturns out better if I'm not thinking about
it what to do well. AndI think it's fantastic that you said you've
been married twenty years and going strong. That is really something to be applauded.
(15:16):
And I made the joke earlier oflike, oh that's too bad,
just meaning that you don't have thoseankst songs yet. But yeah, what
was it like for him? Idid have them. I can still write
them. Yeah, you can stillhappen. Oh yeah I have. I
have some angsty ones in there.I'll message you later so you can,
you know, have some anchory songsto go. Oh yeah, hell yeah.
(15:37):
But for him, what's it like? You know, next to this
songwriter musician in bed all of asudden, do you spring up in the
night and you have to write downa lyric that maybe you were in that
dream state and something popped into yourhead and now you're like, I gotta
go no more. It's more hotflashes now than find some book. He's
(16:02):
like, oh damn, I'm havingmy personal summer, darling. I'll be
right back. Yeah. I mean, maybe I was that creative when we
first got married, But I don'tknow if I've ever jumped out of bed
at night because I had a songidea. Sometimes. I mean I think
sometimes you'll get like a hook inyour head or something and you'll be humming
(16:23):
it and that's when you grab youriPhone and you sing into your phone to
capture that and go back to bed. Yes, that happened once when I
was in actually when I I recordeda couple of songs in LA for my
Better Life EP, and that onethat did happen for the Better Life song,
(16:44):
I kind of woke up with thismelody and it ended up being what
we put at the beginning of thesong. So it does happen, it's
just not I wouldn't say that's aregular occurrence for me. Well, I
mean, my sleep probably would tellmy brain to go back to sleep.
Just go to sleep. It's notworth it. There's no song that deserves
(17:04):
to get birth over my sleep.I don't know. I don't know,
because you can always nap later.I mean, I'm sure, but I
mean, that's that thing when youjust start to fall asleep or in the
middle of the night you sort ofwake up. It's that beautiful arim or
out of arim state where you're justfloating and it's just free flowing. But
(17:26):
the shower, that's my spot,that's my place where I can think.
What about you, what's the where'sthe strangest place you've ever written. I'm
picturing cocktail napkins or the back ofa bookmarker. Honestly, I I am
kind of a nerd. I alwayshave my notebook available or around, or
(17:48):
I use my iPhone a lot withthe little note section, right. I
write a lot of stuff in there, or song titles. I'll sometimes write
song titles and then come back tothem when I have the free spaced in
the time to work with it.You know, outside nature is always great.
My kids have a clubhouse that Isang and did a couple songs in
once. Oh so cool. Thatmight have been during COVID and I was
(18:11):
probably trying to get away from everybody. It's probably going on on that one.
And is it true you have anOctober show at a cemetery. Yeah,
yeah, so cool. Tell meabout that. I keep messing up
on the date, but it's like, I think it's the sixth, it's
(18:33):
on a Sunday, and it's goingto be in their chapel, which,
ironically, my producer got married there, and so when I messaged him,
he said that's where we got married, and I was like, well,
do you want to play that day? So it's going to be really lovely
I think the space is going tohave just the acoustics I think are going
(18:59):
to be really lovely. And theysuggested no drums or very light percussion,
so I think I might have well, I don't remember. I might have
booked a violinist to play as wellthat day. I can't remember, but
it'll be cool. And then theythey really did this lovely job. I
don't know if they put it outyet, but they did a very thorough
(19:21):
interview that we were going to kindof use to talk about the series that
they're doing. So I'm very excitedfor that one. Yeah, that just
sounds cool. I mean just tosay October, I mean, that's the
spooky month anyway, and to sayit's in the cemetery, but then you
kind of lead them into the chapel. You're kind of tricking people into church.
I like, right, like thatbig respect. That'll be fun.
