Grace Ives jumps around the stage anthemically, her distressed Wham! T-shirt and sheer lace skirt gliding through the sunless San Francisco air.

Bedroom-pop effervescence soars through the overcast, landing on the ears of devoted fans and unfamiliar listeners who can’t resist the warm gravel of Ives’ voice and the inviting pulse of the drum machine. Ives gestures wildly with her left arm, pointing it toward the crowd as if to accuse them, stretching it out wide as if to invite them, and pumping it into the air as if to celebrate their collective triumph.

Girlfriend - Grace Ives — Girlfriend – Grace Ives

In March of this year, Ives made waves in the indie pop sphere among fans and critics alike with her third record, Girlfriend, a stunning record that explores the ins and outs of changing as a partner and an individual. Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, the record cements Ives comfortably and confidently into the generational touchstone’s catalog, which includes Charli xcx, Solange, and Sky Ferreira, among other musical giants. In the crowd, fans twirl around in solidarity to lead single “Stupid Bitches,” a rally cry for those whose once soft hands are now covered in calluses.

“My Mans” and “Fire 2” were popular for their thumping instrumentation and restless energy, while “Avalanche” approached the same sense with shimmery falsetto and a more lucent touch. Ives sings, “Out of the home and out of your cover / We need a break to be one another,” a statement especially fitting for a record that details finding yourself while existing alongside someone else.

This push and pull is precisely what Ives describes during our chat in her trailer at Outside Lands.

Through the thumping bass provided by the Lands End stage, we shared pictures of our cats and laughed about the various musical opinions we had heard throughout the day, which in our humble opinions, were dead wrong.

Five months after the release of her outstanding, critically-acclaimed third record, the pink-haired pop star sits down with Atwood Magazine to discuss independence, codependence, and the ever-present inner critic.

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:: stream/purchase Girlfriend here ::

:: connect with Grace Ives here ::

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Stream: ‘Girlfriend’ – Grace Ives

A CONVERSATION WITH GRACE IVES

Atwood Magazine: You grew up crying and singing to yourself on the streets of New York City. How does this play a part in the way you express yourself now?

Grace Ives: New York is an easy place to be alone but still surrounded by people. You can feel like you are not so isolated, but you can also be alone. I could scream and cry without drawing too much attention to myself. I learned how to speak my mind, put it onto a page and then into a song. I was not so shy about it, probably because of growing up in that environment.

You’ve said you were a late bloomer when it comes to independence. How did Girlfriend, a record about being one half of a relationship, allow you to discover your independence?

Grace Ives: I went to LA to make it, so I literally left my house. I was pushed out by the need to make something. I had never lived alone, besides in college. Separation from the person I love allowed me to learn what I put on my partner and what I rely on them for. I outsource a lot of validation and support to him, which I realized after being on my own. I have to learn how to do this for myself, because it’s my own job.

Did this record provide you with validation?

Grace Ives: I think so. I feel validated, for sure. I like the response that I have gotten. And I understand the response I have gotten. It’s completely appropriate.

Right! You were vocal about your confidence in this record.

Grace Ives: Yeah, totally. Hearing music heads and the people I look up to liked it was amazing. Even Ariel Rechtshaid.

Legend. He’s a generational producer.

Grace Ives: Going to a preppy school in New York City when Gossip Girl came out was crazy. Famously, a Vampire Weekend song was in the soundtrack of that show. His work with Sky Ferreira and Vampire Weekend really spoke to me when I was growing up.

One of the reasons I love this record so much is how it explores both ends of the spectrum. On one hand, there’s this helplessness, like a newborn baby who depends on someone for their survival. Then you have this bold, brash, scrappy young adult element. Can you talk about how these two feelings manifest for you, if at all?

Grace Ives: I find comfort in isolation and being surrounded by people I love and people who I know love me. The other end of the spectrum musically is taking chances and taking bigger risks. Making noise and showing off a bit more requires confidence.

Speaking of showing off, you write the most beautiful ear melodies. Whose melodies inspire you?

Grace Ives: Mitski is the queen of melody to me. Same with Lana (Del Rey). She whips up something that you would never expect to hear over the instrumental.

I wrote this sentence down while listening to your record: There is nothing I love more in this world than a girl who is willing to be embarrassed.

Grace Ives: I think I am just coming into that now. It’s been less about not caring what people think and more about changing the voice in my head, which is such an inner critic. It does a lot of the talking and makes sure that I don’t like myself. That’s not even my voice, and it’s not anyone else’s voice in my life. So whose is it?

Probably our mothers.

Grace Ives: For me it is. Love her, God bless her. I have been trying to work on quieting that which shows and people respond to it. Especially growing up and not being skinny. It’s impossible.

I was talking to my coworker the other day, who she said she weighs 115 lbs. I was like, “The last time I was 115 pounds was in the fourth grade.”

Grace Ives: I have never been 115 pounds (laughs). I think the first number I ever saw was 127.

Every year at my pediatrician’s office, I would grit my teeth as they talked to me about my BMI. Guys, I’m 12 years old.

Grace Ives: Overcoming that is the hardest thing in the world. Going to the doctor, having your parents being so mean to you and making sure you don’t like what you see. It’s reinforced constantly.

Even though Girlfriend is a record about being in a relationship, your body and your physicality are not the subject of it.

Grace Ives: That is true. It’s very ephemeral. Which makes adding a body to it hard.

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