Grace Gardner – After Knowing

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When you attend a concert early, you open yourself up to new opportunities to discover artists that you may have not have ever come across otherwise. Such was the case this week when I attended a concert in DC for Eliza & The Delusionals and witnessed a charming opener by the name of Grace Gardner. Throughout her set, she captivated the audience with sultry vocals, great poise, and excellent stage presence with her bandmate Lonnie Davis. The setlist included several songs from her new record, After Knowing, as well as an on-point cover of Lady A’s “Need You Now.” Grace Gardner has a warm approach behind her vocals, and that comes through well live, as well as on her record that finds the artist in the same realm as Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers. After Knowing is a great introduction to this indie artist who has all the makings of a star.

The record sets off on the right foot with the vulnerable “Something You’re Proud Of (Crime Television)” that she mentioned was inspired by the series Monk. Gardner’s great guitar playing in the intro section helps with providing the landscape for her vocals as she leads with, “I see you on crime television / Always doing your killing / Under the nose of the suckers who love you most / You credit all of your losses to hubris / Listening for the ‘he wouldn’t do it’ / No more stepping stones to get you where you need to go.” The song unfolds brilliantly by adding in some contextual layers and harmonized vocals to round out the track.

”At Your Best” builds off of the impressive opener with some electric guitar and a steady beat in the second verse of, “Flash your loose college ring / And claim the military fucked up your haircut / You bring it upon yourself / Like that permanent ink / Of that mountain west scene, amber waves of probably knowing how you felt / I see nothing picturesque / On the drive down 10 west / Except your car off the shoulder / And my demise put to rest.” The song recounts a seething end to a relationship, and the track continues to add in some more context and great storytelling as it speeds to the finish line.

The best song on the record follows, with “Firing Sideways” bringing closer comparisons to the composition of Phoebe Bridgers, paired with an impressive vocal range. The second verse of, “I spoke with your biggest fear / She’s insignificance, so deep seeded / Just waiting here for you / To let loose one single tear / You’re robotic, formulaic / Suffocated if you couldn’t rent an ear,” features great lyrics about pulling out others’ insecurities and noticing their faults. The song also features a great guitar solo towards the tail end of the track, paired with some horns to add to the complexities of the single.

”Smaller” pulls on the heartstrings and connects the audience with her own insecurities as she mentions on the chorus, “I’m smaller than I ever wanted to be / Feel smaller than when I just wouldn’t eat / Smaller and smaller, I climb between walls now / Small like you need me to be.” Her vulnerability comes across as charming, if not all-too-relatable for fellow introverts to find themselves in. “Hole in the Wall” tells a story of a small town and the people who reside in it, as Gardner mentions towards the end of the song the pointed lyrics of, “Spend hours talking down ‘bout ‘the rednecks’ / Then go and buy camo from the curated vintage / Find out what makes you cool in the city / It’s all a gimmick, don’t turn around and tell me.” Her lens for the world is great for someone who grew up in Texas and is making her dreams slowly come true with her vibrant music.

”Big Picture” has the lone cameo from an artist named Buffchick, and recounts a bit of a messy love-triangle situation as Gardner croons on the chorus, “What if you wanted to cheat on your girlfriend? / What if you asked me to buzz you in? / Drive a few miles to my place unprompted / Expecting the world at the drop of a pin.” On Buffchick’s verse, she adds in “I took all the blankets / When I sat there crying / You thought you could dance around it / Twirl me to the music,” to paint a picture of a messy relationship nearing its end.

The closer of “Dog Ear” rounds out the approach that Grace Gardner went for on After Knowing, and showcases an artist who is going to continue to get better the more she writes. Opening bands don’t always get the respect they deserve, but Grace Gardner was undeniable from the first listen.

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