Back for another Audacy Check In now that her album has dropped, Gracie Abrams stopped by to chat with Bru all about The Secret of Us, and share what fans can expect from her upcoming headlining tour, plus a whole lot more.

Released June 21, Gracie’s sophomore album features lead singles, “Risk” and “Close To You,” as well as the standout track, “Us,” featuring Taylor Swift, who Gracie opened for on The Eras Tour last summer. Set to rejoin Swift for some additional dates this fall, Gracie also has tour plans of her own. Hitting up theaters across the United States from September 5 through October 10 with special guest, Role Model.

Filling us in on what she’s most excited about on The Secret of Us Tour, Gracie shared, “Honestly I’m just excited to be back with everyone, I feel like the heart of tour is the people that you get to do it with both backstage and also the people that show up and make up the audience.”

“I've missed the community, and I feel like touring is such a specific environment and brings out like a very chaotic, beautifully chaotic side in people. So I've missed that kind of chaos and I'm excited to kind of just have a really fun loose tour.”

Sharing what fans can expect, and what makes this tour different from the previous, Gracie noted, “This is like a different scale for us… I mean, even seeing the stage yesterday for the first time was pretty mind blowing. I didn't even anticipate, even after having seen renders of the stage, it's just really wild when you're actually standing there and everything exists and is tangible.”

That being said, Gracie is no stranger to big stages, having opened up for artists like Noah Kahan, and of course, Taylor Swift. Revealing that stepping onto their stages inspired her when putting together her own show, Gracie revealed, “I think it's like infectious to be around artists that are great at what they do. And I think, you know, Noah and Taylor are both incredibly talented performers and both are so connected to their audiences. So I think more than anything, it just contributes to the itch of wanting to be back on stage.”

A feeling, that as an introvert, Gracie found surprising to crave. “I never thought when I started playing shows that I would miss it, just because it is… intense. And also even just socially for someone that leans kind of more on the introverted side, it can feel like a lot of almost overexposure. But then it's funny, I totally fell in love with what it is, to connect with people in that way.”

Though it might seem like The Secret of Us just dropped, because it kind of just did, Gracie, while enjoying it’s success and spoils, naturally already has her mind on what’s next. “I think after something's been released, I tend to just get this anticipatory anxiety around making the next thing. So I've started to feel that creep up.”

Part of that next step obviously includes her tour, which will of course get a heavy does of The Secret of Us tracklist added to the setlist. “Honestly it's been great just because I get to put all of that into the tour,” Gracie expressed. “But it does feel like I have just enough time where it's been out, that there's like some perspective of it, where I feel like I'm in a even slightly different place than when I wrote all the songs. Which is just, I'm always surprised by how quickly that feeling comes up, even though it consistently does happen every single time, I think it's just like songs are such a moment in time really.”

“It's funny how quickly life can change,” she continued. "Mostly I just am so thrilled about the opportunity to share in the kind of love that I have for the album with the people that are kind enough to come out to the shows.”

Gracie also chatted about her music videos, which despite being the daughter of JJ Abrams, she credited to coming from more of a creative or experimental self-expression.

Among the many facets of being a musician, which include vocals, performance, production, and so on, Gracie see’s herself, first and foremost as a songwriter. When asked if there’s a particular lyric that she loves or wishes she wrote, Gracie had the answer right away.

“I mean, like all of Adrianne Lenker’s music. I feel like everything that she's made I just, it feels like my ribs are breaking and my heart is split open. Just the most beautiful words every single time. So I'd say her entire discography.”

As for any of her tracks that with time past, she feels she would now rewrite or change, Gracie admitted “Yeah, of course,” however she’s “accepted that those songs just have to exist as they are.”

That being said, Gracie note that with live shows “you get to mess around with old songs and rearrange them. We've done that with some stuff this upcoming show. Just reimagining songs that I kind of have gotten a little bit tired of that I put out years ago. But if I take it and like restructure melodies and stuff, I have new love for lots of old songs now.”

Gracie went on to talk about her relationship with her fans, social media, what’s currently on her playlist, and her “pressure free” desire to close out the summer with writing “one more song that I really love that I can mark as the end of this season.”

To catch the entire conversation, check out Gracie’s Check In above.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru