Pop singer and producer Grace Ives has returned with her first new tracks since 2022's Janky Star, dropping 'Avalanche,' 'Dance With Me,' and 'My Mans.' The songs, produced with Ariel Rechtshaid and John DeBold, accompany a candid personal statement detailing her journey through rock bottom and recovery. Ives shares insights into her struggles with drinking, isolation, and personal growth in California.
New Tracks and Collaborations
Grace Ives marks her musical comeback with three singles: 'Avalanche,' 'Dance With Me,' and 'My Mans.' These are her first releases since the 2022 album Janky Star. The tracks were produced by Ives alongside Ariel Rechtshaid and John DeBold. She co-wrote 'Dance With Me' with both collaborators, while 'Avalanche' and 'My Mans' were penned with DeBold alone.
Listeners can stream the songs via the announcement on Pitchfork. The music reflects a shift toward spacious, confident sounds infused with personal themes of change and clarity.
Personal Statement
Accompanying the release, Ives issued a detailed statement about her path to these songs. She describes hitting 'a true rock bottom' in 2023 after touring Janky Star, involving drinking, lying, and self-destructive behaviors. 'I was drinking, lying and hiding. I fell down stairs; I called out sick; I stole; I was a shitty girlfriend, a bad daughter; I abandoned the few friends I had; I cried and vomited beyond bile,' she writes.
Ives recounts quitting alcohol, gaining clarity, and embracing change by moving to California. There, she wrote in LA libraries, learned to drive, and felt 'safer out in the world than I did holed up in my nest.' The statement emphasizes themes of freedom, openness, and moving forward: 'This era of my life feels like freedom... I’m not lonely, I’m alive and I’m laughing.'
The music captures her 'crash out'—a life of hiding and hurt—followed by the 'will to change' and post-storm confidence. Ives notes playing more instruments than ever and letting her 'heart and hands work freely.' This release signals a renewed phase for the Brooklyn-based artist, now exploring life beyond her longtime home.