A soulful and irresistibly human burst of bluesy indie rock, “Say Something Mean” captures the raw honesty, warmth, and lived-in emotional depth that make Henry Grace one of the most compelling singer/songwriters to watch right now. With his sophomore album ‘Things Are Moving All Around Me’ on the horizon, Grace is stepping confidently into a bold new chapter – sharpening the emotional clarity and melodic depth that help set him apart.

Stream: “Say Something Mean” – Henry Grace

Every once in a while, an artist comes along who reminds us just how human this whole thing is – the loving, the losing, the stumbling, the trying again.

British singer/songwriter Henry Grace writes from that tender, unguarded place where songs feel less like performances and more like confessions passed across a room, life lessons and stories sung from person to person – the way music started, so long, long ago. His songs ache and exhale, holding space for imperfection and vulnerability, for warmth, weight, and wonder. It’s music that meets you where you are and holds you there – in your own humble, unvarnished humanity – and makes it feel, for a moment, like grace.

Nowhere does that truth – and Grace’s radiant, rising talent – ring clearer than in “Say Something Mean,” a song that feels like it was pulled straight from the soft, trembling center of a heart learning how to be open again. As charming as it is churning, Grace’s recent single aches in all the right ways. It’s warm, bluesy, and tenderly rough around the edges – a tune that feels like it’s been waiting on vinyl since the ’70s, only to spin now with new life. Gritty guitar riffs mingle with dreamy acoustic strumming and playful bass lines, while Grace’s vocals come hot on the mic, dripping with rawness and sincerity. Rich harmonies bloom around him in the chorus, accentuating every ounce of heart and hurt in this soulful, slow-burning rocker.

Try to talk yeah talk so well
Try to run yeah run like hell
But neither ever got me very far
I like to think it’s temporary
If the boat is rockin’ it was steady
Once upon a time in its life

And I’ve been foolish with my heart
I’ve been foolish with all of my dreams
I’ve been foolish with my heart
I’ve been foolish from the start so it seems

“I’ve been foolish with my heart, I’ve been foolish with all of my dreams,” he confesses, his voice cracked and earnest. “I’ve been foolish with my heart, I’ve been foolish from the start so it seems…” There’s a tenderness in that delivery – an authenticity that makes it feel more confessional than performative. When the chorus arrives, he breaks free, pouring himself into that simple but devastating refrain: “Say something mean, like it don’t mean a thing.”

Grace has always been a songwriter unafraid of honesty, and here, he leans all the way in. The London-based artist – who spent formative years cutting his teeth in California before returning home – channels the soulful rock spirit of artists like Hiss Golden Messenger and Bonnie Light Horseman while grounding his sound in something deeply his own.

Independently released in mid-June, “Say Something Mean” arrived earlier this year as the lead single and first look at Grace’s upcoming sophomore album Things Are Moving All Around Me, co-produced by Mystery Jets’ Blaine Harrison and set to release January 16^th, 2026.

“‘Say Something Mean’ has always felt like a positive song to me, like breaking out, even when the lyrics might suggest something else,” Grace tells Atwood Magazine.

It’s that duality that gives the song its spark. Heartache lives at the center, but so does release; the song aches and soothes at the same time. “The whole thing was really built around the chorus ‘say something mean like it don’t mean a thing,’” he explains. “It worked sitting at my kitchen table with just my voice and guitar, but it was not until I took it to the band and Brian started playing the opening riff that the song grew wings.”

That band – Brian Love (guitar), Toby Evangelou (drums), Blaine Harrison (keys), and Tom Holder (bass) – helped Grace find a new gear. Together, they recorded live at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, chasing intensity and imperfection in equal measure. “Everyone gave everything to making this album,” he reflects. “We recorded live and with such intensity. There’s a yearning in the performances which I think we all felt. It was magical at times.”

And that yearning radiates through “Say Something Mean.” Even as Grace laments the foolishness of his own heart, the song never feels defeated – it feels alive. The chorus is cathartic, an anthem for letting go and finding joy amid the ache.

