Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo sat down at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre for a wide-ranging conversation as part of Spotify’s Countdown To video series, touching on Abrams’ forthcoming album Daughter from Hell (out July 17), Rodrigo’s recent release you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and the realities of life in the public eye.
Early mutual fandom
Before either artist was headlining tours, they were fans of each other’s work. Abrams recalled discovering Rodrigo’s Instagram as a teenager and feeling inspired, while Rodrigo said she was drawn to the early videos Abrams recorded of herself playing guitar in her bedroom.
Existential songwriting
I’m convinced our sinking ship will sing as it goes down / haunting hymns will echo on long after we’re in the ground.
Abrams said the line captures a broader unease about the state of the world. “Lots of the songs, to me, feel more existential than diaristic,” she said. “But that song in particular, [that’s] the lyric that comes to mind.”
I think when I wrote that it came from a place of understanding, or just having eyes and a heart, and knowing that so many people are in the midst of such despair and pain. But I really do believe in us […] and I have hope.
Rodrigo praised the track, recalling a live performance: “I remember watching the video of you performing it at The O2 and being like, ‘Oh my God, that song is so, so beautiful.’ Every lyric feels so poignant. It feels like there are no filler lyrics in it, it’s just perfect.”
Personal evolution and style
Rodrigo told Abrams her style has “never been cooler,” prompting Abrams to reflect on how cutting her hair has shifted her self-perception. “More than anything, I have found as I’ve continued to cut my hair off, I feel more like myself,” she said.
I think I look back at even the last tour aesthetic, being in dresses, for example, I’m like, the person I am today, I don’t know that I will ever perform in a dress ever again.
Navigating the spotlight
Both artists have grappled with the intensity of public attention. Abrams, who said she did not initially set out to be a performer, described a “fishbowl” sensation that she references on the new album. Touring, however, has offered a corrective.
In reality, that isn’t remotely true, and the world is so big. And I’m grateful to tour, because it lets you remember that in many ways.
