But all my other friends were moving away to college, getting their first apartment, and becoming an adult, and I felt like I was stuck, expected to be an adult, but I wasn’t really. I worked a retail job, and I became a musician out of nowhere. I graduated high school, and I didn’t go to college. And what about “ Kill the Switch ” ?ĪG: I’ve always been a kid at heart, and my way of growing up felt different than my friends around me. So, I wanted it to have that happiness but also that crash of like, “Oh, I think I’m gonna trip up I’m so happy.” It’s about when you first find that person you love, but you feel like you’re gonna ruin it ’cause you’re anxious, and you’ve never done this before, and it’s terrifying but in the best way possible. I just thought that was such a funny phrase, and so I ended up writing about both her experience and mine in a weird, conjoined way. She had been depressed for so long, and now she was so happy that it made her nauseous. And so, it was my angry piece of art.ĪG: One day, my friend called me and was ranting about her life, but not in a bad way. I want to be my own person and find somebody I love, but I don’t want to fall in love just to fall in love. Also, I live in Utah, and the culture in Utah is very much like finding your true love at 18, which I have always thought is ridiculous. You should want a relationship, not need one.” But of course, when you’re in high school, you see all your friends dating, and you just get so frustrated that you’re the one that’s single and not really exploring. JR: And what about “ I Don’t Wanna Fall in Love ” ?ĪG: I was raised by a single mom who was like, “Find yourself before you find somebody else. ” And I actually came out not quite long after I wrote that song because I think it was my exploration and the final stamp of who I am. It gave me the confidence to be like, “Oh, I’m saying this for a reason. As I wrote that song, it was kind of like me finally putting into words how I felt on the inside as a kid, and as a teen, and as a young adult. I was writing it when I was having a gender crisis. The song is for anybody it doesn’t have to be just for trans kids or anybody of the queer realm. I actually wrote it when I thought that I identified as a woman, which I no longer do. What comes to mind when you think about “ I Wanna Be a Boy ” ?ĪG: I don’t want to say it’s a funny song, but it was a funny experience writing it. JR: Let’s go through the EP’s five songs. It just fit with the name Immaturing so well and showed me as a person - there’s still a kid but just a little more mature. So, I just found this amazing artist called snakelung on Instagram whose aesthetic was nostalgic but mature. I’ve never liked the idea of using a picture of me standing somewhere looking cool - it’s supposed to be a work of art. How did you choose yours?ĪG: I used to be a visual artist as a kid, and so I ended up being really picky with who I wanted to make cover art for me. JR: I’m always curious about album cover art. It’s such a big goal of mine to finally have a compilation of songs together, and each song just means so much to me.
It was very much a new experience to be working on so much music rather than just one single. It took me months of flying across the country and working with people I’d never met before, writing by myself and writing with others. JONATHAN RIGGS: How does it feel to release your debut EP, Immaturing ?ĪDDISON GRACE: I’m so unbelievably proud. He spoke to Shondaland about what it means to be a thoughtful 21-year-old artist - and human being - in 2022 on the cusp of a huge career ascendance. Identifying as a nonbinary bisexual trans man, Grace (who uses he/they pronouns) makes queer indie pop anyone can appreciate, rooted in deep emotion and powered by his gloriously evocative voice. After conquering social media (more than 3.8 million followers on TikTok, more than 500,000 followers on Instagram, and more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers), the rising star recently released his debut EP, Immaturing, and announced his first headlining tour, which will kick off this August and September. At 21, Utah-based Addison Grace has a lot going for him.