October Graced With A New Album From Laura Jane Grace
October 1 welcomes changing leaves, cozy sweaters, and a new solo album from lead singer, songwriter, and founder of Against Me!, Laura Jane Grace. Grace came out as a transgender woman in May 2012 and is one of the first openly trans punk rock musicians.
Stay Alive is now available via polyvinyl and available to stream on all platforms.
As a celebration of the album release, Grace will be preforming live from Lincoln Hall, Chicago Illinois as part of Audiotree’s “STAGED” series on Saturday, October 17.
“Hi, my name is Laura Jane Grace. This is my album. This album is about staying alive. Stay alive. Don’t die. Work hard. Fight back,” says Grace.
The album is exclusively analog recording; no computers were used during the recording process. For us vinyl fanatics, all 14 songs were documented performances by Grace in Chicago Illinois. Recorded with Steve Albini, the two were the only ones in the studio, and they both wore masks the entire time. “I only took off my mask to sing. Please wear a mask,” says Grace.
Grace did not plan to make a solo album this year at all. She and Against Me! were on tour and planning to release a new album within the next year. COVID-19 put a halt to those plans for Grace, and she, like the rest of the country was on lockdown.
“But then I was like, ‘What am I waiting for?’ All I have to do is adjust my scope. I can sit here on my f*cking ass and do nothing, or I can work,” says Grace.
“Graffiti on the walls for all,” “The Swimming Pool Song.” Chicago streets influenced the mainly guitar, drum beat, and vigorous vocals of Grace. Each song is a raw experience of DIY, punk emotion. Written and recorded two days after the full moon July 5, 2020, Stay Alive isn’t just the title of the album, but the message for the entire production.
If anyone has been struggling with mental health, this album speaks to that struggle. Grace blatantly sings about the loneliness of quarantine and the effects she felt. Stay Alive is a kick in the butt to depression, and a reminder to keep fighting.
