New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Gracie and Rachel, the collaborative duo of keyboardist Gracie Coates and violinist Rachel Ruggles, have been praised by NPR to "mix pop and classical in stark, infectious ways" and "make unforgettable, surprising music." Today the duo validates both of these claims with the release of "Trust," a transcendent demonstration of their evocative, pristine orchestral-pop that is as hypnotizing as it is thought-provoking. The music serves as the first taste of what's to come from the duo's forthcoming sophomore album on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records.
Angelic choral elements lift the song throughout with lush production and a pointed message: Sprouted from a writer's block that caused Gracie and Rachel to doubt their songwriting abilities after a lengthy tour, "
Trust" blossomed into an empowered reflection on learning to speak your own language, believe in your instincts, and write your own narrative, regardless of any self-imposed walls your mind builds up.
Simultaneously inspired by the strength of womxn coming forward in the #MeToo movement, Gracie and Rachel wanted to illustrate the ways in which courage can be contagious: "We aimed to create a piece that would embolden someone to find their strength through feelings of doubt." The video begins with Gracie amidst anguished imagery in black and white, which progresses to color once a television is turned on and Rachel's empowered choreography is broadcasted, bringing the two together through a screen. With both artists ultimately coming into a shared physical space, whether real or imagined, there's a sense of belief that in order to persevere we must all trust ourselves.
Also out today is "Ideas," a pizzicato-laden declaration of not letting your inner-saboteur take the wheel.
Gracie and Rachel are a study in duality: light and dark, classical leanings with a pop sensibility, Californians in New York. The duo creates music to excavate our inner fears and help us find the empowerment from within. Having released their 2017 self-titled debut full-length to acclaim from and coverage by NPR (including a jaw-dropping Tiny Desk Concert), Billboard, WFUV, Paste, and more, and seen on stages with Ani DiFranco, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Joseph, and San Fermin, Gracie and Rachel's live experience displays a passionate, tangible quality to their deeply rooted bond, an intimate connection that is both vibrantly apparent on stage and equally imprinted on their music.
