Grace Elizabeth Harvey on ‘Other Faith’: Intimacy, Interpretation, and the Spaces Between Words
An interview with upcoming singer-songwriter and cellist Grace Elizabeth Harvey on her debut EP Other Faith, a collection of intimate songs ruminating on faiths of all kinds.
Just under a month ago I sat down and chatted with Grace about the making of her debut EP Other Faith, which is out today. The project features 5 tracks, titled Lullaby For Wasted Time, Birdsong, Grace, Goodnight, and Belief. Recorded over 4 days with producer and multi-instrumentalist Gus White in Wiltshire, the songs are delicately made with minimal yet purposeful instrumentation to let Grace’s elegantly crafted words take centre stage. ‘There is so much that can be said without saying very much at all, it’s one of the most powerful things’, the singer said to me. ‘All the meaning that is hiding behind one word, all the meaning that is swimming around that we don’t even speak about or touch on but we feel and we understand’. With her words being at the forefront of the EP, Grace creates a world where lyrical interpretation is welcome and even the meaning of meaning itself is challenged and teased.
We initially spoke about the meaning of the EP’s title. Grace told me that the common theme that tied all the songs together was a concept of faith, and the project ‘is about faith of all kinds, not necessarily just religious, although it does touch on that. In the songs there is always the speaker and the ‘Other’ – so another person or thing – and all the songs delve into this relationship between the speaker and the Other thing in the song, and there’s always an analysis of that dynamic and the faith that that incurs’. Grace mentioned that the EP’s final track, Belief, acts as an epilogue, saying ‘I wanted it to be a kind of afterthought, a throwaway song. We recorded it directly onto cassette, rather than mastered to tape, so it has a different sound to the others’. Grace adds that ‘this song really sums up all of the themes of the others songs, which may not be as explicit, and Belief very clearly lays out philosophical questions’, an example being with the lyric ‘when we speak about honesty is there one belief, or is meaning a faith somehow?’, Grace explains further: ‘it’s about thinking about faith even in the words we use and the things we say’.
Whilst her gift for lyricism is a reason to listen to her music, Grace’s musicality is captivating; not only being a strong vocalist, but also a talented cellist and guitarist. The EP features emotive cello countermelodies, intricate guitar fingerpicking, and raw yet controlled vocals. Every aspect of the music-making, from the instrumentation to the vocal delivery, reveal an artist who is so clearly at ease; everything seems so natural. I found out that Grace attended the junior Northen Royal College of Music when she was younger, where she studied the cello from the age of fourteen. ‘I wanted to be a cellist until I went to university’, Grace tells me, before her love for songwriting was discovered. Grace also had operatic singing lessons, which she notes influenced her style, ‘the singing lessons helped me know how to use my voice, the melody can go wherever it wants to go’. Grace’s classical touch comes through on the tracks but in the best way possible, her technique being strong and controlled but still completely full of feeling.
‘Do you have a favourite track on the album?’, I asked Grace. ‘I love the third track, Grace, which is named after me, I love the layered cello and the strings we added’. This track is particularly lovely, with her wandering and poignant lyrics, an attribute the artist has become to be known for. Another stand-out track from the EP is Goodnight, the best way of describing it being hauntingly beautiful, the alternation between major and minor keys creating an unsettling ambiance yet a totally captivating one. Grace told me that part of her writing process involves experimenting with guitar tunings, a technique inspired by Adrianne Lenker. Other artists who influenced the EP include Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.
Grace will be touring the EP this spring and summer, with shows in Liverpool, London, Manchester, the Folk Festival in Wiltshire, Leeds, Durham, Chester, and North Wales. ‘I’m really excited to play the shows, I think playing live is the basis of everything I’m doing’, the singer tells me. A list of the dates for the shows can be found on Grace’s bandcamp, as well the opportunity to buy special edition lino prints made by Grace and the EP on vinyl.
Other Faith is streaming on all platforms now.