(19:44):
And are you primarily on the guitar, then yes, I will, I
kind of on my new album Ido. I just picked up this really
cute keyboard that I wouldn't normally talkabout so much, but it's it's the
cutest little thing. It's you know, whatever, it is, sixty four
(20:07):
keys it's about two pounds. SoI'm finally liking it enough to where I'll
bring it and I can do acouple of my new tracks on my new
album Stuff, where I'll play keys. I haven't made a set list for
that day yet, but I usedto have a really heavy keyboard and I
sold it because I was just toolazy to really bring it out anymore.
And I just like, if someof these things are in and out in
(20:30):
an hour, so just for meto you know, hurt my back or
whatever, No, it's not worthit. So I think this has been
kind of fun. Sounds like you'reready to go key tar maybe or right
in between. May me someday,maybe someday with all my free time.
That's right, that one day thatyou're open, Yeah, that one day
(20:52):
that I'm free. Well, Ihad said to you earlier before we started
recording. I'm like, hey,do you have something you want to sing?
And you've sounded like you had anidea of something. Sure will Yeah,
if you'll help me do some likelittle finger snaps. I don't know
if that will mess you up overthere audio wise, Yeah, no,
I'll do my thing. Yeah,you do the finger snaps that I'll get
(21:15):
you a tempo and this is ifyou guys, go to the website music
by Amanda Grace dot com. Ihave a song called rain or Snow and
it's that kind of describes the weatherwe've been having the last three days.
We've been pretty lucky compared to therest of the state. But yeah,
(21:37):
and it goes like this, Itgoes is it rainal? Is it snow?
Trying to see which way to go? Do I open up my heart
can make a brand? Who stopped? He? Is it rain? Ho?
Is it no? Do I closemy heart up cold? I see
(22:04):
you reaching out to me and I'mjust trying to see is it right now?
Is it no? My dog justsaid my dog just went oh in
the background, wonderful. What avoice. Thanks for that treat. Wow?
Is that a beautiful, beautiful voice. Well, I can't let you
(22:27):
go until I ask you to sharea dare or a prank story when you've
done had done to you, orjust one of those family legacy stories shared
around the table. Yeah, noproblem. So I was thinking about a
time when my husband and I,our oldest two kiddos, were finally hitting
(22:48):
that age where if you went outyou could kind of you know, leave
them back at the hotel or whateverand give them a cell phone and say
call me a few have troubles.Lock them in, you know, for
a brief And we went downstairs andwe saw this wedding and I was like,
this looks like a lot of fun. They had a great cover band,
(23:11):
all these women singers. They werefantastic, And so we crashed the
party and just danced and started havingfun. And then we started getting phone
calls from our oldest who was thenacting like our parents and saying where are
you, ohy can't why aren't youhere, and just gave us a hard
(23:32):
time. So it was kind ofa funny story. In the end,
it is your wedding crasher and youdidn't end up performing though, you just
got to be the guest for oncefun. I just like to do that.
That was fun. That's out ofthe norm because you're usually having to
be the performer sing in it.Yep. I so appreciate our time together
(23:53):
and I just know we're going tomeet soon. And I want people to
go to your website music by aMan to Grace dot com and maybe people
can get to that cemetery show.This October in twenty twenty four. I
think that would be fantastic as well. Anything before we say are out.
Yeah, thank you so much forhaving me. If people want to follow
(24:17):
along in the journey, they canjoin the newsletter right from the website.
Then you'll find out there'll be morelocal shows, probably announced here soon.
I'm just a little bit behind oneverything, so I really appreciate your support
and I wish you all the luckin the world. Lisa, Oh my
gosh. And then we can findall of your albums on your website as
well. Yeah, because you gotmore than the one, right This last
(24:41):
one was number eight. There's somenew hats to support the album and our
trips out. There's some little truckerhats, and there's a couple of winter
hats left, and there's some shirtsand stuff. Some different albums have different
things. We call that. AmandaGrace Merch, Manda Grace Merch. I
(25:02):
am honored to have chatted with you, Amanda Grace. And remember we can
only be strangers once, and Iinvite you to stay weird. I will.
