A modern country-pop artist with timeless twang, Grace West was just 12 years old when she picked up her grandfather’s guitar and strummed her first song. Music had always been a daily part of her life, from the gospel songs she sang in the church choir to the Motown classics that rang throughout her family’s Detroit-area home. Even so, something changed the day Grace began making music of her own, sparking a meteoric career that would soon see her signing a publishing deal as a teenager, relocating to Nashville shortly after graduation, and creating a sound that blended northern roots with southern living.
From Motor City to Music City, Grace’s path has been thoroughly defined by music. Her grandfather — a guitar player who loved iconic rock acts like Led Zeppelin — was an early inspiration, as were the musical theater productions that Grace starred in as a child. Coming from a long line of Detroit natives, she also felt herself drawn to Motown music, whose songs told classic tales of life and love. And then there was Nashville, a town separated from Detroit by 530 long miles, yet still near and dear to Grace’s heart from a very young age. She loved country music, and as soon as she learned her first handful of guitar chords, she was playing her own country songs at local venues.
“I’m making pop-country with an old-school vibe,” she says proudly, nodding to Luke Combs and other contemporary stars who’ve straddled the border between country music’s classic traditions and modern makeover. “I love bringing the elements of classic country — the foundation of the genre — into a more modern sound.”
Grace secured second place on season 23 of NBC’s The Voice. As Blake Shelton’s last button push ever, he calls her “The real deal.” She went on to highlight her “pure” vocals and her love for the country music genre throughout the season.
Since the show, West continues to write and perform and is currently working on releasing an EP.