“I hope people get close to having as good a time listening to it as we did making it,” he says. “The song came out the week before we played Glastonbury, which was pretty special. I wish more people could hear it, so I’m grateful for people like you who are willing to shout about it.”

With its blend of grit and grace, tenderness and triumph, “Say Something Mean” stands as one of Henry Grace’s most captivating releases yet – a soulful, feel-good rocker that aches beautifully from the inside out.

It’s a song to drive to, to drink to, to feel to. And if this is what’s coming from his forthcoming sophomore album Things Are Moving All Around Me (out January 16), then it’s safe to say he’s moving in all the right directions.

“It felt like there was a force willing these songs into existence,” Grace says of the album. “Everyone gave everything to making this record and I’m really proud of what we achieved.”

That same force runs through “Say Something Mean” – a current of honesty, heart, and human ache that makes every note feel alive. It hums like an old friend, familiar and true, even as it pushes Grace into new emotional territory. It’s music born of instinct and emotion, of movement, of the courage to feel everything fully, and of surrendering to whatever it is that needs to come out.

Warm, wistful, and wonderfully alive, “Say Something Mean” is a reminder of the beauty in feeling it all – a song that burns slow, hits deep, and lingers long after the last note fades. And while it stands powerfully on its own, it also reflects the honesty, intention, and emotional clarity running through all of Henry Grace’s work. With his sophomore album on the horizon, the singer/songwriter stands as an artist full of purpose and promise, defined by the raw humanity of his writing and the intimate, inviting grace of his melodies. There’s more to his story than one song can hold, and our conversation below offers a closer look at the artist behind it.

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:: connect with `Henry Grace here ::

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Stream: “Say Something Mean” – Henry Grace

A CONVERSATION WITH HENRY GRACE

Henry Grace: Hey! I’m from London in the UK. I’ve never been great at describing my music, but I’ve always strived to offer something unique and genuine with it. Over the last few years, I’ve been listening to bands like Big Thief, Hiss Golden Messenger, Bonnie Light Horseman and The War On Drugs alongside building a band of my own and making a record, which I hope matches up to their music in some small way while also being very much its own thing.

Henry Grace: I try to not give too much thought to what a song is necessarily about because I think it’s always the feeling in a song that really draws you in. ‘Say Something Mean’ has always felt like a positive song to me, like breaking out, even when the lyrics might suggest something else.

Henry Grace: I could give you an answer about rejection and hurt, but really, I just loved the phrase.

Henry Grace: It’s a song that will always be rooted in London for me – a place I tend to have a love-hate relationship with but I guess who doesn’t feel that way about where they grew up. I remember writing ‘This Is The Place’ after having a bit of a revelation about life. Sometimes we step away from ourselves and see the world, see other people, see ourselves, as they really are. To my detriment, I’ve spent a lot of my life with a less than positive view on myself and the world around me and I suppose it took being in a good place for me to recognise that and want to write about it and maybe try and change it.

Henry Grace: About three years ago I got into the habit of waking up ridiculously early to write. I work full time alongside music and I’ve found mornings are the time when I have the most energy. “Things” was written in the garden of my old flat just as the sun was rising. It was the first song I wrote for this record and ended up becoming the title track.

Henry Grace: Living in California changed my life. I moved there under some challenging circumstances and ended up going to college and pursuing music. My time there had a big influence on my music and led me to writing my first album Alive in America.

Henry Grace: I hope they get close to having as good a time listening to it as we did making it. The song came out the week before we played Glastonbury, which was pretty special. I wish more people out there could hear it so I’m grateful for people like you who are willing to shout about it.

Henry Grace: I can! The new album is called ‘Things Are Moving All Around Me’ and it comes out on January 16^th. It’s definitely an evolution from the first record and I have Blaine, Brian, Toby and Tom to thank for that. We strived to create something far greater than ourselves. Whether we achieved that, time will tell.

This album had wings from the start. Making records is meant to be difficult, and I’m not saying this was easy, but throughout the whole process, it felt like there was a force willing these songs into existence. Everyone gave everything to making this record, and I’m really proud of what we achieved.

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Stream: “Say Something Mean” – Henry Grace

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