There's no doubt about that. Thishas been stranger Connections with Lisa David Olson
This last album, I recorded inMinneapolis and worked with a producer that I've
been wanting to for a while.Really, I just got to pick out
the players that were going to beon it. They sort of created the
album, you know, in processwhere they'd never heard the songs before and
just created on the spot. StrangerConnections is the embodiment of Lisa David Olsen's
perspective of we're all just friends whojust simply haven't met yet. It's an
(00:23):
exploration of the weirdly wonderful side oflife and a look at the single commonality
we have with each other, ourdifferences. Slip off your shoes, pour
a cup of your favorite and let'smeet this week's barrel of quirks. Welcome
to Stranger Connections, where I celebratewonderfully weird people and their quirky stories.
(00:44):
I'm your curious Beast, Lisa davidOlson, the practically world famous business humorist,
interactive speaker, and speaker trainer.So reach out to me if you
want to re energize your team orevent today on Stranger Connections. I am
pretty excited to meet somebody that Iknow I'm going to meet in person someday
(01:04):
because we're both in Minnesota. Yeah, so please welcome miss Amanda Grace.
Welcome to Stranger Connections. Amanda,thank you for having me. Lisa,
we are this closet in person.Yes, it may or may not happen
this year. It's got to exactlyhow busy, how busy we both are.
(01:29):
I think when you're doing stuff onthe weekends, it's really sometimes it
takes so it takes a lot toget to other people's stuff, right,
So yes, especially when it's itcan be you know, three and four
hours away to get to where youperform a lot, which is in the
Twin Cities area often, and Iknow you're recently in Brainerd, Minnesota,
and that is the other end ofthe world for me, so yeah,
(01:53):
and that too not too far.I feel like between three and five hours
is standard sometimes, but yeah,exact definitely a world warrior, yep,
for sure. That's amazing. Andthat's that's a lot of what we have
in common is my performing and Ilook at your background as performing and mine
is acting and being a goofball onstage, and you are doing some acting
(02:16):
in a sense and performing songs.So I should introduce you with your title,
which is you are a songwriter,a voice, actor, and a
musician and you have a brand newalbum out. I do, yep,
I just put one out on Valentine'sDay, of all cheesiness. But I
(02:38):
really love writing love songs, andso I kind of thought that it would
be a good time of the yearto do something like that, because it's
it's winner and you need projects tokeep you busy, at least I do,
and so it was. It wasthe first time I've released an album
on Valentine's Day, so it waspretty pretty fun. There's never a bad
(03:00):
time for love songs. And no, I think that's that's great. I
mean, are you like that swiftchick that has to have a lot of
breakups in order to write songs.I have not lived that life for a
very long time. I have beenhappily married and for over twenty years.
(03:22):
So, oh, that's too bad. I've not been writing breakup songs on
a new album. I wrote kindof a kind of a flirty, fun
song like if you Were Single.It's kind of a song that that I
really like playing a lot. Youknow, how about let's do a rockabilly
(03:44):
song and it could be like Who'sYour Hall? Pass or what is that
called? When it's like, ifI saw this movie star, I get
a pass. Is that called thehall pass or what is it called?
Yeah? Oh yeah, yeah,yeah yeah. Mine, Mine would be
Mine would be Thor. I havea big crush. I would be freaking
out if I saw Chris, Iwould oh, okay, my husband knows
(04:05):
about it. It's fine, thereis a song in there. I give
you that gift. You can writethe poll past song writing. But Thor
would not be so hard. Iwouldn't think something walking out that door.
Because I got my hall pass namedThor, I'm going you know, yeah,
it sounds like you're ready for aco write apparently, so I'm always
(04:29):
sitching to write, and especially I'mtalented at telling other people what to do.
If you didn't pick up on that, yeah, so I would.
For growing up, what was yourwhat did you like to listen to?
