Grace Kinter
Grace Kinter's old soul delights in her new music video, 'I'll Show You How'. Bringing a more mature sound to her R&B vocals, Kinter uses the blending of genres to her advantage.
Grace Kinter is no stranger to the R&B world. Growing up, she was introduced to Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone and began developing her voice in their likeness. Full of soul and jazzy riffs, Grace released her EP, 'Two Fold' in 2024, showing off her maturity within the genre & venturing outside of her comfort zone to bring the melodies to life. 'I'll Show You How' blends her soulful riffs with a driving yet dreamy house beat, allowing the soundscape to shift in the quieter moments of the track.
Grace is now releasing a music video (see below) for 'I'll Show You How'. A creative feat for any new artist, Grace gave a deeper meaning to the song. With professional dancer, Lionell Burgess, at the center - the choreography, costumes and storytelling brings the song to life and asks the viewer to let go, push yourself out of your comfort zone & believe in your art.
GRRRL Music: Before we jump into your single and music video ‘I’ll Show You How’, can we talk about your very eclectic influences? You talk about your dad’s ‘tedious gypsy jazz guitar’ playing, being introduced to Aretha Franklin & Nina Simone at a young age - how do all of these influences make up your voice today?
Grace Kinter: I like to say I grew up in an atypical musical household. Usually when you hear about musical households where the parents were both creatives, the children are put into lessons very early and taught discipline. This was not the case for me. My parents didn’t push anything- however I was nurtured into having a good musical ear and I learned music was an emotional exchange. My dad would host jam sessions, play records, and practiced guitar every night- often the same licks and songs etched into my memory. I spent most of my childhood playing imaginary games and sending friends home so I could have “Grace time.” But having this musical influence in the background without actually being pushed to sing or play allowed me to fall in love with music in my own unique way.
GM: ‘I’ll Show You How’ is a delicious blend of R&B and house that really highlights your artistry, I’d love to know the ‘art’ behind blending genres, what inspiration did you take to build up & write this song?
GK: When you sing from the soul and mean what you say, I’m learning that your voice can fit into any genre. For this tune, I just had the amazing house beat on loop and walked around listening to it, danced to it, and kept it flowing through me until the melody nearly shouted at me. I stopped in my tracks and quickly took a voice memo singing my idea over the beat and the rest was history as they say!
GM: We HAVE to talk about the incredible music video for ‘I’ll Show You How’. Everything from the art direction to highlighting dancer, Lionell Burgess, to the costumes - where did this vision for the single come from? Can you talk more about the process of shooting such a huge project?
GK: I really stepped outside of myself to write the song. Lyrically, I used the idea of “stepping outside of my comfort zone” to inform a perspective where I was LITERALLY outside of myself, like a “fairy godmother” looking down at the real me trying to get her to loosen up and enjoy life for what it is. That led to the concept of the music video. I play the higher self or the “fairy godmother” and my star, Lionell Burgess, has to decide if he wants to “take my hand” or not throughout the video. Lie is an incredible dancer and I knew I wanted him to dance for a project of mine for a while now, so ‘I’ll Show You How’ felt like the perfect opportunity to both showcase his talent and also tell the song’s story. Lie does end up “taking my hand” in the end and we channeled Lady Gaga and Beyonce in Telephone for that end sequence! And shout out to my amazing director Elise Felber and Rubber Baby Films for bringing the concept to life!
GM: From your 2022 album, Side Effects to your most recent EP - there’s a big shift in your soundscapes. Was there a shift in your life that led to wanting to experiment with other genres?
GK: Certainly!! Older Grace strictly focused on the singing and melody and the instrumental part was up to someone else. I didn’t have the chops to bring my ideas to life when it came to the instruments. But working with people who understand me and listen has helped me explore and become a way better songwriter. My long-time producer/collaborator, Brenden Cabrera, will often get a voice note from me describing something in my own language and then he is able to help me bring it to life with such ease. That’s how my song ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ turned bossa-nova and why it wouldn’t have taken that fun shift in, say, 2019.
GM: What artists or genres are you really loving right now? Do you find inspiration through other music?
GK: I definitely find inspiration from other artists. From the songwriting and lyrics to their visuals, I am always thinking about how I can do something similar but the “Grace” version. I’m loving that women are taking over the rap game right now. I’m a huuuuge fan of Doechii, GloRilla, and JT. Love all of their most recent albums. My soulful artists I’ve been loving lately are Summer Walker, Cleo Sol / SAULT, and Thee Sacred Souls to name a few.
GM: What’s in store for Grace Kitner in 2025? Will we see an album soon?
GK: How’d you know?? I am currently working on my album and hope to have it out towards the end of 2025. In addition, I hope to curate a handful of shows around LA, perfect my roast chicken recipe, and continue investing time and energy into my LA community, especially after a tumultuous start to the year with Tr*mp and wildfires. Finding time to volunteer and spend time with people who make me laugh is just as important to me as music.