Grace Elizabeth Farriss born June 10, 1991. Known professionally as Grace. Is a poet, singer, songwriter, composer, producer, painter, artist, author and environmentalist.
Born into an artistic and musical family and Rock and Roll Royalty. Grace grew up in the United Kingdom and Australia. She grew up with her younger sister and brother. Her parents Shelley Farriss, a lead theatre actor and yoga teacher and Andrew Farriss, a farmer and the main composer and songwriter for the world renowned band, INXS.
Grace's musical journey began when she was young. Knowing her love for music and writing very early. Her poetry and feel for songwriting as well as melodic compositions and arrangements would lead her to create her self titled debut album “Grace” releasing soon.
The first single from her self titled debut album “Grace” titled “All The People” is a combination of pop, rock, funk and disco. Which as Grace describes herself as “an explosion of my heart and I feel in many ways at this time, the worlds heart. I have always had such a deep fascination with how all of the cultures united come to be and how we all interact with one another and interconnect through our wonderful cultural differences. I do find it so incredibly fascinating. What I feel other cultures teach you is that we are all one and the same. Which I feel music and the arts certainly accomplish to bring this awareness to us all so intimately and so beautifully, internally and in celebration with one another. This is what inspired the song “All The People”. I worked on it consistently for a year until I was happy with it before going into the studio. The song itself came to me very quickly as well as the arrangement and the direction I felt the song wanted to go in.”
The Album cover and artwork for Grace’s self titled album “Grace” is a very bold reimagining of Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” masterpiece. By the extraordinary Australian oil painter Vicki Sullivan who has exhibited her paintings worldwide. Painting in her Melbourne based art studio. Vicki illustrated and then went on to spend a full year painting the masterpiece. Titled “The Birth of Venus”. Both Grace and Vicki conceptualised the artwork that the album called for. Grace stood in for live sessions to capture the painting which would then allow for Vicki to paint throughout the year.
Grace describes the album as "Classical, explosive, explorative and modern. Every song has its own world to live in and dream to. I feel that at times some songs feel like they really want to be heard and some are just for me. The songs that come to me quickly, I feel at times I have the responsibility to bring them to the physical world." Among Grace’s collection of poems, songs and compositions. She chose carefully the 10 songs that were closest to her that felt right and appropriate to put on her self titled debut album coming out soon titled “Grace”.
"Musically speaking I was inspired to push outside of my comfort zone with sounds and feels. I experimented a lot with sound before figuring out what each song needed to be accompanied by in terms of arrangement and sound. The Inspiration for the album came from a collection of memories and often times dreams I had years before or that I wrote In the moment that I then pair with a concept or melody that comes to me out of nowhere. This often happens for me. I was inspired by many different artists, art forms, cultures, experiences and musicians as well as art throughout time.”
Writing, singing and composing and then recording the album in Los Angeles alongside Aria Award nominated producer Tony Buchen (The Preatures, Montaigne, Tim Finn) and Aria Award winner Leon Zervos, Mastering the entire album.
The record features performances by The Section Quartet, Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley’s, Grace) on drums, Joey Waronker (Beck) on drums, Benji Lysaght (Adele, Father John Misty) on guitar, Ralph Carney on Saxophone (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and the B-52’s) John Kirby (Solange) on keys, Abe Rounds (Andrew Bird, Meshell Ndegeocello, Birds of Prey Score) on drums, and Todd M.Simon (Angel City All-Star Brass Band) on Horns.
Grace's writings, songs, poetry and stories will be published this year in a book titled “Poems, Sayings and Stories”.