You know? For me, I'mfifty eight, so my genres are not
your genres. But now now mysongs I listened to are in the grocery
(04:50):
stores. So who did you listento growing up? I can relate to
that. I listened to a varietyof stuff, and so I think That's
why I never really landed on agenre myself. I think I still kind
of jump around, and that's beena unique thing and a challenging thing.
(05:12):
I really loved, Like as avocalist, I used to practice along with
Mariah and I used to I gotinto Garth for a long time. I
loved I also love the cranberry SomedayI will probably do a Cranberry's tribute band
when I get to this certain stagein my life that I have time,
(05:34):
I'd like to do that, butit's just not quite time right now.
Well, and doesn't have to bea whole band. Why couldn't it be
a set? Why couldn't it bea trial? Well, I know,
but you know, I'm kind ofone of those people that if I'm going
to do it, I'm going todo it right. And I don't want
to start doing those shows until Ican fully commit and really make it good
(05:56):
because I just that's just where I'mat right now and problematic sometimes. But
then I don't know. So withCranberry's, can you sing zombie without hitting
your throat? Because I can't zombzombb I'm all right, I'm all right,
all right, I think I justscared my dog. Okay, So
(06:19):
I when I listened to yours,I mean I looked up on your website.
It says Americana and rock and popand folk. And what I've noticed
about some of your music is thatcan all be in one song. Am
I wrong on that? Because Iwas, Yeah, it once started more
rock, and then when the vocalsgot into the thick of it, it
(06:40):
sounded more country and it kind offloated back. And I love that.
Great. Well, that's good.I need to know whether I don't.
You don't get much feedback, asyou know, an artist sort of doing
this listen, launching music out thereall the time, and so I appreciate
the feedback. I'm glad that youdig it well. And there's so many
time times it crosses over like ourpop station in town. I'll turn it
(07:03):
on and I look at the radioin the car. Is this really that
station? Because I think it's country, and I actually am shocked when it
crosses over so blatantly and strong.And I like it because what a great
way to just get a flavor forsomething else, even if it is forced
into your car. But it's okay, I like to so with creativity one
(07:24):
of the best things you can doif you're stuck writing or you're stuck on
a project or painting or whatever.Switch things like that. So therefore,
for me, I don't listen tocountry, so to put on some country
is going to evoke something different inmy mood, in my brain. And
that's one of the things I shareis like switch where you're sitting, Switch
how you're sitting. You know howyou're sitting and where you're sitting. Go
(07:46):
to a coffee shop or go toquiet place, but switch your music.
So if I just put on youralbum, I've got all the things.
Well, that's cool. I haven'tthought of that before, but that that's
great. I'm that's great. Yeah. I like to go exercise. If
I feel like I'm in not creativeat the moment that I want to be,
(08:11):
I also just stop. I don'tpush it. Yeah right right,
that's a really good point. Walkaway. Sometimes give it a rest.
You cannot force it. And andyou're choosing exercise because you're raising your endorphins.
You could do the same by watchinglike something on YouTube, like bloopers
(08:31):
of your favorite show, and thenyou don't even have to sweat, just
to thought I'm not going to notto work out, but you know,
I know I don't sleep well ifI don't work out, So there's multiple
benefits for me. Right, No, you're right, and it is for
everyone. But I'm just feeling sassythis afternoon. Well, there's lazy day.
