Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Bailey Grey

THE RELEASE

Originally from New Jersey and now living in London, Bailey Grey is a dynamic electric force in many ways. Bailey is a singer, songwriter, and actor who blends jazz, rock, and alternate influences in her music. With a message of fluidity, boldness, and self-acceptance driving her forward, Bailey is eager to see where her next creative encounter will take her. Before moving just outside of London, Bailey Grey’s journey began in musical theater, from her origins as a child on Broadway to where she is today, and we can’t wait to see what is on the horizon.

Bailey Grey delivers “Oh, Mother,” a fiercely moving serenade to humanity characterized by raw honesty and vulnerability. It took Bailey a year to release the record after writing the entire thing in one sitting, releasing her innermost emotions onto the page. With the help of producer Sam Cook Stuntz at Homespun Audio, Bailey’s acrobatic voice and grounded songwriting shine brightly. Whether it’s the earnest cries to nature in “Oh, Mother," musings on the impact of humanity in “By Design," or “Paper Airplane," her longing to be heard, there is a collection here for every human experience. “Gut Feeling” was about a breakup—a burning love lost. Through theatrically-inflected sound and experience, Bailey Grey invites audiences into a tale of existence with “Oh, Mother.”

THE INTERVIEW

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

I remember listening to Sara Bareilles’s Kaleidoscope Heart album on a long car ride with my dad when I was a kid. That was the first time I was really inspired to write my own stuff. Her storytelling through beautifully crafted lyrics made me want to explore that side of my own creativity. I’m a sucker for a story. I’m often compared to her, because she likes to mess around with genre too. 

Dar Williams, a folk singer songwriter, is another good example of that, and she’d also be up there. Adorable story, she actually held me when I was a baby. My parents were huge fans of hers at the time and they met her after an intimate concert. My parents were National Championship winners in Colorguard, and they used one of her songs for their performance and got to show her. They told me Dar said “I gotta get myself one of these” when she held me. Her songs are often stories told from different characters’ perspectives, for example, a song about a little girl’s favourite babysitter, sung by the little girl. I recently read her book called “How to Write a Song that Matters,” and it has allowed me to find new exercises in songwriting, basically new ways to open the metaphorical door. 

I’m also obsessed with The Beatles, and all their experimental stuff. I always try and include some little experimental bits in my music. I suppose the Beatles will take up a bit of space on the Mount Rushmore, but we can make them smaller so they all fit. 

Finally, I’d say Orla Gartland. I think she writes really intelligently, and I also relate to a lot of her music at the core because she’s bisexual too and writes very personal songs about it. Her killer guitar lines and vocals go together so well, a really satisfying mix of indie and pop. 

Honestly this line up is so beautiful I wanna see it in real life. 

Throughout the production of your new EP, were there specific challenges or breakthrough moments that had a profound influence on the overall direction and cohesion of the project?

I’m a perfectionist, which is always tough in a creative process. With music, you can’t be a perfectionist. It’s all subjective. And sometimes less is more. My goal is to incorporate different musical elements across each song while still having a core sound, which is a tough line to walk on sometimes. Maybe one day I’ll feel pulled in the direction of writing a punk musical theatre song, and I’ll need to still cater it to my sound and my audience. Lol. 

I’m always having breakthrough moments! I have ADHD so when I come up with something good, my whole body tingles and then I need to devote my next few hours to that idea without stopping. I have a few specific friends who get the little voice memos of new stuff either for their opinions or just because I think it’s good stuff. With ‘BY DESIGN’ specifically, I wrote all the words in 10 minutes. I was having an existential crisis, thinking about how much humans think they fuckin rule when their just ‘clumps of particles’ living on the earth just like anyone else. ‘Clumps of particles’ is a lyric in the song. I remember it just being stream of consciousness. I immediately recorded it just on guitar and sent it to my family. My dad immediately told me it was his favourite song of mine. 

Can you offer insights into the collaborative dynamics that shaped your latest EP, shedding light on the contributions from producers, co-writers, engineers, or featured artists and how their involvement impacted the final body of work?

Oh man I can’t wait to shout this man out. Sam Cook Stuntz at Homespun Audio found me through Tiktok during the pandemic, and my blip of Tiktok fame. He reached out to me 4 years ago, and he’s been producing my music with me since. We instantly connected to each other’s music-vibe, and also just as good friends. He’s in Seattle and I’m in London, but the time difference cannot and will not stop us! 

I’ve always struggled with the management side of music, so it’s been a great privilege to work alongside my manager, Karim Mokhnachi at Teenage Kicks Production. It was his idea to put these songs on an EP, and I’m really proud of how they all sound together. 

I had a few bangin sessions with Simon Kalla and Rose White, who helped me record vocals, and gave me direction. They’re both very talented singer songwriters and you should definitely check them out. 

Also thanks to my ex girlfriend for breaking up with me, it inspired some good art. 

Considering the entirety of your EP, what lasting impact or impression do you hope the collection of songs will leave on listeners, both individually and as a cohesive musical journey?

Ideally, I’m just trying to relate to people. I believe we all need to open our eyes to each other and have more compassion. There is so much love to be found. I want to welcome introspection about our place in the world and the stories we tell. I want to inspire other artists to get angry, fall in love, fight back, take a breath. Music, to me, is connection. It’s a universal language, as they say. I hope you can find inspiration and solace in my music, and I hope you sing and dance along to the groovy beats. ;)

As you look forward, how does the release of this EP set the stage for your future projects, and are there any subtle hints or clues you can share about the evolving musical direction you plan to explore in the coming months?

It’s all very exciting. I’m about to release a ‘BY DESIGN’ Music Video with Los Bichos Production. The video is focused on human consumption, and the chaos of humanity in general. I make out with an apple at one point. I also think I look quite cool. Really wild to see. 

I’m constantly writing everywhere I go, so I have a backlog of about 25 tracks on my “possible album song list.” The next step is now to curate a fully realised album, taking you through a variety of different vibes, personal stories, and catchy melodies. Writing so many songs has also sparked a lot of ideas for poems, so I’m looking to hopefully publish a poetry book as well. Stay tuned. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me! I think it’s awesome what you’re doing for artists, and I can’t wait to read some other interviews on your website. Xx

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