(08:52):
Everybody needs a lazy day. Shouldn'thave to push yourself that hard every
day? No, And I lovethat we're talking about exercising and you're eating
candy? What are we eating?My sister when I order Mary Kay,
she always puts in little candies inher bag. Brilliant. I know she's
so amazing. Wow. All right, we'll have to drop that link to
(09:16):
then because you get candy Mary Kaylady. So your song, let's see,
I think I'm right on this song. It is love Yourself, and
the lyrics that stood out to me. I had to write it down because
it was like, dang, ifI would have had these words when I
was a kid, how different Icould have gone through school? And your
(09:37):
your lyrics are Try to remember thatthey just hate themselves and they're taking it
out on you. It's like whoa, that's so heavy When somebody's be a
mean to you, it's really onthem, and I know that it's it's
like that to me, was everykid, every every everyone should hear that,
(09:58):
but especially young adults or you know, school age kids. That is
such a great phrase. Thank youso much. That is a a song
I wrote from my boys, andI had actually played it for a family
member, my niece, and shejust had that same experience, just really
(10:20):
emotional and touched her and helped herkind of get that refresher. And you
know, sometimes we also we canas humans, I think, really can
read into situations. Maybe we're youknow, jumping to conclusion someone doesn't like
us. You know, I tryto say that, you know, all
the time, like unless someone physicallysays I don't like you, or you
(10:43):
know, you know, just usinganother of fun word in our possibility of
swear words, you know, soyou just sometimes they're having a bad day,
they're having an off day, soyou don't really know. Yeah,
and sometimes we can kind of defeatourselves by projecting our own insecurities, which
(11:03):
is what that lion's talking about,yeah, to someone else, So right,
just remember it's it's more about them. But it's hard in the moment
because we all think everybody's talking aboutus and looking at us and knows it
everything about us, and it's justnot that way. I wish more people
knew that growing up. I surecould have used that. I think that's
great. So then what's your wildestinspiration for songs? And you know,
(11:31):
for me comedy writing, it's it'swhen unusual things happen and then you explode
it. You make a parody outof it. So for you in writing
a song, not only do youwant to rhyme it and make it work,
but what about just the topic,what's your wildest inspiration? Oh,
you know, I don't know.I think probably it's not that wild.
(11:54):
But I think relationships always kind ofI always circu'll circle back to relationship and
awareness of self, and yeah,that's kind of a big one for me.
Some some social justice stuff and someyou know, like I wrote a
(12:16):
somebody messaged me out of the blueand said, I have some lyrics about
uh, I want to write asong for Jeep and send it to them
and I want you to produce it. And I was like, okay,
wow, so we we and itturned out really fun and then we did
it countries like straight on country popand it's really fund. I'm not releasing
(12:37):
it, but more looking for youknow, if it's got a home somewhere
else, for a different artist orfor the company itself. I don't know
yet, but we're trying, youknow. So it's kind of a cool
thing. And this this person actuallydrives and teaches women how to to enjoy
(13:01):
their new jeep. So that's likeliterally goes off road and and has invited
me out on some stuff. ButI never have free time on the weekends,
you know, so I'm I haven'tsaid yes, but it would be
cool. That is so cool.Yes, you gotta find the time.
You've got to make that time onyour calendar, because you you can be
out there singing it. That'd beanother little video at least of course releasing
(13:26):
it. So you can't do thatyet, but that's fantastic. Does that
mean that you have a studio ofyour own or you know, well,
I just have a basic a likea little booth that I do a lot
of my voiceovers in. And ifI want to collaborate on something else,
I don't sit there. And I'mnot a track maker. I could do
(13:48):
that, but because I do everythingelse, it's just there's only so many
things right now that I want tobe an expert on, so I rely
on some other friends and this next, this last album recorded in Minneapolis and
worked with a producer that I've beenwanting to for a while, so that
was kind of a cool experience too. And then really I just got to
(14:09):
pick out the players that were goingto be on it, and they sort
of created the album, you know, in process where they never heard the
songs before and just created on thespot. And then we sort of picked
as it was coming together, youknow, kind of kind of picked how
what the direction of what was goingto happen next. So it was a
(14:31):
really neat, neat way of alsomaking an album too. So you're very
unique in that when you're speaking aboutit, it sounds like you crave others
input and you want everybody all hands. Rarely does an artist speak that way.
Usually it's no, this is myvision, nobody moved. No,
(14:52):
that's the opposite of me, forsure. Yeah. I like other people's
creative input and and I think itturns out better if I'm not thinking about
it what to do well. AndI think it's fantastic that you said you've
been married twenty years and going strong. That is really something to be applauded.
(15:16):
And I made the joke earlier oflike, oh that's too bad,
just meaning that you don't have thoseankst songs yet. But yeah, what
was it like for him? Idid have them. I can still write
them. Yeah, you can stillhappen. Oh yeah I have. I
have some angsty ones in there.I'll message you later so you can,
you know, have some anchory songsto go. Oh yeah, hell yeah.
(15:37):
But for him, what's it like? You know, next to this
songwriter musician in bed all of asudden, do you spring up in the
night and you have to write downa lyric that maybe you were in that
dream state and something popped into yourhead and now you're like, I gotta
go no more. It's more hotflashes now than find some book. He's
(16:02):
like, oh damn, I'm havingmy personal summer, darling. I'll be
right back. Yeah. I mean, maybe I was that creative when we
first got married, But I don'tknow if I've ever jumped out of bed
at night because I had a songidea. Sometimes. I mean I think
sometimes you'll get like a hook inyour head or something and you'll be humming
(16:23):
it and that's when you grab youriPhone and you sing into your phone to
capture that and go back to bed. Yes, that happened once when I
was in actually when I I recordeda couple of songs in LA for my
Better Life EP, and that onethat did happen for the Better Life song,
(16:44):
I kind of woke up with thismelody and it ended up being what
we put at the beginning of thesong. So it does happen, it's
just not I wouldn't say that's aregular occurrence for me. Well, I
mean, my sleep probably would tellmy brain to go back to sleep.
Just go to sleep. It's notworth it. There's no song that deserves
(17:04):
to get birth over my sleep.I don't know. I don't know,
because you can always nap later.I mean, I'm sure, but I
mean, that's that thing when youjust start to fall asleep or in the
middle of the night you sort ofwake up. It's that beautiful arim or
out of arim state where you're justfloating and it's just free flowing. But
(17:26):
the shower, that's my spot,that's my place where I can think.
What about you, what's the where'sthe strangest place you've ever written. I'm
picturing cocktail napkins or the back ofa bookmarker. Honestly, I I am
kind of a nerd. I alwayshave my notebook available or around, or
(17:48):
I use my iPhone a lot withthe little note section, right. I
write a lot of stuff in there, or song titles. I'll sometimes write
song titles and then come back tothem when I have the free spaced in
the time to work with it.You know, outside nature is always great.
My kids have a clubhouse that Isang and did a couple songs in
once. Oh so cool. Thatmight have been during COVID and I was
(18:11):
probably trying to get away from everybody. It's probably going on on that one.
And is it true you have anOctober show at a cemetery. Yeah,
yeah, so cool. Tell meabout that. I keep messing up
on the date, but it's like, I think it's the sixth, it's
(18:33):
on a Sunday, and it's goingto be in their chapel, which,
ironically, my producer got married there, and so when I messaged him,
he said that's where we got married, and I was like, well,
do you want to play that day? So it's going to be really lovely
I think the space is going tohave just the acoustics I think are going
(18:59):
to be really lovely. And theysuggested no drums or very light percussion,
so I think I might have well, I don't remember. I might have
booked a violinist to play as wellthat day. I can't remember, but
it'll be cool. And then theythey really did this lovely job. I
don't know if they put it outyet, but they did a very thorough
(19:21):
interview that we were going to kindof use to talk about the series that
they're doing. So I'm very excitedfor that one. Yeah, that just
sounds cool. I mean just tosay October, I mean, that's the
spooky month anyway, and to sayit's in the cemetery, but then you
kind of lead them into the chapel. You're kind of tricking people into church.
I like, right, like thatbig respect. That'll be fun.
(19:44):
And are you primarily on the guitar, then yes, I will, I
kind of on my new album Ido. I just picked up this really
cute keyboard that I wouldn't normally talkabout so much, but it's it's the
cutest little thing. It's you know, whatever, it is, sixty four
(20:07):
keys it's about two pounds. SoI'm finally liking it enough to where I'll
bring it and I can do acouple of my new tracks on my new
album Stuff, where I'll play keys. I haven't made a set list for
that day yet, but I usedto have a really heavy keyboard and I
sold it because I was just toolazy to really bring it out anymore.
And I just like, if someof these things are in and out in
(20:30):
an hour, so just for meto you know, hurt my back or
whatever, No, it's not worthit. So I think this has been
kind of fun. Sounds like you'reready to go key tar maybe or right
in between. May me someday,maybe someday with all my free time.
That's right, that one day thatyou're open, Yeah, that one day
(20:52):
that I'm free. Well, Ihad said to you earlier before we started
recording. I'm like, hey,do you have something you want to sing?
And you've sounded like you had anidea of something. Sure will Yeah,
if you'll help me do some likelittle finger snaps. I don't know
if that will mess you up overthere audio wise, Yeah, no,
I'll do my thing. Yeah,you do the finger snaps that I'll get
(21:15):
you a tempo and this is ifyou guys, go to the website music
by Amanda Grace dot com. Ihave a song called rain or Snow and
it's that kind of describes the weatherwe've been having the last three days.
We've been pretty lucky compared to therest of the state. But yeah,
(21:37):
and it goes like this, Itgoes is it rainal? Is it snow?
Trying to see which way to go? Do I open up my heart
can make a brand? Who stopped? He? Is it rain? Ho?
Is it no? Do I closemy heart up cold? I see
(22:04):
you reaching out to me and I'mjust trying to see is it right now?
Is it no? My dog justsaid my dog just went oh in
the background, wonderful. What avoice. Thanks for that treat. Wow?
Is that a beautiful, beautiful voice. Well, I can't let you
(22:27):
go until I ask you to sharea dare or a prank story when you've
done had done to you, orjust one of those family legacy stories shared
around the table. Yeah, noproblem. So I was thinking about a
time when my husband and I,our oldest two kiddos, were finally hitting
(22:48):
that age where if you went outyou could kind of you know, leave
them back at the hotel or whateverand give them a cell phone and say
call me a few have troubles.Lock them in, you know, for
a brief And we went downstairs andwe saw this wedding and I was like,
this looks like a lot of fun. They had a great cover band,
(23:11):
all these women singers. They werefantastic, And so we crashed the
party and just danced and started havingfun. And then we started getting phone
calls from our oldest who was thenacting like our parents and saying where are
you, ohy can't why aren't youhere, and just gave us a hard
(23:32):
time. So it was kind ofa funny story. In the end,
it is your wedding crasher and youdidn't end up performing though, you just
got to be the guest for oncefun. I just like to do that.
That was fun. That's out ofthe norm because you're usually having to
be the performer sing in it.Yep. I so appreciate our time together
(23:53):
and I just know we're going tomeet soon. And I want people to
go to your website music by aMan to Grace dot com and maybe people
can get to that cemetery show.This October in twenty twenty four. I
think that would be fantastic as well. Anything before we say are out.
Yeah, thank you so much forhaving me. If people want to follow
(24:17):
along in the journey, they canjoin the newsletter right from the website.
Then you'll find out there'll be morelocal shows, probably announced here soon.
I'm just a little bit behind oneverything, so I really appreciate your support
and I wish you all the luckin the world. Lisa, Oh my
gosh. And then we can findall of your albums on your website as
well. Yeah, because you gotmore than the one, right This last
(24:41):
one was number eight. There's somenew hats to support the album and our
trips out. There's some little truckerhats, and there's a couple of winter
hats left, and there's some shirtsand stuff. Some different albums have different
things. We call that. AmandaGrace Merch, Manda Grace Merch. I
(25:02):
am honored to have chatted with you, Amanda Grace. And remember we can
only be strangers once, and Iinvite you to stay weird. I will.
There's no doubt about that. Thishas been stranger Connections with Lisa David Olson
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